Fatal Accident at Kakanui.

Cromwell Argus, Volume I, Issue 7, 22 December 1869, Page 7

Fatal Accident at Kakanui.

A gloom was thrown over the city ai an early hour yesterday by tho news of a sad disaster which occurred to tho Oamaru up coach the previous evening at tho Kakanui River, by which two lives were lost. The news was received in town yesterday forenoon, and was the mournful theme of conversation throughout the (lay. Various rumours were afloat as to the cause of the painful occurrence, one being that a bridge had given way precipitating the coach and passengers into the river. This, however, is incorrect, as there is no bridge at that place, and the stream, which is neither a very wide nor a very deep one, is always forded. From what jve can learn, it appears that heavy rains had been falling in the district for some days, and that tho current was stronger than ordinary, al-1 though, apparently neither so rapid nor so ' deep as to cause any apprehension of danger to the driver, James Duncan'Hvho has the reputation of being an experienced and careful man. It is said that the river has been crossed before when much deeper than it was on this occasion, and it is the opinion of those who know the place, that one cause of the accident was that there had been no flood there for some considerable time, and that the shingly bottom had got dried up in consequence, so that when the rush of water came on, the bottom shifted, and holes were made in what before was known to be tolerably level and safe passage. From the account of the driver, we learn that on reaching the post-office near the southern bank of the river, he was informed that it was quite jafe, having gone down three feet during the day. At the ford there are two streams, the river being divided by a shingle bank in the centre. The first stream was crossed in safety, and on reaching the shingle bank, the driver, in order to make the landing place, went a little way up the stream, and entered the water. After having done so, some of the passengers inside the coach appeared to got" alarmed, and very foolishly attempto.l to scramble to the roof. This of course cause! the balance to be lost, and tho driver feeling the coach unsteady, turned his horses down, the stream in order to keep the coach from getting broadside on, and with a view of going back, through tho shallow water, to the south bank. Suddenly, however, the coach overturned, and the connecting strap of the fore carriage and under carriage of the body giving way, it parted. The horses swain to the south bank dragging the driver with them, and he seeing that two passengers were still on the coach, unhitched one of the horses, and mounting him, went in to their assistance. The horse was carried off his legs and swam down the stream. The driver had a narrow escape of being drowned, but was rescued by one of the passengers, who went in to his assistance'from the north bank, to which he had swum. There were seven passengers in the coach at the time of the accident, all escaping but two, who were drowned. One of them was at first supposed to be Mr Lavv-son, architect, but was subsequently identified as Mr Thomas Paterson, railway engineer. The other, there is every reason to believe, was Miss Ross, late teacher in the North Dunedin School, and daughter of Mr D. Ross. The coach was going up to Oamaru, and it is said that Miss Ross was on her way to spend the Christmas holidays with her sister who resides at that place. Immediately on receiving the telegram Mr Mansfield, Manager of Cobb's coaches, proceeded to the scene of the accident, and will doubtless investigate the whole affair. We need not say that both in Oamaru and in Dunedin the news of of the accident has been received with very painful feelings. It was reported that two of the horses were crowned, but this is not the case, the whole four coming out with hardly a scratch.