THE WELLINGTON MOTOR FATALITY.

Evening Star, Issue 13000, 20 December 1906, Page 3

THE WELLINGTON MOTOR FATALITY.

A HEARTRENDING SCENE. [Special to the St.ir.J WELLINGTON, December 19. The subject most to tho front at tb-e moment is tho terriblo motor accident of Monday. There is the usual tendency mi the part of some of the publii; to blame tho driver of the motor, but that hj« did his host to avoid the accident cannot lie doubted, andj that no man in the city i* more grieved than ho is well nudc:stood ; and it is true, too, that ho has never iiad an accident before throughout a long career of motor-driving. The preventive measures necessary aro also much talked of at the moment Of couxso it is understood that the motor being the fire motor of the Council, and being on duty of urgent character, enjoyed a license in thel matter accorded to no other motor. The by-law lays down that the pice must be reasonable with regard to all the circumstances of thocase, and the instructions to drivers go on to say that it must bo such, as will not endanger anyone. This motor was running up to fifteen or sixteen milea according to the- account of the driver, and was pufled up to an eight or ten milo gait to round the. corner. That, oi course, is a heavy rate of speed, but the moral of the story is not to be found in tbo degree of the pace. It ia in. the fact that tho unhappy victims-were startled out of their sensed by the sudden danger. They saw a. taige monster bearing swiftly down upon them with treroendoosclatter and much shouting. They were terrified beyond the power of thinking collectedly enough to run, straight. Tbey ran backwards and forwards over the line -of danger, and they were run over. The motonnan seeing them going over the crossing to the Dortbwards steered accordingfy. Then they turned, rusbing'back to the southward, and the motonnan steered to clear them. Lastly, and too late for any further giving way of the motor, they turned north again, and that, though everything possible was done to stop the motor, was the «nd. It was the fright that was rjrimarily responsible for the sad fate of tho victims. The moral is that motor cars being always more or less liable to frighten people, ought to be carapefled' to round comers-at a pace equivalent to the walking pace of a horse. In conversation I have heard eye-witnesses describe the scene as the most terrible they ever saw, and one they feel sure they, will never get out of their minds. The bodies ■under the car, the awful agony on the face of the unhappy driver, the terrible preparations necessary before help could be given—all these made np a scene of ghastly detail most impressive. ODO.<of the saddest episodes was the amy-al-ol^Mr-KenanjitQa^n

thoecene. He had came out of his office, which, like many of tho rooms of the big Government Bniiding, looks over the crossing in question, and having made his 'way across -with many others -was about to ask -what had happened, when be suddenly recognised the fact that there had been a terrible accident, and that his own wife and daughter ■were the victims. For this awful scene -thenvare no -words.