A COACH CAPSIZED.

Evening Star, Issue 13038, 5 February 1907, Page 4

A COACH CAPSIZED.

A PASSENGER'S ACCOUNT.

CHRISTCHXTRCH, February 5. The coach from Hokitika to Christchurch capsized at the main saddle on Arthur Pass yesterday, with disastrous results—one killed and'soveral injured. Weary and dust-covered, many of them with cut faces or stiffened limbs, the passengers by this fcoach emerged from the train at Christchurch at one o'clock this morning. Ono of them, still limping, gave a graphic account of what had happened : " Seventy-sir passengers in fivo coaches left Otira Gorge, the coach that came to grief being the second in order and about 200 yards behind the first. We had just passed the top of Arthur Pass, the highest point on the whole road, about 3,000 ft above sea level, when the mishap occurred. The rocks rose up sheer on our left to considerable height, and from the outer edge of the road a deep ravine descended, covered with light bush. At one steep curve the road, instead of being graded upwards towards its outer side, was graded downwards in that direction. As the coach swung round this bend its top inclined towards the edge, and bo doubt the weight of the passengers upon the roof assisted it to capsize. At any rate, the coach lost its balance, and fell over on its side. Six men on the top seals were flung right over the road down the ravine, and but for the bush, which, stayed their fall, they would almost certainly have lost their lives. My own thigh struck against a voung birch tree. When I got up I saw that several ladies and children who had been inside the coach were lying under the top of it on the road. Their groans and cries were heartrending. The top of the coach was torn off, and fivo ladies and two children who had been inside wore thrown on to the road, with the top covering them. Fortunately none wore badly hurt, though most of them received bad cuts and bruises, Mis Condon in particular being very badly shaken. Mro ScQtt, of Greymoutk, and her six-month-old boy, however, wore pinned down in the wreckage of tho floor when tho coach turned over, and the frightened horses g.vlloped off down irili, dragging them in the debris. They were dragged down, a steep decline for two hundred yards, when the horses were stopped by tho passengers of the other coach. The child, however, was discovered to be dead, the back of its head having beer, crashed in. Mrs Scott was unconscious from her injuries, tho extent of which could not be ascertained. The six men on the top seats, who were flung down the ravine, luckily escaped without very severe injuries. Ono of them —Mr Mair, of Hokitika —;Jso struck a tree in falling, and- was especially badly shaken; and Mr P. Thomas, of Christchurch, who.sat next him, also Mr I.Condon (Hokitika), Mr T. Davis (Greymonth), and Mr G. Kellar (Hokitika) were all more or Jess knocked about. Tne other outside passengers escaped unhurt, as did also a lady ond° gentleman who had been sitting next to the driver. The driver himself (Eastgate) was thrown out, but practically unhurt. As 60on as the accident happened one of the other coaches was sent back to Otira, six miles, with Mis Scott and the dead child and Mr Mair. Another coach was sent from Otira to replace the damaged one, arriving at the top of the pass about two hours after the accident, which took place at half-past one in the afternoon. The other occupants of the damaged vehicle were placed on the first coach, some of whose passengers gave- up their seats to make room for them, and wero hurried off to Bealey. Tho remaining coaches came on same two hours later. Bealey was reached by the first travellers about an hour after tho usual time,"and tho others were much later. Broken River was reached nt 11 p.m., after a trying journey, made for part of the way in the dark, and the ordinary train, which had been delayed, brought the passengers to Christchurch. The lady passengers who were thrown out behaved splendidly, and they also were kindly treated by the occupants of the other coaches." "