HOKITIKA NOTES

Grey River Argus, 23 April 1937, Page 2

HOKITIKA NOTES

(Our Own Correspondent). HOKITIKA, April 22A section of the Southland farmers’ touring party left here by the. express to-day homeward bound, while another section, numbering about thinty, proceeded by motor to South Westland on a visit to the Glaciers. They return on Saturday Those leaving by train to-day gave hearty cheers as they •.moved 1 away, 'including a. salvo for. Mr J- Murdoch. Mayor of RossBishop W. II- Baddeley, in charge of the Anglican Mission in Melanesian Islands, visits her.e next week, and is to give an address on his mission at All Sa'nts’ Hall next AVednesday.

The ranges to-day revealed a new though light coating of snow, due to the wintry change overnight. A power line is now being constructed from the Inangahua railway station down to Ross railway station The men on the job are at present engaged here. The local Methodist parsonage was yestei'day visited by a thief, and a sum of money was takenTile'boy from Woodstock last week admitted to the hospital with infantile paralysis, was to-day discharged, his case, having been a negative oneThe m-v- Hokitika arrived from Well ngton via Tarakohe and Greymouth last evening at 8 o’clock, and is due to. sail on a return trip on Saturday- She will leave Wellington for Hokitika on the following TuesdayWestland Rugby Sub-Union last night made, the following fixtures foil Saturday; —Junior; Excelsior v- Arahnra, at Arahura- (II- Sta’nes); Kokatahi v- Excelsior B, at Kokatahi (CBriggs); Kiwi v- pirates, at Hokitika (M- Sloane); Ross a bye- Third grade: Pirates v- 'Excelsior at Woodstock, 2-45 p-m- (E- M- Best). It was resolved to seek a reduction in charges for travel--I’ng teams. Ross Club advised they were not, entering a third grade team ,D- Canning was graded a junior. Ex-eel->ior Club nominated a second team for the junior competition- Kiwi senior team to play Ross on Saturday are; S. Roberts, P- Garden, R- Wieblitz, Buckingham,. C- Kelly. J- Mason, J- Leslie, D- Chinn, L- Wilson, KO'Brien, L. Leslie D- flriffen, E- McHugh, J- West, F- West, Wilson, .1Cooper, R. Roberts, G--Stapleton-In the Ladies’ Golf Club opening foursomes’ yesterday the best, cards were; Mesdames Langford and Milner 86 —19—(67) Mesdames Warren and Guthrey 85 —17 —68; Mrs Millen and Miss E- Dale 89—20—til); Misses Stevenson and B- Dowell 86—16—70, Mrs Thompson r< r >d Miss. Meade 90—19—71, Misses Wormington and A- Mclntosh 90—19—71; Mrs Moor fi and Miss BYarrall 89—18—71; Miss Yarral! and Mrs H- Preston 94—-19—75-

At the inquest on Monday at Waiho on lan Aubrey McLisky, before Mr P. Graham, J-P-,. and, a jury comptjisiing Messrs P- McCormick, Jas. Nolan, A- C- Graham and T. A- Condon. the verdict was that death was due to drowning on April 10, owing to a car in which deceased was r ding, driven by Harold William Parker, accidentally leaving the road and falling into a creek,, no blame being attachable to anyone- The jury added a rider! that, after viewing this particular po’nt, they consider it to be dangerous-, a number of accidents having occurred recently, and that the Public Works Department should be notified to this effect. The wife of deceased, Ethel. Muriel McL sky, stated there -were two children,, girls aged 14 and 15- She was one of several

who left Waiho with her husband for Weheka on April 10- About 64 m’les south of Waiho the car left the road and fell into a ereek which was in heavy flood. After the ear fell into the creek she saw her husband, on top of the car. That was the last time she saw him. alive- He was a healthy man. The ear was travelling at ordinary speed- She had no hesitation in saying the driver Parker was very capable, and she would travel with him

at any time- Her husband was born at Ngahere. Harpld W- Parker, labourer, stated he had been driving four years- On April 10 a party was arranged to go to a dance at Wa'ho. Mr and Mrs McLisky were in the fitont seat, and in the rear seat were William Ballantyne, Jack Shannahnn and Eva Browne. At Waiho at 9-45 p-m- they found that there was no , dance, and they left about 11 p-m- on return,, taking an add'tional passenger, Mr Wilson- When about 64 miles «outh of Waiho it was rain ng heavily and visibility was bad. The ea r was stopped and most of the party removed their coats except Mr McLisky,. because it was very warim in the car. They then proceeded,' about a mile, going round a gradual bend to tho light. As there were i-ocks on the left hand side, he was keeping over to the I right, and the right hand front wheel got. on the giuss. He was unable to pull the ear on to the road again. Tho car ran along fo r several feet, and then rolled over into the creek. Witness later saw McLisky on top of the

car. Mrs McLisky called out to her husband, and he answered her. MeLisky got off the car and attempted to go round to his w fe- The water was about seven feet deep and running fast- McLisky was carried past by the current- As he was passing, ivitnesw saw him catch hold of a bu«h. and did not see him again as witness wa s occupied in. getting Mrs MeL’sky out of the creek. Three of tho part}- ari'ived safely on the roadside, the side that McLisky attempted to gain. The othor four were on the opposite side of the creek- It was not till they mustered at the hut that he discovered McLisky was not in the party- The hut was about. 14 m'les from the scene of the accident, and was occupied by a Public Works roadman, V- Coburn. It would be 24 hours after the accident that they arrived at the hut. It was - then impossible t<> make any further search owing to darkness, so they decided to wait for daylight- The two passengers in the , fron; seat did not inconven'ence or obstiiict the driving of the car. He had been informed since that his ear , wa.s the third to. go ove r at this par- ,

ticular point within the last six months. At dayl'ght the rest of the party continued the search, and witness returned to Waiho to inform the police and obtain help. The accident happened about midnight- Dr A- PColler gave evidence that death was due to drowning. A. W. Ballantyne, P-W-D. carpenter,, gave evidence corroborative of Parker’s. Jack >3hannahan, P-W-D- carpenter, corroborated

pilevious witnesses .that the driver was quite sober and careful. Where the car’fell into the creek there was about

6ft of water. The car landed on its side, settling on the right hand side. ' When he got out of the car he saw no sign of AlcLisky- All the party were on top of the car. with tho c” • e.ept’on of McLisky and' Miss Browne. He managed to cross the creek to the road. M’tes Browne was there- He attended to Miss Browne, and then went to Coburn’s hut for help, but before leaving, warned the others on the other side of the creek to remain on the ear- It was not till he returned an hour later that he discovered AlcLisky wa s misring. He was present when, the body was recovered from the water. He was a passenger l in a car that went over at the same place six weeks ago,, and -considered the cambre of the road was too close m

the edge to make it a safe corner. Thomas L. Hall nan, surfaceman, who recovered the body, sa'd the bend where the ear went over wa.s dangerous in rough weather Or at night, as the cambre was too high on the left .dide travelling south. Constable T. WBruce said that at the scene there is a gradual bend to the right. On the point where the front wheel of the can left the road, the metalled portion of the Toad is 10ft wide- Where the car fell -was 40ft; from where the front wheels first left the shingle. The surface is 9ft wide. From the road to the water’s edge, there was a drop of about Bft- At this point; shingle extends to the edge of the bank- The cail was standing on its wheels in the creek. It appeared to have taken a complete turn. Both windows on the left side were broken-