THE RECENT ACCIDENT AT THE TABLE LAND.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXI, Issue 324, 22 December 1887, Page 4

THE RECENT ACCIDENT AT THE TABLE LAND.

About a fortnight ago a young man named Augustus Fonchelle met with a eerioua accident when working in his claim on Mount Arthur, a etono falling on him and breaking his log. On the accident becoming known, a number of miners, with the kindly fueling of comradeship which they invariably display whrn one of (heir number meßts with such a misfortune, mus'erod, and prccoediog to the scene of the accident carried the poor fellow down to where he coald gee » conveyance to take him to Motueka, One of them has betn good enough to send ub an account of Che jourDey down, which we havo much pleasure in publishing. The simple narrative speaks for iteelf and needs no comment : — I enolose you an account of the journey which we had last Tuesday week when bringing down the young fellow who had his leg broken, thinking that it might interest some of your readers. Just as we were leaving work news was brought to us that the accident had happened, so we just got some tuoker and candles and started for tho poor fellow's claim, where a stretcher had been made, on which wo placed him, and started at 4dO p.m. up a steep blazed line which it is difficult to walk round even with a swag, as you have to hold on to the sorub. After three miles of this, during which thero were several narrow escapes from capsizing owing to tho soanty foothold, we reached the Table Land pack track just at dark. Having divided ourselves into shifts of four each and shouldered the stretcher, we started for Flora's Saddle at as quick a pace as the light of two candles, and the roughness of the track would allow. I might mention here that with a few exceptions they were all new hands on the track, and they all said that it a disgrace to the countiy. As there were 17 hands in all, we got on pretty well, but some of the ground was pretty trying both to the carried and the carriers, bub certainly " Gub" bore himself bravely, ac I uerer heard a murmur

from him all the woy, though I oould Bee he was sometimes in great pain. Juafc before we reached the Saddle we oame aoross a lot of stores, and the remark was made " I hope there is not another man to shonlder." When we got down, however, we found onfc that we very nearly had to do so, os Mr Heath's packer had been kicked, and had only just managed to walk homo. He has since died. Things went a little easier when we had Ofos3ed the Saddle as we had nearly all down hill, bub it was broad daylight before we arrived at Mr Hodge's, which we were not sorry to do, a» about 4 a.m. having been nearly 12 hours on the track. We were most hoßpitnbly entertained by the. Messra Hodges, one of whom had arrived an hour or two before us, so that breakfast was on the taMe to whioh we all did ample justice. The return journey was begun about an hour after breakfast, and it was then that we all wondered how we had ever managed to get the stretohor along at all, and come made the remark that they were glad it was dark wben they came as they could not see the danger. The young fellow waa taken on in a trap and placed under the care of Dr Johansen, but great diffloulty was expeiienced in finding lodgings for him, but he was at last left, under the care of Mr 11, Talbot, whir a I have no doubt he will b wfll looked after.