THE WARKWORTH COACH OVERTURNED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 13048, 13 December 1905, Page 5

THE WARKWORTH COACH OVERTURNED.

FATAL ACCIDENT? AT DEVON- . - J POET, ONE PASSENGER KILLED. ANOTHER* BREAKS HIS WRIST. Ax. accident which was, unfortunately, attended' with fatal results'; to one passenger | and a broken wrist to- another < occurred to ! the Warkworth-Devoiiport; mail coach on the main road, at Takapumt, /yesterday afternoon. .., Three .other.'..passengers were. in the coach, but they escaped with a severe shaking. , The coach, which was coming to : Devonport from Warkworth when the accident occurred]! is owned by Mr. John Barton," sen., -of; Wtirkworth, who has the contract, for the, carriage of mails 'Between these „ places. ; ; -j, The coach is a 'four-horse, vehicle, , with .seating .-accommodation, for . five passengers, and it was being driven by Mr. Barton himself. The passengers on the box seat were 'Mr. Joseph Scholium, a young man residing? at Puhoiy and Mr.- John Casey, an elderly settler of the Wade....... The inside passen- j gers were Mr. H. M. Wilson, engineer to the Waitemata County Council; Mr. Wm. Lees, a settler of Wade ; and a young man whose* name could hot be ascertained last night. The last-mentioned passenger had been cycling, and had been picked up along, the road by the coach.

[ CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT. i Everything -appears to have gone well on yesterday's trip from Warkworth until shortly before half-past two o'clock in the afternoon, at which time the coach arrived at the, rise on top of Sheriff's Hill, at Takapuna. At the top of this hill the ■ horses' showed some signs of fright, but ; there was no apparent'cause. Mr. Bartou'.statcs that he steadied the horses, and then proceeded down the hill at a slow jog,; with the brake .oh: \ A short distance down the hill the horses took fright at some fresh earth on- the side of the toad, where a culvert has recently been renewed. They swerved to the opposite side of the road, where there are 'some deep , ruts. '•." This caused the driver to be thrown.off the coach on to the side of. the, road; .and, the brake being a foot-brake, it became released. ■- There was 'then, of course, nothing left to control the I coach, \ which began to. run forward, and caused . the horses to break away ; into a gallop down the hill towards ' the bridge. "'; THE COACH OVERTURNED; •:.- ;; Just 1 - before: getting to > the \ bridge ;•the coach and team 5 was precipitated, over the bank. As it 'went over, Messrs. Scholium and Casey were thrown off the box seat on to the metalled road. The former; fell on his head, and was rendered unconscious. He. sustained concussion of the ..brain, and Mi*. Casey had his wrist broken- /Messrs. Wilson, Lees, and. the other passenger, -being inside the coach, went over the bank with, it,.but j they,., were .fortunate in escaping. with a few bruises and scratches... The horses".were tangled up with the v coach and harness, and remained there until liberated. One horse was slightly hurt. but the others were ■ uninjured. ,■■ -The pole of the coach was broken, but beyond this little damage was done; to the ; vehicle. .. The fifth passenger's bicycle, which was on the coach, was also undamaged.. ■■,- The fall was broken by the growth of scrub on.the side and foot of the bank, and doubtless this largely accounted for the fortunate escape of the inside passengers. ' - ' '--'.;.. ; MR. 'VCHOLLUMr SUCCUMBS TO HIS '' ■ "' INJURIES.'- ;" '/j'

i - Mr. Barton, after being thrown off the. i coach, followed it down the hill. v - A number of settlers also gave assistance. } : Mr. I Scholium was carried in an unconscious state to Mr. Sheriff's store, 'and' Dr.: Bennett, of Devonport, who was in the neighbourhood, was called in.- He, however, j after making an examination, was ; imable to hold out any hope of recovery. " All that was possible was* done for the unfortunate .man, but ; he died at twenty minutes to » seven, without having consciousness. Constable Lowry (in charge of "the Devonport police station) went to the scene on, receiving word of. the accident, and- after the death occurred he had* the [ body removed to the Lake Hotel at TakaI puna, where it now awaits the inquest. " The other passengers came into Devonport by' the Takapuna bus, which also brought in , the .mails. Mr. Casey's injury consisted of a'fracture of one of the small bones qf the left •wrist: - He was also considerably bruised and dazed. His injuries were attended- to, by Dr. Laing, of De-' vonpo'rt../ The '■mail-coach w<- brought into, Devonport by Mr. Barton about ten o'clock last evening. STATEMENT BY MR. BARTON. The driver, Mr. Barton, interviewed by a Herald reporter last evening, stated that the horses, up to the time,of coming to the brow of Sheriff's Hill, /behaved splendidly. At this spot they shied ? at' something on. the side of the road., He soon got them under control, however, and all was going well until they reached the culvert,; when they shied again. Swerving - little, the frightened animals drew the wheels of the coach into l deep; rut, and out. of it again with a sharp jerk, which caused him to be •thrown divan out.. of his , seat. ~„.He landed upon the grass at, the sj<k< of the road, three or four yarcb /away* ' Beyond i, a. severe shaking, -he escaped unin;u«d. >'/*:'' Mr. Barton, 'a i:i - .o ci afrotiv 52 years of age, ■? is regarded by t'u.se whr?. know him as a most , c-r>ieri'nced ; and c;s?p«test driver. He ho 1 : bu,,n i " aiail driver fc-'r ;l5 ««.. 14 years*. .- 'On this oceanic ■•;, he. hid. taken the place of his son, who usually drives the Warkworth-Devonport coach. 'C i SCENE OP THE ACCIDENT. } •:- .The hill upon ', which the accident happened is about 250 yds long, being the steepest, on the route between' Warkworth arid Devonjjbrt,:. and has.: always .been'i,negotiated/with the utmost caution by drivers. The grade; which is steepest at the top';* | eases. off considerably towards the foot. - The distance from the culvert (where the grade is about one i:i eight, and where the driver was thrown out) to this budge, where the coach capsized, it; about s< /.en; chains. THE VICTIM OF THE AC( iIDENT, j Mr. ; Joseph Scholium, the vi. Tim of the j 'accident, was a single, ."aaa about. 32 years i of age. He was a contractor, at Puhoi, where his parent* also reside. He joined 'the coach at Piihoi yesterday morning, with the intention of coming to Auckland. He was a brother,'- of Mr.' Wcnzl . Scholium, of Auckland. " • ' " ■ . ' -'