PROTRACTED MOTOR TRIP.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19125, 17 September 1925, Page 11

PROTRACTED MOTOR TRIP.

A CHAPTER OF ACCIDCNTS. FOOTBALL TEAM'S NIGHT OUT. The trip from Oamaru to Dunedin by motor-car usually occupies from three to three and a-half hours, but some of the Otago footballers returning from match between Otago and North Otago on Saturday spent more than nine hours on the road. The journey was a chapter of accidents. A 16-seater bus and a seven-seater cax had been hired to convey the team to Oamaru. v The bus had to stop twice,, on the way up to replace punctured tyres, buta the journey was accomplished in good time. It was on the return trip that serious trouble was encountered. All went well for a time, but the occupants of the car, on turning the corner approaching the Shag River, were greeted with the sight of their team mates marooned in the centre of the stream. To make matters worse the river was rising rapidly. The car was immediately despatched to a neighbouring farmhouse to procure a tow-line. One of the team, after being chased by a cattle dog, obtained a short length of rope and a coil of plough rein. During the absence of the more fortunate vehicle the time was occupied by singing "Shall We Gather at the River" ana Asleep in the Deep," and other more or less appropriate tunes. The return of the car (which was light enough to cross the rather frail bridge) was announced by loud cheers. A rope was thrown to the stranded bus and attached to the car, which proceeded, with the help of its occupants and to the accompaniment of shouts of encouragement, to haul the stranded party from its watery resting place. Gradually the bus approached the edge, but when it was' about 6ft. from dry land the rope broke. A second attempt was successful. It was some time before the engine could be started and it was 11 o'clock before the journey was resumed. On the southern side of Palmerston the bus ran out of petrol and the contents of the only remaining tin were emptied into the tank. Then the motors ran into a heavy fog and progress was very slow. The small car was still in the rear when the bus cams to the last of its petrol again. Thi< time, after a long delay, a supply was obtained from a farmer's garage. The car, leaving the driver of the bus to carry the petrol to his charge, set off for town, arriving there at about 2.30 a.m. But there was no sign of the bus or its occupants.' < '• Scentiag trouble, the driver of the car with two of the team returned to Upper Junction to find that the larger vehicle could not be started. By this time the footballers had become resigned to their fate and were attempting to obtain a little sleep. Two heads, however, are better than one and the engine wa eventually persuaded to function again. It was well after 5 o'clock when the sleepy but cheerful footballers arrived back in town.