MOTORISTS BURIED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20563, 14 May 1930, Page 10

MOTORISTS BURIED.

FALL OF CLIFF FACE. MAN AND GIRL KILLED. CAR CRUSHED BY ROCK. TRAGIC SUDDENNESS. HOPELESS RESCUE TASK. [rnr tet/egrapit.—press association.] NAPIER, Tuesday. The collapse of a section of the Bluff J Till cliff faco at a spot about 50yds. beyond a turn of tlio road in tlio vicinity of the breakwater, was responsible for (ho dentil of two young people in a motorcat' shortly after eight o'clock this ovening. Tho victims are:—• Miss Claro Kauter, aged 18 years, daughter of Mr. S. Kauter, of Napier, and formerly licenseo of tho Pukelitiri Hotel. Mr. Douglas W. Barr, apod about 24 or 25 years, of Nelson Crescent, Napier, son of Mr. and Mrs. John Barr, of Whitehead Road, Hastings. They wero- tho occupants of a fiveseater sedan motor-car which was travelling slowly along Breakwater Bond in tho direction of tho port, when it was overwhelmed by a fall of rock, which crushed the two unfortunate victims, who met their death almost instantaneously. Men Sgq Cliff Fall. At 8.5 p.m. Miss Kauter left tho Girls' Friendly Society Lodge, at which she was residing, and joined Mr. Barr in his now car. Thev proceeded in tho direction of tho breakwater, travelling at about 15 miles an hour. Two men who had gono to the breakwater for crayfishing, and the Harbour Board watchman, were at that time talking and looking in tho direction of the cliff face. Their attention was suddenly attracted by a crash, and they saw the cliff faco fall with a terrific roar and overwhelm tho car. Tho seriousness of what had happened was immediately realised, and the watchman rushed to tho telephone and advised tho police, a doctor and tho ambulanco. Tho other two men rushed to tho scene of the accident, which, it was evident, had been attended by very serious consequences. Little could bo seen of tho car when they reached it. Its body had been completely wrecked, and the front portion torn off tho chassis. Almost Completely Covered. Quickly they extricated Mr. Barr from the car, lie then being apparently dead. To extricate Miss Kauter, however, was a much more difficult problem, as she had apparently caught tho full force of the fall. She was almost completely covered, only her white fur and portion of her head being clear. Members of tho police force had by now reached the . scene, and they immediately set to work to get Miss Kauter clear. With no implements available, it was difficult work and dangerous as well, as smaller sections of tho cliff faco were still coming down. With equal promptitude, Dr. Fitzgerald and an ambulanco arrived. Mr. Barr was dead, but Miss Kauter was still showing slight signs of life. Before she could bo moved into the ambulance, however, sho passed away. Shocking Injuries. Apparently Mr. Barr was struck on tho head by a large stono, causing a fractu.-e of tho skull. Miss Kauter was badly crushed, almost every bone in her body being broken. This particular section of cliff face i's ono that has for" many months raised doubts as to its security. Tho crack along the faco made its appearance some tirno ago, but it stood tho test of all kinds of weather, and few would have expected it to give way after such a long dry spell as has been experienced. Tho section was really a peak running quite 100 feet up the cliff, and when it fell fully 200 to 300 tons of material must have been shifted. So suddenly did it come down that tho unfortunate victims never had time 'to realise what bad happened. Thoroughfare Blocked. Nearer the cliff, earth stood several feet high, but it contained massive boulders that wero thrown right across the roadway and footpath, completely blocking the thoroughfare. Tho car looked a small thing, with only tho rear portion showing against tho great wall of rock. Steps wero soon taken to warn traffic that the roadway was blocked, but in spito of the danger that existed from further falls, tho sceno of the accident was visited by hundreds who certainly ran a great risk. Tho work of clearing a passage way was commenced by a gang of employees of tho Napier Borough Council, but in tho darkness and with the possibility of further falls, they Were not called upon to do more than make a passage-way on the. footpath for pedestrians.