AN UNPLEASANT ACCIDENT.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 151, 14 October 1876, Page 2

AN UNPLEASANT ACCIDENT.

The Grey ll'wir Ar.jus, of October 3rd, says: —"An accident occurred yesterday which was very nearly attended with a fatal result to more titan one concerned, and which in itself is sufficiently startling to form an incident in a sensational novel. The coach plying between Greymouth and Kuinara. the one popularly known as tiie Gin Case, was precipitated in the Teremakau with a full freight of passengers, all of whom, however, fortunately escaped, although one of the horses was drowned. The accident occurred as follows : At the time the coach reached the slope leading to the river the punt was on the opposite side, and the driver, instead of pulling up, trotted down the incline, trusting to his brake, which seems to have given way. On ncaring the bottom of the incline, Mr. Whitworth, who is visiting Kuniara for the Melbourhe press, called out, " My God, we shall be in the river !' and the next instant tiie horses and coach were completely submerged. The passengers in the body of the coach escaped with a wetting, and the driver, wiio was on the bank side, managed to scramble out, but Mr. Whitworth, who was on the box seat, bad, in his own words, to ' Make a dive for it, and swim out.' This incident, fortunately, unattended with loss of life, ought to be another to the many serious warnings drivers have had against rr.ih or reckless driving. In justice to the driver, we must say that our huonnr.nt tells us thr.t he did his best t<; pull the horses oil' when the danger became imminent, and that the brake gave way at the last moment; but all he could do was insufficient to prevent the downward course of the coach.