BALCLUTHA DROWNING FATALITY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13858, 22 March 1907, Page 3

BALCLUTHA DROWNING FATALITY.

FURTHER PARTICULARS. Additional particulars concerning the fatal buggy accident on. tho 'Balclutlia-Stirling road, by which George Sandilands (carpenter, of Balclutha), his wife, and young child met their death, show that Sandilands had been to Kaitangafa on a visit, and was returning home in a single buggy. He had evidently got well on his way towards homo when tho unfortunate affair happened How the buggy got into tho Moly. ncux is not exactly known, but the supposition is that tho horse backed tho (ran over the edge of the road, and horse, trap, and occupants Ix'ing precipitated down the bank, which is ahout 30ft high, into the river, which rushes past at the foot of the steep bank. Tho horse may have jibbed, or it may have taken fright, and it is just possible- that, the unfortunate driver may not have been altogether blameless in tho matter. No one actually saw the buggy go over, though Mrs Morrison, a music teacher, w.os not far away at the time, which was shortly after 8 o'clock in tho evening. It would be quite dark, and therefore extremely difficult to see any distance. One tiling is certain, and that is, that once tho balance was lost tho horse, trap, and occupants would descend with great swiftness towards the river, and it, is quite reasonable to assume that Sandilands, Mrs Sandilands, and tho child would in all probability be shot out of tho trap, and the impetus would bo extremely likely to take them some way out into the river. This would account for Mrs Morrison failing to see or hoar anything of them when she came up immediately afterwards, though she could hear tho horse kicking and plunging. Mre Morrison was riding some distance behind the buggy, which earned a light. She noticed tho vehicle stop several times between Stirling and tho spot where the fatality occurred. On tho last occasion it stopped Mrs Morrison heard a woman's laugh, and this was almost, immediately followed by a scream of alarm, evidently fvom Mrs Sandilands, and the cry of the child, which was some 20 mouths of age. Mrs Morrison galloped towards the scene, and was just in time to see the buggy disappearing down thobank. She hastened to the edge and called out, but got no reply, tho only sound that met her ■ ear being the plunging of tho horse. Finding it impossible to do anything under tho circumstances, Mrs Morrison at once rode on to Balclutha and raised an alarm. . On hearing what lind happened Constable Matthews and several others at once went to the scene of the accident, and found that the horse was still alive underneath the overturned trap. No trace of Sandilands, Mrs Sandilands, or the child' could bo found. The horse was rescued from its position and taken behind tho boat tho rescuers had with them till a place was found where it landed, and it was then taken to Balciutha. The buggv was subsequently dragged up the hank by means of ropes. It. was very little damaged, but the harness was broken to pieces. Tho horse belonged to Mr Liston, of Balclutha The work of drawing for tlio bodies was | prosecuted with all speed, and kept up diligently, but. so far as is known the bodies of the unfortunate people have not been recovered. 1 On the trap being searched' two bottles of whisky were found undernealh the seat.