SENSATIONAL ACCIDENT.

Otago Witness, Issue 2761, 13 February 1907, Page 40

SENSATIONAL ACCIDENT.

CAPSIZE OP A COAOH. A CHILD KILLED. GREYMOUTH, February 4. Quite a sensation was caused in town yesterday when word was received that one •of the Christchureh-Otira coaches had capsized, and that the infant son of Mr and Mrs Scott had been killed and the other passengers injured. As 80 passengers left in the morning by train relatives were eagerly seeking news, but none of an authentic nature could be obtained. Word was received that a special train would arrive from Otira— at 9.30, and the station was lined with people. It wa» found that only Mrs Scott, Miss Kellar, and the body of the dead infant were on the % frain, the others in the coach proceeding to Chrisfchuroh by special coach. Miss Kellar, on being interviewed, stated that the passengers were Mr, Mrs, and Mi 66 Condon, Miss Mussen, Mrs Sohaef and T>hild, Mr, Myers, Mrs Scott and child, Miss Kellar, Mr Davis, and Mr and Mrs Hamer. The passengers had just taken their seats on the coach after climbing the Otira Gorjje when the coach started down hill. They rounded the first turn safely, but at the second the king bolt broke, and the coach (apsized. The horses were going very fast. All the passengers were thrown out of the «oacb except Mrs Scott, who clung to the toaoh and held her child. She was diagged fully 200 yards, and the child got the back >f its head knocked in. Mrs Scott was tally injured internally. The coach broke right in half, and the horses bolted with i>art of the coach. The driver (Mr S. Eastgate) escaped without injury. The paslengers wero more or less bruised, but not eriously, and were able to proceed on their ourney. Mrs Scott and the dead child Vere convoyed from the station, to Mrs Cellar's on a stretcher. The sad affair has cast quite a gloom over the town. The infant was fi\e months old. An inquest will be held. DETAILS OF THE OOCURREN'CE. CHRISTCHURCH, February 5. The coach from Hokitika to Chrintchurch capsized at the main saddle on Arthur Pass yesterday, with disastrous results — one killed and several injured. Weary and dustcovered, many of them with cut faces or stiffened limbs, the passengers by. this .coach emerged from the train at Christchurch at 1 o'clock this morning. One of them, still limping, gave a graphic account of what had happened : "Seventy-six passengers" in five' coaches left Otira Gorge, the coach that came to grief being the second in order and about 200 yards behind the first. We had just passed the top of Arthur Pass, the highest point on the whole road, about 3000 ft above sea levels when the mishap occurred. The rocks rose up sheer on our left to a considerable height, and from the outer edge of the road a deep ravine descended? covered'with light bush. At one steep curjte the road, instead of being graded upwards towards it« outer side, was graded downwards in that direction. As the coach swung round this bend its top inclined towards the edge, and no doubt the weight of the -passengers upon the roof assisted it \to capsize. At anyrate, the coach lost its balance, and fell over on its side. Six men on the top seats were flung right over the road down the ravine, and but for the bush, which stayed their fall, they would almost certainly have lost tileir live*. My own thigh struck against a young birch tree. When I got up I saw that several ladies and children who had been inside the coach were lying under the top of it on the road. Their groans and cries were heartrending. The top of the coach was torn off, and five ladies and two children who had been inside were thrown on to the road, with the top covering them. Fortunately none were badly hurt, though mo9t of them received bad cuts and bruises, Mrs Condon in particular being very badly shaken. Mrs Scott, of Greymouth, and her six-monthfl-old boy, however, were pinned down in the wreckage of the floor when the coach turned over, and the frightened horses .galloped off down hill, dragging them in the debris. They were dragged down a steep decline for 200 yards, when the horses -were stopped by the passengers of the other ©o*oh. The child, however, -was discovered to be dead, the back of its head having been crushed in. Mrs Scott iwas unconscious from her injuries, the «xl«nt of whiob could not be ascertained. The «"x men on the top seats, who were Hung down the ravine, luckily escaped without very severe injuries. One of them — Mr Mair, of Hokitika— : »lso struck a tree in falling, and was especially badly shaken ; and Mr F. Thomas, of Chri6tchurch, who *at ne^t him, alao Mr I. Condon (Hokitika), Mr T. Da via (Greymouth), and Mr G. Kellar (Hokitika) were all more or less knocked about. The other outside pas•engere escaped unhurt as did also a lady »nd gentleman who had bef-n sitting next to Jtbe drivtr. Tbe dmer himself (East-

j gate) was thrown out, but practically unI hurt. As soon as the accident happened one of the other coaches was sent back to Otira, cix miles, with Mrs Scott and the dead child and Mr Mair. Another coach , was sent from Otira to replace the damaged ! one, arriving at the top of the pass about two hours after the accident, which took place at half-past 1 in the afternoon. The other occupants of the damaged vehicle were placed on the first coach, some of whose passengers gave up their seats to make room for them, and were hurried off to Bealey. The remaining coaches came on come two hours later Bealey was reached by the first travellers about an hour after the usual time, and the others were much later. Broken River was reached at 11 p.m., after a trying journey, made for part of the way in the dark, and the ordinary train, which had been delayed, brought the passengers to Christchurch. The lady passengers who were thrown out behaved splendidly, and they also were kindly treated by the occupants of the other coaches." .