SHOCKING ACCIDENT ON THE RAILWAY LINE.

Timaru Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 3734, 20 September 1886, Page 2

SHOCKING ACCIDENT ON THE RAILWAY LINE.

(By Telegraph.) Inveucargill, Sept. 19. Aeerious Occident occurred yesterday evening at the railway crossing Canon street. A man named Thomas Patterson, a market gardener at Appleby, was driving his dray homeward, and was coming along Tyno street. Patterson was eitting m the bottom of the dray with his back to the train, and a strung wind wus blowing m his fuce. He did not appear to hour the whistle till the horse had crossed the line, and then m confusion he jumped up, caught the reins, and brought (.ho horse momentarily to a Btand. The eoneoquonco was that the cow-catcher struck tho wheel of the dray, snapping the ailo short off. Patterson, with several bags of feeding stuff, was thrown clear into Cross street about fifteen yards off. The droy was pushed aside by the cngino, tbo horso was thrown and fell with his feet under tho earringes, receiving such injuries that ho had to be killed. Patterson wns picked up insensiblo, evidently much hurt, and was taken by train to tho hospital. Ho is injured internally, has several ribs broken, and is m a precarious Btate. No blame can bo attached to the engine driver, as tho alarm whistle was heard all over the town. Public feeling is strong that gates and crossing keepers are now required on theso streets. The train pulled up m about 100 yards.