DISTRESSING ACCIDENT.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13601, 22 May 1908, Page 5

DISTRESSING ACCIDENT.

THREE HORSES DRAIN. ' MISHAP IX STAFFORD STREET. A distressing accident happened . last night-' to a team belonging to Westrcpp Bros.', of the; Stone {Stables, that was'bringing a draglo<jd. of footballer.9 home fiimi Temuka, three of the hotsea. into a narrow trench about sft.deep, cut half way across. Stafford. street, for the' underground-: dram .up Gannonstreet at .Shewan's corner, the Liit / tending fr6m the iniddfe of the SiTeet mt-o - the footpatir line on - the south side.Mr George Westropp was and. on descending the down gradd from the Melville Hotel about 9 p.m misled by the-., lighting of 'the obstruction 1 , d.Vbve to the right side of Fortunately he-had his foot an tb& brake for descending the hill, 'anLd '.RS he foi'nd the -leaders in the obstrucjting rails - -he jammed .the. brake, on hard and pi evented the vehicle following the horses ii.to the trench, a bank of earth -helping in this. All four horses 'went; into the .'trench, but one immediately scrambled out,, and - re-, mained out. •

At first- the tliree horse's in the trench were- more, or /less on itop of Veach other, but in their struggles, they shifted •until they were in a tight- row, .paitly -renting on each other, the undermost one on its back, upside down in the trench. . . Thii poor creatures presented a pitiful spectacle under the light of £V dull lantej'n, . Sriilei of. the footballers were ready to. lend a hand, a small crowd of men-soon collected, and for a time nothing could be done, but hold the. horses: heads to keep-them quiet. . A set of shear-legs, -a chain-vpuliev, ropes, and some bags> .of chaff were got, and there were willing . hands enough . to- - undertake the rescue. But 'it was impossible to get ropes round a horse for a convenient and steady, hoist. - .The first horse tackled 1 slipped-through: the, hoist several times, and after working at it_for nearly an hour, thisliorse was- .left, as -it had died under the attempts to" rescrue.itThe other two were got out. after tedious and strenuous efforts, .tlie' .whole' ttpfccteioii occupying . a couple of hours. The first got out walked away pretty well; the second (the one that had been, on .its back) could not- stand for some time, but, after lying a quarter of an. hour was able, to walk to the stable, where* it beganeating as if not much the worse. Questions of course arose on the spot as to the lighting of the pitfall. Mr Werry, the contractor who has the work in hand, informed our reporter that .the danger was lighted,. with a kerosene l ani P at each corner of the obstruction,: at the end and in the. middle of the street, and, with. one. on, each side some way from the end at the other. A bystander told, Mr Werry that he saw the four lights at halfpast five, but at six the light on' the town side at the middle of the street was rout. The lanterns were of course promptly taken after the accident to be made; pee of. Mr Westropp, the driver, in view of. possible consequences of the accident, preferred to say nothing of the defence of the danger as it- appeared to him; but Ire said in general terms that it was " a perfect man trap." There were several persons among the crowd who talked of other trenches that were not efficiently lights i. Many expressions of pity were heard that the horses should have been sub'ijfd i' such distress, and as many of con?rV«iHtion that the accident had not lnwivd any of the uctx pants of the veil'. e.