BURIED BY MASONRY.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13904, 15 May 1909, Page 3

BURIED BY MASONRY.

A pair of panic-stricken horses, harnessed to a Jioayiiy-ladon brewers' dray, bolted down a steep hill at iiiriiunghani recently, dashed at brea-K----neclc speed into a house,, and wrecked tho front " portion of the building, burying a 'family in the ruins. The inmates, Mrs Hanks and her four children, were seated at the din-ner-table when they were startled by a sudden thunder of hoofs outside. Before they could move the front of the house received a terrific shock, and masonry and timber eamo clattering down about their heads.

The force of the impact fatally injured the horses, two tine animals of great size and strength. The dray was shattered, the wheels being broken off, and tho ,load. consisting of four huge barrels of beer, weighing more than two tons, was hurled over. Rescuers promptly set to work to remove the wreckage, so as to reach the inmates, of, the house. Meanwhile a horse ambulance was summoned, in readiness to convey the victims to hospital.

Mrs Danks and children were found struggling amid the* idebris. Subsequent".... examinations at'the General Hospital showed that they had had a miraculous escape from serious injury. They suffered a.good deal from fright, but"of physical, injuries they had sustained noiie of much gravity, and after surgical attention were able to leave the hospital. The horses, it turned, out, had been startled in Grosvenor-street by tho snapping of the pole, the jagged end of •.vineii had goaded: one of tiieni tp madness. As they tore down the lull their speed was accelerated .a o every bo unci bv the heavy load behind theiii, and toot passengers fled in all directions for safctv. At the foot of the hill Duddcstonrow passes at right angles, and the horses, despite, a desperate ehort 10 swing round, were carried irresistibly on almost straight across this -.thoroughfare and dashed into the dwelling in front. ' * One of the horses, rebo-mded several feet from the brick wall and collapsed in the gutter. The other was half buried under the wreckage. The injuries of the. poor animals were pitiable, and both were quickly put out of their agony. The front of the house was battered to fragments up to the second storey, the masonry bfeiiig driven into the front room, where ■ the family were seated. _. .