AUSTRALIAN ITEMS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7427, 23 November 1892, Page 4

AUSTRALIAN ITEMS.

A TRIPLE FATALITY, i The Melbourne Age reports the occur- ■ rence of a terrible road fatality about fourteen noilea from St Arnaud, on tbe Warngar road, which is being, cleared of timber. A large tree, partially grabbed, fell on a passing buggy, containing Mrs ' King, an old lady, and her daughter, ' aged sixteen ; Mrs . Pritchard and her daughter, aged 21. The three latter, who were on the front seat, were killed on the spot, their bodies being jammed into the ground. The horse, and Mrs King, who was in the back seat, escaped unhurt. The party waa coming into St Arnaud to attend the hospital fete. I Another account says :— The four ladies were Mrs and Miss King and Mrs and Misb Pritchard. They were driving along a i road which was being cleared under contract from a shire Council, and the clearing waß being done by burning the trees. The contractor did Mb best to warn people, against the danger of passing as the trees were falling.but these ladies were not. warned in some way. The trees were burning along both Bides of the road for about three-quarters of a mile, and the ladies tried to avoid those that were, falling. Mrs TCingr, the only one of the party who escaped, said that when passing under a tree she heard Mrs Pritchard say, i "We're done." This- was followed by a : crash, which rendered, her unconscious. i On coming to she extricated herself and ; ran towards the men. They came up and ' removed the tree, when the other three . ladies were found to be dead. The tree \ that fell over the buggy was about five ' feet in diameter and sixty feet long. The ' Jury at the inquest returned a verdict that the deceased were accidentally killed, 1 and that no blame was attachable to the contractors.