A COACH ACCIDENT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8387, 26 March 1907, Page 6

A COACH ACCIDENT.

By Telegraph—Press Association

CHRISTCHURCH, March 25. Five occupanis of a wagonette belonging to Mr H. Cassidy had a miraculous escape from sudden death on Saturday afternoon. Two coaches, a wagonette with two horses, and a four-horse wagonette, all belonging to Mr Cassidy's service, were carrying passengers i'rom the West Coast in the order nai.u-d. They left Bealey at 3.45 p.m. Just as the two-horse wagonette, driven by Mr Warren, was nearing the end of the Waimakariri Cutting something went wrong with the brakv. The grade is very steep at the phr.-.e, and the horses in the wagonette were soon in contact with the rear of the coach in front. Mr L. D. Budd, his brother, and three ladies, strangers to Christchurch, were in the wagonette. As soon as the hordes came in contact with the coach they swerved towards the side of the cutting, where the bank runs down at a steep grade 200 feet to the Waimakariri River. The occupants jumped out quickly, and fortunately no one was hurt. The V driver kept his position, and tried to check the horses till the last moment consistent with safety, and finding the brake useless he leapt out after the others. One of the horses was drowned in the stream below, the wagonette was badly broken, and the other horse was uninjured. After the luggage had been rescued, the passengers were divided amongst the other vehicles and brought on to Broken River at 7.30 p.m., and thence to Christxhaivb.