A PICNIC DISASTER.

Wanganui Chronicle, Issue 12840, 11 December 1911, Page 2

A PICNIC DISASTER.

O WHOLESALE POISONING. A HUNDRED AND FIFTY SUFFERERS. A sensation has been caused locaMy by a most alarming incident in connection with the combined Sunday 'Schools' picnic held at Eversloy (Victoria) a couplo of weeks ago. A largo number of people residing in all parts of the district had become seriously ill, all manifesting symptoms of ptomaino poisoning. Tho patients wore mostly children who had attended tho picnic. At first parents' thought tho illness one of overindulgence in ice-cream or from drinking unwholesome water. Closer examination, however, showed that the illness resulted from tainted sandwiches. Ib has been ascertained that upwards of 150 children and adults were affected. A few patients are in a very critical state. Doctors are busily engaged attending to the patients, all of whom stato they partook of meat sandwiches at the picnic. It is noteworthy that the patients chiefly affected belong to the Anglican and Congregational Sunday Schools, I whoso sandwiches were packed in boxos lon Tuesday night. The sandwiches eaten by tho Methodist and Presbyterian i children and adults were put in boxes I on the morning of tho picnic, and very I few, if any, of them were affected. | Somo sandwiches were given to fami- ! lies who had not attended the picnic, and they, too, were noisoned.