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New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXIII, Issue 26, 29 June 1905, Page 19

On Thursday night ot last week Mr. Foley, clerk of court in Gore, who has been promoted to'stiat ford, was entertained at a banquet by members of the legal profession and local justices and presented with ,i, silver soup tureen, entree dish, etc. The speeches were higjhly eulto^s'tic ot Mr. Foley s work during seven years in Gore. A serious railway fatality occurred to the midday train from Christchurch to Kaiapoi on Saturday, wheieby R. J. Alexander, schoolmaster, Kaiapoj, and John Richajds, a farmer of the sarnie j)lacc, lost their lives, and 'George Clothier, farmer, Kaiajpoi, had both legs broken. The accident occurred about three-quar.ters of a mile from Chaney's station, before neaching Kaia^oi The country was flooded in the locality. The Uamhad pre-viously gone over a place where there was a little water on the rails, and the driver was advancing very carefully. The track ahead appeared safe ; bud sudden ly the engine plunged into water, and sank half-way up to th;o 'boiler, the flood waters having loosened the soft sandy soil. The brake and feeder next the engine weie turned on their ends, and the first p-as&enger carriage ran into them. Alexander and Richards were standing; on the rear (platform of this carriage, and Clothier on front of the next carriage. Tfie first two mentioned were iammed between the two carnages and killed, and Clothier was caught in the wreck v and had both legs smashed. No one was injured, though the passengers received a severe shock when tilie engine plunged into the water, and a second shock when the carriages, struck the vans, which was sufficient to throw people off their seats and cause great consternation.