Post by nzbc on Aug 7, 2016 20:12:37 GMT 12
SINGULAR BUGGY ACCIDENT.
Yet another buggy accident to chronicle, but this time, fortunately, unattended with fatal results, On Satuvrluy afternoon last the town was all astir over one of the most extraordinary buggy adventures we have heard of for some time, and the circumstances in eonnectiors -n-ith the miohnp are Bipgular in tll(J extreme. It would appear that ]ast Saturday Mr Ah Mong, of Waipori, started in a doubleseated buggy drawn by one horse, for Lawrence accompanied by Mrs SamYeck and Mrs Sing Lee and child. All went well till descending the last hill but one into Weatherstones, when a portion of the harness (Hie breecliins) gave way. and ibp huirgy runninE on the horse, started him off into a hand gallop. At this time Mrs Sing Lee was not in the trap, as she preferred to walk, owing to the steepness of the hill, and she also told Mrs Yeck to do the same— a piece of advice that lady, no doubt, regretted she did not take, as tho subsequent events will show. Ah Mon fe ,who was trymghis utmosttostop the runaway, would probably have succeeded had not the' bridle given way, and slipped off the animal's head, when the sudden slackening of the reins caused Ah Mong to fall back and roll out of the vehicle. Freed from the bridle, the horse increased his pace, and tore along the road from Wetherstones at a great speed. Mrs Sam Yeck's first thought was to looi after the safety of Mrs Sing Lee's little child, who was sitting on the front seat of the buggy alone. This lady, with great presence of mind, leaned over the the back of the scat and held on to the little one, while the horse was clashing through Weiherstones, over the creek, then up on the high bank ; here missing a passing dray, there running within an inch of a culvert, and the occupants of the buggy perfectly powerless to arrest its progress. At Weathcrstones the people were attracted by the shouts of Mrs Sam Yock for help, but of course no assistance could be rendered, though several persons did attempt to stop the horse, but on he galloped for Lawrence, and going up Ross Place he appeared to slacken speerl a little, and before reaching Mr Sheath's shop, seveial of our citizens had rushed out and arrested the progress of the runnaway. To Mr James Harris is due the credit of having effectually stopped the horse ; for that gentleman, at great personal risk, ran alongside and, in the absence of a bridle, seized the animal by the nose — a piece of pluck which we cannot but admire. The next business was to look after the occupants of the buggy, who, as may be easily imagined, were terribly frightened. Mrs Yeck and the child were taken into Mr Sheath's shop, and cared for while a few willing hands removed the horse from the buggy, which was slightly damaged. Another buggy was then sent to pink up Mrs Sing Lee and Ah Mong, and soon both were found, the former in a most excited state, and of course expecting to hear that her only child was a corpse, whilst the latter, in answer to an inquiry as to his health stated that he " was not welly bal." How ever the horse managed to steer the buggy four or five miles at the pace he was going without coming to grief is something miraculous, especially when it is remembered that two steep and winding hills had to be negotiated. Mrs Sam Yeck is deserving of every praise for the plucky manner in which she stuck to the buggy, with a view to saving the child, and if Mr Yeck is not prou 1 of his "better lmlf" he ought to be, for she exhibited an amount of coolness under the trying circumstances, which does her infinite credit. The event caused a great stir among the Chinese in town, who crowded round the heroine of the adventure, and were most profuse in their congratulations and appreciation of her pluck.
TUAPEKA TIMES, VOLUME X, ISSUE 645, 21 FEBRUARY 1877
paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/TT18770221.2.12