GETTING OUT THE DEAD AND WOUNDED.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXI, Issue 4750, 15 March 1899, Page 3

GETTING OUT THE DEAD AND WOUNDED.

A TERRIBLE SCENE. Mr Saxton, who tcok a prominent part in getting the dead and wounded out of the carriage which Buffered most damage in the collision, gives a most graphic account of how t; c people were got out, and the scene which wee w-tnessed by him aud the others who assisted in the work. He says :—" I w&B io the firßt-class compartment of the second carriage from the guard's van of the first portion of the excursion train, The train was drawn up alongside the platform, and after a little while I heard a train whistle. I thought it was a train that was passing us. Then came three distinct jolts, one after the other. The car in which I was, stood right up on end. I at once Binashed the door out en to the platiorm with my foot. Another man on the outside then smashed the bar of the door. This left the way open for ua to get out. The people were all huddled up towards the end. bo soon aa I saw that all that had happened to ns was that the carriage was upended we got the women out at the door on to the railway platform. There was very little confusion at the time, considering. After getting the women out of our carriage, I ran to the next car, which had been telescoped by ours. I smashed in one of the side windows, the one nearest the partition of the first-class carriage, and the part into which our wheels had gone. The first thing I saw when I got through the window was Mrs Franks and Miss Franks, pinned to the partition by a girder, Mrs Franks was then conscious, and I think Miss Franks was etill alive, but she must have lost consciousness jusb before we got her off, 1 looked round, and the first I saw immediately afterwards was Mr Hansen and a young lady whom I did not know, but who I think was Miss Harwood. This young lady was dead. These latter were up near the roof, lying on the floor of our carriage, the part which had run into theirs. The McDowells were lying All of s heap in the centre of the passage-way of the carriage. Mrs Bowden was also there. Mrs Sutherland was on her hands and knees protecting her baby. About this time a young man, whose name I do not know, came into the carriage to me, and there were also a number of willing hands in the other compartment. We started to clear away all the debris as far as we could, and to pass out the people. The first one I got hold of was the young lady who was on the top. She was dead. Then we got out some young men who were badly hurt. [They behaved very pluckily whilßt we were fefcting them out, as did also Mr Hansen. [o passed out several children before thinking of getting out himself. An it was I had to drag him down out of the wreck. We next turned our attention to a little girl about three or four years old. She was on the opposite side of the carriage to Mrs Franks, pinned to two seats* I spoke to her and told her I would get her free in a minute. She never murmured nor cried, all she said was 'Please, sir, my legs are caught,' We got her free, and then we turned our attention to those who were pinned in the corner, under the floor of our carriage. The first that we gob free was Miss Jones. I do not know whether she was dead when we got her out, but her head" seemed to be badly jammed. The next that wo got free was Mias Franks and Mrs Franks* We had to tear the wreckage from underneath, and drag them out that way, aa we could nob shift the iron girder which was upon them. I think they were the last that were taken out: Mrs Franks was conscious most of the time whilst we were rescuing her, but I think she must have fone unconscious when we got her out. 7hen I had time to look around I saw that the partition between the carriage had been broken down, so that all the people on the other side from where Miss Franks, etc, were had been got free. Somebody pasßed me a porter's lantern, and I crawled round all the wheels to see whether there was anybody remaining. After that I helped Miss Lang, who was working most energetically amongst the wounded, in the railway station. While we were working in the carriage the scene was something awful, the screams and cries being enough to appal anyone. When I first got into the carriage the sight was a most fearful one, the people being all jammed up amidst) the wreckage of seats and everything else. Mias Harwood, I think, must have been killed instantaneously. I knew quite a dozsn people who were in the carriage which suffered bo severely. After the express arrived I assisted to briDg the McDowell family to the carriage which had been prepared to take them to Christchurch. After seeing they were in safe hands I left them and went to look after my own party. When I got out of the carriage in which all the wounded and dead were, I don't think it waa more than seven yards to the telegraphist's room at the railway station where some of the wounded had been taken.