Accident on the Railway.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXII, Issue 6484, 1 February 1905, Page 3

Accident on the Railway.

The Express Derailed.

A Miraculous Escape.

Unit9d Press Association—By Electric Telegraph. Oamarxt, Feb. 1 The passengers travelling by the Becond express, that from Invercargill to Christohurch, had a most miraculous escape last evening. . The express was timed to reach Oamaru at 5 p.m., but about four miles from town, near Deborah, five carriages suddenly left the rails, three and the guard's van remaining on. The front wheels of the engine remained on the line, but the weight of the carriages that left the rails carried the tender and part of the engine off the metals. It was a miracle that no one m the train was hurt, and this is attributed to the fact that the carriages that left the line did so m a zig-zag fashion, there being absolutely do crashing into etich other, and; although the train was going at a good rate of speed, no shock. The carriage wheels took the ground and this acted as a buffer that drew* them up, although the driver, with remarkable promptitude, applied the Westinghouse brake, which acted m a moment along the train. There were not a great many passengers m the train, but experts say that but for the zigzag manner m which the carriages left the line, there must have been serious loss of life. The end of the carriages were torn about by the couplings, but there was ho telescopiag. The rails and sleepers were bent and broken, and it will take some time to repair the damage. Traffic ia expected to be resumed m the morning over a loop line. Passengers by following trains are being carried on by trains that meet at the break. The cause of the accident is difficult to conjecture, but it is supposed, and there is evidence to support this, that the wheels of one of the carriages mounted the rails and threw the five carriages off. The only injury was to a passenger who had his hand grazed. Oamaru, Feb. 1 The relief gang by working all night •hava five chains of a loop line laid down, and trains will now get through well up to time. The south express thia morning was only five minutes late. It is hoped all wreckage will bo removed before to-morrow morning. Dunbdin, Feb. 1 The official enquiry into the railway smash near Oamaru to yesterday's express train, will be held here to-morrow before the chief Traffic Manager, Chief Enginer, and Chief Mechanical Engineer, who happen to be m Otago at present on their annual inspection.

The express did not arrive m Ashbnrtrn till 115 p.m. last night, over two and a quarter hours late. Several Ashburton passengers were on board at the time the accident occurred.