FATAL RAILWAY ACCIDENT AT ONEHUNGA.

Auckland Star, Volume IX, Issue 2564, 26 June 1878, Page 3

FATAL RAILWAY ACCIDENT AT ONEHUNGA.

MR JAMES FOLEY KILLED.

The freedom from accidents which has characterised the working of the Auckland railways was last night disturbed by the 5.20 train running over Mr James Foley within a short distance of the Onehunga station, and at a spot known as Donnovan's crossing. From what welearn at an early hour this morning, the driver of the train (Neville) and the fireman both felt the concussion and the remark was passed by the fireman. " There's that stone again," alluding to the stone previously put on the line. (Mr. Sawson has offered the reward of £50 for the discovery of the perpetrator of that misdemeanour.) The driver instantly shut ■offsteam, the fireman put on the break, and the whistle was blown for the guard to do the same, so that all appliances for stopping appear to have been brought into requisition at once, and the train was pulled up within about a length from where the life-guard first struck the object. (There isno cow-catcher on Neville's engine.) The guard appears to ■have made an immediate search, finding such traces at the crossing as to make it •evident that this was the spot where the unfortunate man first came into contact with the engine. He found here a shoe, collar, and necktie, and a man's hat. The search resulted in finding the body about 50ft distance from the crossing, having been carried along by the engine, and •thrown off the line. The face of deceased was unrecognisable at the time^he head and body being frightfully torn and mutilated. The carriage did not go over the body as reported, nor did one passenger in the last carriage have any reason for supposing the train gave a curious jump. None of them, •as far as we hear from their lips, were aware of any such catastrophe until hearing from the officers of the train of what had •ocenrred ; some indeed thought as the train pulled up that they had arrived at their destination. One gentleman present had been among the first to see the policemen ■who was so mutilated by the train passing over him in the Caversham tunnel (Dunedin) and says the impressions of that occasion revived so forcibly on hearing of the event that he could not face the tragic scene. On finding thte body the driver ran up to the station in order to land the passengers, returning with a waggon, in which deceased was taken from the fatal spet. Mr. Foley was mairied, resided at Otahuhu, and leaves a wife and three children. He weut to Onehunga by the 9.20 train, and stated he was on a visit to Mr. O'Rorke, but would probably go to Auckland during the day. Instead 6f doing this the unfortunate man appears to have stayed throughout the day in Onehunga, and started to walk to Otahuhu. Various suppositions are afloat as to the route he took, but whether he walked down the line or otherwise we have not yet ascertained. Mr Foley's father is at Katikati, and has today been telegraphed to concerning the sad event. Mr Foley is well-known, having been a member of the Provincial Council, a colonial, and has always taken an active part in political matters in which his province was concerned. Sergeant Greene identified the body by a number of papers which were found in the pockets of deceased.