AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Auckland Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 120, 23 May 1887, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

(PER R.M.S.. ALAMEPA.)

THE RAILWAYDIStiSTERNEAR

■MELBOURNE. Further -Furticulars.

The terrible railway accident which oc^ curred near the Windsor station has cast a deep glopm .over the whole of Melbourne, and is the sole topic of conversation. It is now estimated thab there are between SQ and 100 sufferers. Tho most seriously injured are Mr Cosmo Nowbery, Miss D. Murray, Mr E. Leplastrier, Mr A. Knight, and Mrs Barrows. In ouch of theso cases tho patients- received wound.-}, such as iuj jury to the" ribs or spine, and eoncuioion ot the brain or perforation of tho lungs. The Railway, Commissioners havo, in tho interests of tho public, appointed medical men to watch fche condition of bho injured, and to detect, fcho cases of malignering and imposition, ono of which litis been exposed. The impostor is a woman, who alleges that sho was hurt in. tho ordinary train, whereas j. has been' proved sho was a passenger by the train from Brighton. The deeply regretted death of Mr R. S. Parkes is "rendered all the moro mournful from the fact that, besides being fearfully crushed, ho had to undergo additional -.tillering in having bobli logs amputated before lie breathed his last. Both leg's were reduced to a pulp below tho knee. He was sensible ■when found, and was taken to his residence. Little blood was lost during the operation, but the patient sank, and died within half an hour. Who Was to Blame? Tho question aa to who is to blame is nob likely to be settled until a thorough investigation takes placo by the board of inquiry. The reports appended below weom to strengthen tho opinion that thp error was committed in connection with fcyie block system, which, if properly worked, blight to have stopped tho express train at Prahran, whon tho ordinary train obstructed the lino near Windsor. Blackburno, the booking-clerk at Prahrap station, who attended to the signalling, is a lad about 15. Ho has only been a few weeks employed by the department, unci is just beginning to learn the duties of his position. Between 5 and 0 each evening he has to booj. ton trains passing through Prahran station towards Brighton, and nine going through to Melbourne. He Jus to mako tho signal for each of theso trains, and sell tickets as Weil.

In Mr Speight's opinion ib will probably bo shown ab the pilicial inquiry that bj'.p driver of the express overran the Windsor distance-signal, which is supposed to havp been set ut danger. He says ; '' The signalman ab Prahran station alleges ho received the ' lino clear' signal from Windsor, and accordingly showed bho white disc, to allow tho express to proceed ; but, evon so, the red disc of the Windsor distance-signal should have sufiicienbly protected the ordinary train, and stopped the express at tho Prahran station." Mr {Speight adds that sinco ho camo to the colony about LOO.OOO has been expended in applying the interlocking system to the railways at convenient intervals between Melbourne and Brighton. . Most elaborate apparatus has been erected. The old system of signalling at Windsor, 'whereby the station-master signalled bhrough the bookiiig-ofl.ee to the booking-otlicc at Prahran, was superseded by an elevated ■ semaphore box, which was provided with a double set of signals, each acting as a check upon the other. The result was the express train was not supposed to leave Prahran station and run through to Windsor unless both theso checks showed tho safety-signal. The question -whether tho " line clear " signal was actually given to Prahran/H-Riains in abeyance ; bub the conflict of testimony on this point, in Mr Speight's opinion, strengthens the belief that the engine-driver of the express did nob so closely observe and obey the signals as he ought to have done. Mr Lorimer, who is in charge of the • Westinghouse brake, has forwarded a report to the locomotive engineer. He states that "bhe reason bhe ordinary train was nob able to start when tho signal from Windsor was lowered was because the indiarubbc.' hoso coupling of the continuous brake burst, thereby causing the brake to automatically apply itself to every carriage in the train. There are taps fitted to the brake cylinder of each car, so bhab bhe brake can bo released from the wheels by- bhe guard. This operation should be performed in from one and a half to bwo minutes, so thab any delay caused by the continuous brako need nob havo lasted more than bwo minutes : and if the guard were assisted by the fireman it should be proportionately less. I have further to state thab tho continuous brake and hose pipes on the ordinary train were in first-class and niosb eliicient order, and I think thab the very fact that the express was slowed down to tho extent ib was in such a short distance is the best proof I can offer of bhe working efficiency of the Westinghouse brake. The burst hosc-pipo has been on the engine for some time, bub, so far as could be judged from outside appearance, it was quite safe bo run, as ib gavo no indication" of bursting." » In reference bo the subject of brakes, Mr Speight says his experience convinces him thab°bhe Westinghouso brake has no superior. Additional notices of claims for comperisaT tion were received on Saturday by the Railway Department, the total number now amount- , ing to 20. The medical men appointed by the Commissioners to watch the interests of the department complain of the interference of .-attorneys', clerks, who seek to interview patients, and who promp them to demand high damages from tho department; Reports from the doctors announce bhat bho majority of-the sufferers are slowly reppvering. ©eatli of Sir I_enaprierc The death of Mr W. G. Lomprierc, which occurred early on Saturday morning, has paused profound regret. Tho. deceased gentleman was a mining and legal manager of companies,and was widely known in business circles. From the first his caso was rogardedasalmosbhopeless. Whenadmibbedto the Alfred Hospital it was discovered thafc ho was suffering trbm a terrible scalp wound and severe fracture of bho base of thej&pjl, He remained unconscious from. the timo of his admission to the hospital until tlio hour of his death. He was 61 years of age. The Scene of the ©ccmrencc. A HEARTRENDING SPECTACLE, Twilight was just deepening into night when tiie unfortunate catastrophe occurred, and the chaos of shattered timber and con. torted iron which marked the spot where tjhe two trains had come into contact looked all the more grim and terrible in the sombre depths of the railway cutting through the uncei.taintyi which by reason of the gloom possessed tho spectators of the awful extent of the disaster. Tho horrible suggestions which the dim view" conveyed were more, awe-inspir-ing than tho realities which .might have been disclosed in broad day. No ono could tell wholay thu-iodinnameiessagony beneath that confused .mass, of debris, and tho fooble effort-, of the inexperienced'though willing helpers, who ranfrom all directions to render assistance, for somo time lacked eljecfc owing to tho need of proper direction. It was plain that the guard's van, wibh threo other carriages, of bhe ordinary train, wore smashed, to pieces and wero lying around and upon tho engine of the express, which was also wrecked. The terrors of the sibt\a r •tjpn wero' intensified, by -tho Qvpi^oworing

escape ..of-'steam frW th«> ruined '.locomo. , tive, for on account of this would-be rescuers were.deterred from approaching to render'assistance. After a short interval lanterns were obtained from some ot the neighbouring houses, and men might be observed leaping about from iron to timber, weirdly gazing into the black depths pi the heaps of wreckage, seeking to find whero the injuried lay. A poor woman, who had occupied ono of the destroyed carriages, was descried by this means involved in the remains of a vehicle which was proped upin the air by the engine of tho express. Her face was covered with blood, nnd she appeared to be quito dead. Shortly alter this, discovery largo fires were made of material from the broken carriages, and the fierce red light which the flames cast upon the. scene revealed the horrible surroundings' wi.th.ghastly distinctness. The carriages of, both trains which had nob been destroyed stood with.fchoir doors wide open. __ Many of tho passengers who had emerged from them, wero scattered ovor the lines in anxious groups, concerting means to alleviate the injured. Several wero sitting on tlio embankment attending to their own "hurts. Blood was trickling down the faces of some, of tltom ; others were white and prostrate,: unablo to realise what hndhappenedthrough the fright, or insensible by reason of contusions. A large crowd of res.donts.of Prahran and Windsor having arrived, soon took steps to' remove those who woro most seriously hurt. Tho experiences of these people were in many cases moat harrowing, clambering as they did up the slippery embankment, carrying the groaning and helpless unfortunate?, unable to articulate whence they camo — too much hurt, 'indeed,to pronounce even their names. There wem many rough, blood-stained, sympathetic men who could be seen performing dismal services like these one minute, and tho noxt working liko giants to removo some heavy piece of debris. Tho dango. ous steam qf the wrecked locomotive having cleared awny, the Prahran City if'm Bngade, under Captain Kelly, wore enabled to operate upon it. Their Jirst care was to quench the lire, and'hav-injf accomplished this their energies were devoted Lo ascertaining tho fate of the driver und stoker. Deep undor the broken and dismantled tender, crouching on a heap of coal and coke, lay the j(oor fellows, still in death, conveying by their attitudes the sudden manner in which thoy were involved in tho fatal calamity. There would appear- to have been no time to think of soil-preservation ; the situation seoms to have forced itself upon bho understanding of eaoh man iq a second. Thoy had only time lo bow and moot thoir doom. The unfortunate drii'or knelt in a coiner of the scuttle, with his hands st-rotoliod out, and bearing a bloodstain upon his breast, as though ho had, boon stricken down by one* fell blow ; whilst) tiie liremon knelt beside and almost ovoi) him, with his arms rigidly fixed in death before hia face, as though, ho was warding oil" impending destruction. Both mon's faces were rirctcrnaturally white from the scalding tney sustained by tho escaping steam, whilst, tho driver's clothes wore almost torn from his body. Ono of tho Prahran doctors, who had thoughtfully provided a stretcher, had their bodies conveyed away. Within an hour after tho collision all tho mournful signs of human suffering had boen transported to tho hospital?, to private houses and tho polico-statione. Tho wood lires then blazed higher titan ever, and aU travellers to the southern portion of the metropolis were able to locate the placo whero tho accident happened by tho bright glaro which was reflected in tho heavens. News of the disaster spread with amazing rapidity to all parts of Melbourne, and by every available conveyance interested and pitiful crowds thronged the fateful spot. Thousands of people lined both rail, way banks, thousands more blocked up all the avenues leading thereto ; the linos were choked aa much by the anxious, population as by tho debris of collision. Glance where one would, a sea of anxious facos mot the eye : listen but a moment, and amid the harsh creaking of the gear in uso forcleaiv in<x away the wreckage a palpable hum of fevered inquiries oould bo distinguished which filled the air in every direction.

Many an eye unused to such unhappy sights was bright wibh awe and oxcitomont. Many a brcasb hoaved with a sense of sorrow ab the direful injuries sustained ; even practised rail way mon were nobunsuscoptiblo to such agitated feelings, and somo of them betrayed the pardonable weakness. Nevertheless, the clearing process procecdod with rapidity. Messrs Speight, Green and Ford, the commissioners, were all presenb bo cheer on the men ; whilst Mr Lime, engineer of existing lines, Mr Francis, assistant traffic manager, and other leading officials were actively directing the operations. Tho cutting was nearly cleared by 9 o'clock, all the uninjured carriages of the ordinary train having been withdrawn to the sidings at Windsor station, and the larger heaps of debris having been drawn by chains attached to locomotive* up bhe lino towards Prahran, and loclgod in convenient storago ground. In tho thick of the work great troubio was experienced in keeping the crowd out of danger. - The pressure from behind was so heavy that those nearest the linos in .many cases could not, when they would, easily retire oub of tho way of harm, and were ib nob for bho most energetic exertions put forth by the polico in many instances ib is most probable that more injury to life would have been indicted by' the removal operations than by tho original, accident,