STRANGE EXPRESS SMASH.

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 76, 1 April 1899, Page 5 (Supplement)

STRANGE EXPRESS SMASH.

A 50-MILE TRAIN DASHES INTO

GOODS WAGGON

YET WITHOUT ANY FATAL RESULTS

A railway collision, disastrous In its results upon rolling stock, .but in view of the circumstances remarkable for the few casualties involved, occurred recently near Glasgow, an express train dashing into a goods traip and causing terrible havoc. The goods train belonged to the Caledonian Railway Company, and was shunting on the Glasgow and Kilmarnock joint line at Pollokshaws, near Glasgow. It got the signal to leave the Pollokshaws siding to proceed to Glasgow, but through j what is believed to be a failure, in the signalling apparatus an approaching Glasgow and South-Western Company's express from Kilmarnock. which was travelling at a rate of from 40 to 00 miles an hour, also found the distant signal clear, and ran full tilt into the goods waggons, wrecking nine .of them, and pitching three over the embankment on to a thoroughfare known as Haggs Road. The larger portion of the goods train had got clear.of the siding, and it was the third or fourth waggon from the end that was first struck by the passenger train. The impact was such as to send the already moving goods train ■ flyingalong the line. The goods van and two covered vans in the rear were knocked over the embankment and completely smashed. The Caledonian goods guard, said to be named HalJ, was THROWN WITH HIS VAN over the «mbankment. and all believed he must have been killed instantly, but when lights were produced he was found, lying embedded in splintered wood and fallen masonry. A huge stone was lifted off his legs, and to the surprise of the railway men who had gathered round, he got up and walked off to assist in clearing the general wreckage. The passenger train was an intermediate one from Carlisle to Kilmarnock, and from thence it ran express to Glasgow, being timed to do the journey of 24 miles in 35 minutes.. It consisted, of five composite carriages, a saloon, a meat van, waggon truck, and the guard's van. All the carriages were derailed, and the engine was embedded in the permanent way up to the buffers. Fortunately all the carriages kept upright., but the permanent way was torn for 150 yards. The passengers at once left the carriages, and at first the smash looked so bad that a heavy loss of life was feared. Happily such was not the case, and all escaped with a severe shock. They immediately left to take cars to Glasgow, and when medical men arrived there were

NO COMPLAINING PASSENGERS TO

TREAT.

The goods guard and the guard of the passenger train were cut about the hands and head; otherwise there was no injury reported. The fireman and driver of the passenger engine stood by their post. Those on the goods engine when they saw the approaching express jumped to save themselves and escaped. The foremost waggons and engine, after the collision, ran for nearly a mile before stopping.

In the saloon next to the engine of the passenger train were a junior team of the Queen's Park Football Club. 'One of them —Walter Henderson—says he remembers the light going out, and all he next remembers is standing on the bank of the line. None of his fellow-passengers were hurt. The passenger carriages were only damaged slightly.