COLLISION WITH GOODS TRAIN

Auckland Star, Volume XLV, Issue 125, 27 May 1914, Page 6

COLLISION WITH GOODS TRAIN

SLEEPING CAR TELESCOPED. TWO PASSENGERS KILLED. SIX OTHERS INJURED.

Tn pit. In .:.i! kn<— accentuated by a thick fog. the Main Trunk express f ~., W.li.rj- in 1.. Au khi ml crashed intn a floods train (his morning at v. irj.iin ~ -.•μ-ii 'iiil'-i -iMitli in' MiTOi-v. Two passengers. Mr Orton *.-,■•. n- •!.! ■-■■ r ■■!' t!i>- Nati >nal Mutual Life Astmciation) nml Mr C. Peterfeu ~ Melbourne i.ii-ii main ».,,. kil Ir-il. and neiernl otlwrs were injured. Th-.ij-i..iMiir_' .ii-i ii in li.ipiicned at a ipi.i itcr to live, when mo*t of the passengers -~,,- n«lcep "i .l.viMj. Tli- iniirvi-l i- dial then- was rmt more loss of life. The -nisi- i v..i- i-< iiliiii-il In th. lir-i twn ciii>, am! tho people at the roar .: ■, .. M.iii, ;■,■■ ..-.ir.-i-lv aware dial anything luiri happened until the train , r,.- lo ,i -I I--1 ill. ii is Siiiil the -i.L'iial- ill the little flag station of W Imniriiinai in. , which i- in charge >if si tablet porter, wore clear fur the \'.. ii..hi A- I'll- «vrw> Vii* llyinjr by, the limits of a. locomotive »■■! -■■en mi t I.- -..lill■_'. ami tlinv short s-hrill blasts on the whistle sounded — ■;.. -ianal i- > iininiii.-i.i danger. riii' urj.iit -ijiui u.i- from tl mine drawing the 400 ton* goods train uli.li 'Mir- \'.i'■M.ni.l ii! midnight 11<mini fur tin* Wiiikato. lirakos were ii[.|iiii-l. hill in L"i"'l< ir.iin lia.l nut quite cleared the main lint-: in fact, Porti-r Diii.il.Unn u.i- -iMing mi lln- lover keoping the points open, and nothing could . viTt i folli.-iiMi. In.' ixprrs- dn-hed into alxv.it half the goods train still on the !,mi-. The eni'irie. .ifti-r triisvpllifiji r-ome distance, was thrown ovor into the . ri-i'k. -vit-h -in.-ra: i.i tin- fmght train trucks on top of it. The mail van took Ihe impact of ■ ii' r.'-t of tin- express train, and I he sleeping-oar, which was next i In' mail ran. v,,- telescoped for more than two-thirds of its length. The mail \.-ip evidently Ii id .i rant npw.mL and struck the i-!i»opcr in a slanting direction. I'lii' result vi.i- ih.i: the |j.-l cottipartmenl in the sleeper was practically iiiiinjurnd. MAIL AGENTS ITNINJITRED. How th.' ihri'i. mail men—Messrs. T.ri,-tol. Scott, and Clark, of Auckland— c-.-aped is a miracle. Wlicn they liojinl the unrem dancrer signal they ran to the f Tw.ird end of ti.n \an. and ihis. suvcd their live.-. Oddly enouph. in the sjrokcr carriage next lo the telescoped -leeper tile shock was hardly felt, and when the coupling wan unhooked it was hauled away with the rest of the train uninjured. The confining of t.he .iina-ii to th.- sleeper car can only he attributed to the immediate application of the l>rake> and the fact that the mail van had struck .. jUneing blow. The driver and fireman were thrown clear. Porter Donaldson, who stack tn his lever, ha.il his arm broken. No naked lights were lalcrn near the sleeper until time had been liven mr oil fhe illnniinaiin'.' 'ja- to c-.-ape. There were about a dozen men in th« sleeper, and no l.ulie,-. KESCUE WORK HAMPERED. Mr. W. Ilil was the dr-t jias.-cnircr lo emer?e. ki.kiiiLr lii- way through a window. Tin. rwtie work w.i- hamprred liy ihe darkness, and the fact that I here was only one axe. i.ii: everyone lent willing hand-. .Mr. Stevens had a -pliiiler tliroiiL'li hi.- brain, and death must have heen instantaneous. .Mr. IViersen. who u;i- the l.i-t lo he extricated, was wonderfully cheerful, although pinned by the upper part of his body, lie was alive when sot out, about three-qn.ir-cr* of an hour after tin- -:nasli_ but he ihen suddenly expired. Several of the other pas-cnirer-, were severely injured. There was some comment made .it Ihe scene upon fh- fact Unit ii w.i- three hours before help came from Mercer, seven mil«s away. All the passenaers came on to Auckland by special train, which arrived nt til:' plath.rni shortly alter half-past eleven. The most meajrre news hnd drifted through to the city, and there was a larze crowd of people evpertinL' f'i"nd- by the train. The li-t of k lied and injured is as follow?: — KILLED. Ml! OIVrON STKVKNS. New Zealand Ceneral .Manager National Mutual Life Assiiraner Association. Wellinfflon. MX. irTITBKRT F. PETKRSEX. of Melbourne, representinj .lames McKcnzie Proprietary. Ltd. SERIOUSLY rNJTTRED. Mn. .IOHN -WIN.MiN. Wellington, manager of Messrs (handler and Co.. Ltd.— Broken thiu'li and injuries to the head. Mil. i,r,)i;t,K i;|;IMST«>NK. of the Native Unri« Department. Wellington (under trawf-r to Auckland)— Crave internal injuries, and injuries INJURED. TAIiI.KI I'liirrEl! DfiNALDSOX. of Whan-amarinn-Urokpn arm. Ml. i.<>:. dim. II vm. of Palmersion North-Scratches and bruises . M 1 . ,. W. •!. 1111.1.. »i Auckland-Injured font. Mi: i;. K. lIiiWAUD. of Wellington—<ut on head. ■Mi:- II <; - M-\< KAY. of Melbourne. in--prctor fommereial B«nk of Amtralia- • N:l: H v '' il ' v; - ■•' Wellinsum. manaping director. Offirr Appliance Company— i rushed (~, -. rut and hniUcd about, body. 1,. hniMTd.. ~; Anekland. mail sorter—Cut. and '.ruiscl. 11. ( LARK, of Auckland, letter sorter—Cuts and bruises. S -' <>TV. nf Auckland, letter sorter—Cuts and abrasion-.