SOME MARVELLOUS ESCAPES

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

SOME MARVELLOUS ESCAPES

ANOTHER PASSENGER'S STORY. A SLKKPKi: TPv.WF.r.I.ER. I (hie of the most remarkable features seems to be thai a number of till- occupants ~f the sleeping car should have escaped almost uninjured. An almost miraculous escape was experienced by Mr 11. I-:. Howard, Calliope Ruad. Devonport. who was an occupant of the sleeper, and who lunl been travelling w ilh Mr Stevens. "Wo wore proceeding." he said. "at. a good pace, tlie po.-t olliee van being immediately in front of us and next, to the engine. Suddenly I heard a loud crash, and the next moment tho occupants of the ear wore thrown to the ground and a part of the sleeping berths caught in the general melee. Our car was sniusl od right in half, and was splintered to matchwood. Some of us were hurled right across the carriage, and T saw Mr Stevens lying on the ground face downwards and pinned to the floor. I had a narrow escape, my only injuries consisting of slight scratches to the forehead and nose. There were eleven of us in the sleeper, and most of us received some injuries." CAR 6EEMED TO TIP IT. Another eye-witness stated that he was Bleeping in his berth at the time, and was awakened by hearing a collision. "I I sat up in my berth,'' he said, "and a I moment later was thrown to the ground, | and the car seemed to tip up and threw mc several feet away. The. side of the ear was entirely smashed in. and, as far as I could see. there were several men lying on the floor struggling under a mass of wreckage. Apparently the sleeping berths had tumbled dowii. The car was so strewn with wreckage that it was almost impossible to tell exactly what had happened. I saw Mr Petersen lying on the ground in great pain, and somebody came along and tried to restore him. lie seemed to revive for a few moments and then became unconscious. T don't know whether he was dead then." Another oecupani of ihe sleeper Mr. George Pace, ,'ii. I'pper Queen Street, had' a fortunate escape, receiving only a slight shaking in the smash. '-Our 'onr was smashpfl completed .n two." tie said, "and the sides of toe iriiin. as well as the .-looping berth-, were oil jumbled up. We wore all thrown from one side oI" the ,nr 1.. tl tiler, nod -..me of those who were, asleep in the berths wore knocked tn the ground and pinned under the wood,"'

Mr. H. C. Mackay, a. resident of iMelbourne. who is one of the Australasian inspectors for the Commercial Baaik of Australasia wats in the. sleeper. His escape was v most marvellous one. He occupied th,. lower .berth in the caibin. When the cra-sh came. L Mr. Mackay stateis. the upper berth eoll-apscd and the lloor of the i-a.bin buckled up so that he was tightly jammed in a sleeve or tube of wreckage. At- the same time ihe pressure of the wreckage at the top end commenced lo close the tube gradually until his head was wedged so firmly that it was impossible to move it a fraction of an inch. It wa? i„ this plight that ihp rcsoiuors discovered Mr. Mackay. An examination revealed that not a Jione bad been broken, and the f-kin was luir.liy injured. .Mr. Mackay is enfToring severely from shook.