DELAY OF SIX HOURS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 190, 12 August 1922, Page 7

DELAY OF SIX HOURS.

RELIEF TRAIW AT FEAHKTON. The Main Trunk train South, or rather an emergency onu, passed through Frankton at 4 a.m. to-day, six hours late. The train was composed of spare carriages kept at Mercer and Frankton, and while not so coey as the regu'ar Main Trunk cars they had been made as comfortable as possible for the passengers by the railway authorities. Fortunately the night was mild in comparison with those a week or two ago, so the steam huating was not missed. The tension which the passengers had been through was plainly evidenced to the "Star" representative as he made his way along the line of cars and saw the white, strained look on both men and women, while the light gossip and laughter that is usually noticeable was conspicuously missing. The eecape they had had from an aw» T JI catastrophe was realised more by the passengers after tlie cccur%*nce than at the time of the bump. ■ and by the time thy? train reached [ Frankton the effects of the shock were showing in most of them. PASSENGERS' EXPERIENCES. The Main Trunk train left Auckland in charge of Guard P. Hodson and Driver A. Black well, with about 120 first-class and 140 second-class passengers, the two sleepers being full. The majority of ' these passengers came forward by the ' relief train, only a few deciding to return Ito Auckland by motor. Fortunately the Knglish mail which arrived by the Niagara was ill a Z wagon next to the engine, and this took the impact. . with the postal vans following. The occupants, .Messrs. P. Robb, J. W. Peakin. and S. Dunstan, received a very severe bumping about. They were thrown to the Moor and bruised, and were still very shaky when seen at 4 a.m. These officials were very lucky to escape surious injury. The occupants" of the passenger car next the postal van —a second-class one —were thrown violently across the seats. Mr. Stanley Pratt, of Krankton Junction, who was in that carriage, says that the movement was both up and clown, as if the car were bumping over some obstacle. Mr. W. Mitchell, of the Brett Printing Company, who was on the train with his wife, was sitting in about the middle of the train, anil fait two very severe jolts, and then the train settled down. Another passenger, Major 1). A. Gunn, executive officer of the Salvation Army for Auckland, bears out this experience, and mentioned incidentally that the passengers in his carriage grabbed their luggage and made to g«t out. though all observed the utmost order, while the ladies, though badly shaken, behaved bravely. The sleeping car attendant, Mr. W. Horahain, was in the act of.

making up a bed for a lady passenger when he was thrown across the cabin with two violent humps. Mrs. Pollock, the attendant of the ladies' car siata* that her car was full, especially in tha second compartment, with women and children, and that there was no confusion whatever. A PERTINENT STJGESTION. The features of this accident are somewhat similar to that of about two year* ago, when the Main Trunk express ran into a slip near Mataroa, that train also having a van next the engine, which took the bulk of the shock. On that occasion two postal officials were killed, but no passengers were hurt. In this connection a number of railway authorities consider it would be wise to provide for more safety fur tlie passengers br always having a van placed next the engine in express trains. It could be used for luggage. Mr. C. Conn, stationmaster at Frankton, was on duty all night, and he and three of liis staff occupied thamselvea in making the waiting passengers as comfortable as possible. When the wait-ing-room was filled, ladies were put in the porters' rooms and tires lit, and after that Mr. Conn opened up the carriages at the station, in which passengers stretched out and had some sleep. It is a coincidence that at the time of the accident at Drury another engine on a goods train coming to Frankton jumped the rails at Morrinsville, and was delayed by de-railment for two hours.