TO THE RESCUE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 122, 26 May 1930, Page 10

TO THE RESCUE.

PLANE CARRIES DOCTOR. TRUCK LEAVES RAILWAY. TEN MEN INJURED. FOUR IN" SERIOUS CONDITION. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) BLENHEIM, Sunday. Tiie advantage of the aeroplane m case of sudden emergency was well illustrated on Saturday afternoon,-when ten men were injured on the South Main Trunk railway -works at Tirohanga, 43 railee from Blenheim. On receipt :>f a summons by lelephone Dr. J. If. Bennett arranged for tlie services of one of the Marlborough Aero Club's Moth machines, and by this means was on the scene of, the accident and attending to the injured within an hour of the occurrence, and less than half an hour after leaving Blenheim. The injured men are: — Robert J. Wallace, aged about -10, married, with four or five children, crushed chest and fractured skull, condition very serious. Wallace was employed on Murray'i Woodside station until about two months ago, when he secured work with the Public Works Depart- ■ ment. Thomas King, aged about 05, believed to be single with relatives in Shannon, lacerated back and | strain, condition serious. J. Mills, married, no children, torn j sinews in left leg and other ; injuries. Mason, single, ruptured muscles of the j back and lacerated wound in, the left hand. Roy Gifford, married, broken jaw and nose, and other lesser injuries. A. Duncan, severe crushing of left foot. A. Petersen, broken .lose, and wound in the head. R. Neilson, scalp wound and strained back. ', ~ ' , C. Ross, minor injuries.. Maurice Hickey,- injuries to the face. Trapped in Wreckage. The ten men were part of a.gang which had been engaged in platelaying between Tirohanga and Tainui. When the knock-off whistle blew at' mid-day on Saturday they entered a railway truck on which a hut had been* erected and which was always used for conveying the men from their-camps to the scene of their labours. A small engine was hitched on and set off in the direction of Wharanui, where the men's camps were located. ••,-'■■ All went went -until Tirohanga was reached, but here the truck left the .rails just as a bridge was reached. It turnedcompletely upside down, and with ten men trapped inside it crashed into the creek bed 14ft or so below. The.hut on-.the truck was flimsilybuilt of corrugated:iron, and collapsed when it struck the ground. The engine'driverand fireman, who at once pulled up. when!the truck parted company with the engine,. hurried back to the scene; They thought all were dead, as• there was'no Bound from the wreckage, and it seemed impossible that anyone could live under the .weight of the inverted truck. . . Gangs Extricate Injured. Moans and -cries followed, 'however. With the assistance of another gang Avhioh was returning, to Wharanui .by. roadi the victims • were extricated. from the wreckage .vvitli considerable difficulty. ..' '■:' -~-• ;.,"' \ .In the meantime ft a'.-messenger, was sent to the Tirohanga homestead, and Mrs; A. Kittson Thomas, after-telephony ing to-Blenheim for a doctor, /went-with Miss Aid Worth, of; Wellington, to the' scene.: of the .accident.. They yeoman service in tending the injured. The-least injured-were dispatched to Wharamu- by motor truck, and the others remained on-the scene until the arrival of Dr. Bennett. Captain Chandler, who flew the'.aeroplane, landed on excellent ground a't •Tirohanga. The. site has recently, been adopted as one of the Aero Club's; stations, for, short cross-country : flights/ Here a car was waiting to conI vey the doctor to the scene, of the acci- : dent, about a miledistan.tit.., Messrs. Wallace ana Kiiig;.were,con--veyed to. the Marlborough:Hospital m an ambulance. The others Parc still rat Wharanui, but- will: probably ■ be- sent to Blenheim, to-morrow.; ■; -^ WALKED IN FRONT OF CAE. ELDERLY MAN'S HEAD INJURED. (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) , WELLINGTON, this day. ■ Walking out in front of a bus in Main Street, Lower Hutt, at 8.40 last night,, Mr H Cliffc, an elderly man, a motoibody builder, was knocked down by a motor car and injured seriously head. The car did not stop, but it is stated-the police have its number. GASHED HIS FOOT. / _ ACCIDENT TO SCRUB CUTTER. ' (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) PAHIATUA, this day. A workman named J. Waldon was encaged in scrub cutting oirthe Baliour estate when his blade slipped and severely damaged his foot, the arteries, being severed. He was removed to the public hospital. KNOCKED DOWN BY CAR. Facial abrasions and bruises were received by Mr. Gillander, of .the. Siinnyside Estate, 3?apatoetoe, when he was knocked down by a motor car on the Great South Road, between Wiri and Papatoetoe, last evening. He was attended by Dr. J. J. Valentine, and was then allowed to go home.