RAIL DISASTER.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 70, 24 March 1931, Page 7

RAIL DISASTER.

GRIM RESCUE WORK

Many Miraculous Escapes in Scottish Express Smash.

SIR G. SALTMAESH KILLED

(United P.A.—Electric Telegraph—Copyright,

(Received 10.30 a.m.)' LONDON, March 23

There were numerous cases of miraculous escapes in the disaster which overtook the Scottish express at Leighton Buz/.ard, in Bedfordshire, on Sunday.

A Glasgow business man says that five minutes before the accident he had a premonition of disaster and left the first carriage, in which he had been travelling. He had no sooner settled down in a rear compartment than the train was derailed. Many of the less seriously hurt passengers refused to accept medical attention and assisted in the rescue work, in which the Scottish footballers were prominent. Among the passengers killed in the disaster to the Royal Scot was Sir George Saltmarsh, who had just returned from Australia, where he had been engaged upon an inquiry into wheat supplies. Ho had intended to make a brief visit to Glasgow. Sir George's body was not identified until an automobile association's card bearing his club number was found in one of his pockets.

Though hampered "by thick fog the rescue work continued throughout the night. One of the injured passengers under the wreckage died after having fought for hours for his life, keeping up running conversations through a breathing hole and partaking occasionally of sips ofbrandy while his rescuers worked feverishly.

The dead engine-driver, Mr. Hudson, was one of the company's most experienced drivers and had driven the King and other Royal personages. Just 'before the departure of the express from London a passenger, admiring the engine, remarked that it was a wonder that euch a mammoth locomotive could keep on the line. Mr. Hudson replied: "The faster we go, the firmer we hold the rails." The actual death roll in connection with the Royal Scot disaster becomes six with the demise in hospital of Miss Dorothy Lang on the first day of her nineteenth year., She was returning from a holiday in Italy. She was pinned for three hours under the wreckage, her head supported on her mother's knees. Oxygen was administered to Loth, who, though in agony, displayed great fortitude.

The dining car attendant showed great presence of mind and saved many lives when he rushed to ihe kitchen and turned off the gas, thus preventing an explosion, before he leaped off the train. The task of obtaining the names of the victims was completed, amid fog, at' Leighton Buzzard station early this morning. Sir George Saltmarsb was identified by his son. He was going to Clyde to view the phosphate steamer Triona, which is sailing 6hortly for Nauru. The railway station officee resemble a shop, owing to the presence of pas-1 sengers' personal belongings awaiting claimants. Both the fast tracks have been cleared by breakdown gangs, who fed the wreckage to a bonfire for light and warmth, while four 120-ton cranos juggled the piles of debrit? into something approaching order, waving the .engine tender aloft as if it were a toy. The work of clearing 50 yards of the slow track is proceeding.

The King sent a message of sympathy to Sir Josiah Stamp, chairman of the London, Midland and Scottish Eaihvay.

Sir George Saltmarsli visited Xevr Zealand at the end of last year es representative of Great Britain on the British Phosphates Commission, in which post he succeeded Sir ; Alwyn Dickinson. I While in Xew Zea- ! land he conferred ! with Mr. A. F. J Ellis, representaj tive of this coun- ; - try on the Commis- ! sion, and with the ■ Australian delegate. J Mr. Olive McPher- ! son. He afterwards remained in Australia for a short period. During the — ■ war ho was an adviser to the British Government

witli regard to wheat supplies, later bcina; marie vicechairman of the Royal Wheat Commission. He lias been director of various industrial boards and executives, since 1914, particularly in regard to wheat. These include the directorship of grain storage to the Board of Agriculture, member of the executive committee set up to de;il with certain Prize Court case*, and a post as a member of the British Official Wheat Executive.