ON THE SECOND EXCURSION TRAIN.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 10294, 14 March 1899, Page 6

ON THE SECOND EXCURSION TRAIN.

NARRATIVE BY MR C. E. FISHER. Mr C. E. Fisher, one of the employees at the Islington Freezing Works, who was secretory of the Picnic Committee, has madan important statement regarding the second excursion train. He soys this train was delayed fully half au hour at Ashburton owing to a truck getting off the line, and to keep to the time arrangements it appeared as if the speed of tbe train was acselerated in order to make up for the delay. When it waa seen that one of tho guards had failed to get on board, Mr Fisher besame very anxious on behalf of the large number of passengers, seeing that the train was travelling so fast, ,that tho night was so stormy, and that the train was left in jkargdi of a young porter only, who was acti_g as assistant to the guard. He therelore communicated with the Picnic Commatte., and it was decided that he should go through the tram and see that the actingguard stayed in the van and looked after tue wake. "One of the committeemen was sent to inform the engine driver that the guard was left behind, and to -. urge him to reduce the speed of the train in; order to avoid the danger of an accident Owing, however, to some of the middle doors of t'ne carriages'being locked, thetway to tne engine was barrea, and the driver could not therefore be communicated with. Mr Fisher, who, with the aid of an old pocket knife,: had opened the doors that he found - locked, mode his way to the rear of. the train. He met the acting-guard, who was collecting tickets, and informed him that the had failed to get on the train, and -with, same little diinculty persuaded him to to the van. Another committeemdoMgras also Bent to collect tickets, and to remain with him in charge of the broke. The acting-guard attempted by waving a green light to warn the driver to go slower, and to pull up at ths next station, but ap- ""■*• owing to the darkness and rain, tne signal was not seen. Mr Fisher was all through apprehensive of danger because of the speed of the train, the carriages oscillating »so much that a distribution of toys among the children had to be abandoned, as it was unsafe to pass from one carriage to another. Mr Fisher thinks that tlie railway , authorities at Ashburton should have telegraphed to one of the intervening stations, either Cherteey or Dromore, and stopped the train, and either had another man puton board to assist the acting guard or the driver warned to go slower, as the train was only in charge of one young" man. Mr Fisher beers out the statement made that the signalman was out over three hundred yards from the rear end of the front train. . He saw the man with the light alongside the, line and heard him calling out some- , thing that sounded like "Whoa,'' and almost «wultaneously he heard a rumbling noise Kke thit made as a train crosses a culvert. There ia a culvert under, the line about 300 J*™* fww- the station, and tt was on the Ashburton side of this culvert that the signalman says he was standing. HELPERS IN THE WORK OF . ~ . RESCUE. People here, writes our special reporter ■ ftfc Rakaia, are loud in their'praise of the ; young men of the township, who did such splendid work on Saturday evening in rescuing the injured passengers, and removing the bodies of tke dead from the wrecked car* tiages. '■'..'■, Mr C, A. C. Hardy has worked untiringly all through, hh wecgy and t oresigbt rendering his services invaluable in organising matters for tha disposal of'the dead and iniured, a number o£ whom he assisted to carry out of the carriage where so much damage was ddne. . < .; * In the rescue work I learn that the following employees' at the Islington Freezing Works, nearly all of whom were members of the Picnic Committee, gave great assistance in rescuing the passengers: Messrs J. Watt, 0. Peareei M. Conway, and W. Kerr, Another active helper that prening was Mr Saxton, the driver of the Islington coach.