WESTLAND RAILWAY ACCIDENT.

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14658, 6 May 1913, Page 7

WESTLAND RAILWAY ACCIDENT.

—♦ A CLERGYMAN'S .EXPERIENCE

PASSENGER'S NARROW E&OAPE. (srECur, to '-rnE tress.") HOKITIKA, May 5. Tlio Roy. Alfred -North, General Organiser for the Now Zealand liaptist Union, was a passenger by tJio Otira express on Saturday night, when the carriages were derailed. In conversation with a "'West Coast-Times" representative this afternoon, Air iNorth &aid ho was in one. or tne compartments ot tlio carnage, which capsued. IHjscnbmg tho acciUcnt, Air North eaid that as t.\ey wero running down to Aritika at a fnjly good pace, they fo«t a very heavy bump, the carnage swayed wildly, and then fell over from tho metals. m o carriage dropped about two feet and l then landed on a soft grassy patch, j which acted as a cushion. All ».o pas- ! eengera were thrown over on to ttto side, and wero greatly confused. There was a big smashing of gloss. As soon as ho picked himself up aud found ho ; was uninjured, Mr North immediately I lont assistance to tho throe or tour , Indies, who were greatly ulfeeted by I shock, two being rather severely lacerI ated about the head, and bleeding proI fusely from cuts on the lace caused by tho glass. Nobody appeared to bo severely injured. Tho shghtness of tho injuries wns, in his opinion, duo in some- respects to the fact that tho couplings broke. Had tho couplings not broken, Mr North was sure thero would have been a shocking accident, as tho engine would probably havo boon jorked off tho line and tho carriages heaped up and smashed to pieces. The engine would probably have set tiro to tho'wreckage. The accident happened at a spot where there-was almost on ideal placo for the carriage to topple over. There was scarcely any fall, nnd the bank was soft, rfftd tho accident happened at many other places tho carriages would havo crashed over tho bank and fallen in some places ten or twenty feet, and sovernl people would havo been killed. Mr North said that, strange to say, the lights wero not extinguished, nnd although one of tne. railway men Bninshed open tho door, the passengers decided to remain in the wrecked carriage until holt) arrived. Mr North pays great credit to tho Indies, who behaved in a highly creditable manner. Their, wounds woro attended to, and everybody was made, as comfortable as possible, Tho relict tra : n arrived about two hours later, and the passengers reached Qrcymouth at 11.10 p.m., and Hokitika passengers were landed at their destination at 1 a.m. on Sunday morning. Mr North declared that it was semi-miraculous that tho accident happened without any serious result. He desired to emphasise the terrible danger which tho passengers and railway employees run. on the Otira line. Mr North said no Department had a right to nm.euch risks. For a good part of the journey tho track was not fenced, and tho wandering cattle were n constant source of danger. It was a wonder that there had not boon a smash-up before. Tho public wore evidently , oblivious of the danger. Not only were the tracke unfenced, but on tho run down between Otira aud Greymouth tho decline in some places was steep and dangerous, and when undertaken in the darkness, as on Saturday last, grave risks wero rim. This danger was very greatly magnified by the absence of efficient brake power, no Westinghouso brakes being used on tho line, the safety of the travelling public being dependent tipon the engine brakes and those on the guard's van. At the spot whero tho accident happened, the decline wae abemt 20ffc ina.milo. but ■ farther tip the -.Vne there was about a 800 ft drop in fivo miles, and there were numerous sharp curves and wandering'cattle.;. In Mr North's opinion, tho ''accident coul<j[ not hare happened at a moro convenient spot. , ' •