THE RAILWAY DISASTER.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 17811, 10 July 1923, Page 7

THE RAILWAY DISASTER.

STORIES OF SURVIVORS FORTITUDE OF INJURED. SOME MIRACULOUS ESCAPES. (SFECtAL TO "THE P8E83.") WELLINGTON, July 9. Mr Arthur Allen, of Manners street, i in au interview, said that if the trail : had gone another hundred yards it j would have been precipitated into the ' Ongarue River. The bank of the cutting prevented this. "When I got to the teleseoped carriages,"' ho said, "a scene of heartrending piteousness disclosed itself. Standing on th-j bank, I looked down into a tangled mass of wreckage, and far down I say a human face. It is not surprising that there was some excitement. One man seized an axo, aud jumping on top of a wrecked carriage, commenced to hack furiously at tho woodwork in ordei to release a man who could be soen. Just underneath where tho blows of tho axe were falling was another man, and I cried out, 'For God's sake, look out m<in, or you'll chop a man to pieces.-' Tho guard asked me to stay in charge of a van .containing about nine injured and I will never . forget this experience if I live to bo a hundred years old. It was hoart-breaking to listen to the moaning of the dreadfully injured. I had a man in my arms who was bleoding profusely, and I wns smothered in his blood. One poor follow kopt calHng a woman's name piteously. The fireman, who was badly scalded, creid in ngony, 'Oh God, put me out of my misery.' Other injured persons in tho van called upon me to go to their aid, but I could not leave tho poor fellow I had in my arms, and whose life-blood was ebbing away so fast." Mr Allen also said that his nerves were so badly shaken by the appalling scenes he had been through that all the way down in the train from Ohakune he was afraid that something dreadful was going to happen. Forebodings Justified. Mr Allen joined the train at Prankton Junction,, having business to do at Hamilton. Ho there met Mr Horace Gould, who for many years was secretary of the Commercial Travellers' Association. Mr Gould said hj.» wanted to get back to Wellington, but he would not risk the trip, as slips had been reported, and with slips about one did not know what might happen. Ho refused to make the trip, and 'his forebodings were fully justified. Finned In His Seat In one of the carriages was Mr G. George, a Wellington restaurant-keeper. "I was sleeping huddled up with my 'feet on the seat," he said, "when, the smash came. I tried to move my leit foot, but found that it was entrapped. I then attempted to move my other foot, but found this was imprisoned also. I called out for help, but received no reply. It was quite darkin the carriage. I then \ came to the conclusion that I would 'have to, try and help myself. I set to work pationtly to try and free my imprison ed feet, and at length had the satisfaction of getting one released. A few minutes' patient wriggling and I released the other foot. I then attempted to crawl over the .-..wreckage towards the door of the carriage, but immediately put my hand upon a face. After some scrambling, I reached tho door, and found thera a boy about seven years of age with his legs broken. He was a brave little chap, and bore the pain-with Spartonlike fortitude. A Dalmatian at last smashed a window, and crawled out and-released us by kicking the door in. Mrs Donald, who was killed, occupied the seat opposite to me. Then the rescue party arrived, and all worked very hard get ting the injured out from the wreckage. I was hurt in three places—the temple, the hip, and the ankle. The Card Players. A miraculous escape by three men was told to-day to a "New Zealand Times" reporter. They were in a carriage next the smoker, and wera playing cards. There were four in the party, and one had just changed places with another when the smash came. Ono of those who had taken up a new position was killed, whilo two others jumped out of a window and escaped with slight cuts, and tho fourth was soon extricated from the wreckage. They were seated in the most precarious place in the train. All had intended to go to --the races in Wellington, but two turned back, though the third went on to see if his. luck would hold. Two men entered the carriage, but in the other compartment, half ■ an hour before the accident, saying they could not sleep in the carriage further back with so many babieß crying. The change was fatal, as both were killed. Rescuing the Injured. A Wellington lady travelling with her daughter in the second compartment of tho first carriage bent down low during the smashing of the glas*. When the mother saw the roof giving away she put her foot up to prevent it from falling in, and held it there until they were released. They sustained slight bruises only. Mr T. W. Mortimer, a Bailway worker on leave, proceeding to Wellington, assisted in rescuing the penned up passengers. One poor fellow wht. was pinned by the middle, and had the lower point of his body badly crushed, was obviously beyond recovery, yet he kept calling cheerfully to others of the injured who were lying there, saying they would soon be out of it. ' Aa soon as the wreckage could be raised he was .removed still continuing to cheer up the others. He died shortly after reaching-* the hospital. Two dead and several injured iiad been recovered by the time the relief train arrived, and with proper tools the work of rescuing proceeded more quickly. ' One man had two dead bodies on the top of him, and was only discovered in the nick of time to prevent him from being smothered, and another man of middle age, who had both legs crushed, bo/e his injury with great fortitude, and gave words of encouragement to others not nearly so badly injured' at he was. At one -end of the telescoped carriages stood a young lady in a state of collapse, and the frame-work of the window had to be chopped away ■ before she could be lifted through. I Much praise was given to an Austrian, who worked with almost supernatural energy. At one time, while working amongst the debris, ho got hu feet jammed, and had to, be crowbarred out Finally he was overcome by gas. A settler in the district said .the train always cawed, vibration at steep banks

like that where the slip took place. Ha had known land to move two or tfcr* inches after the train had passed. The behaviour of the crowd w*s wonderful. One specially noticeable tiling was that they did not press for* ward and hinder the men who wft* working. Owing to the narrowness ftf the cutting, the sphere of the rescuers* efforts was limited, and not or.ee/ di 3 the people have to he told to stand - back. The card players had been ia«i»p*9ed to sleep, and so sue others gave ur> their seats' to enable them to sit together. ' The eard player.- escaped, but those who gave up their scats ta them were killed. DEBRIS REMOVED. LINE AGAIN AVAILABLE. * WATCH KEPT ON UNSAFE SECTION. (NUU9 AMOCUTIOI TKJM&Ut.) TAUMARUNUI, July 9. A huge crane from Auckland did wonderful work in clearing the, toe of debris and lifting the engine and broken carriages. The. work was c«Satinued in shifts all day csiturdaj and Sunday, and the last shuvehui ot tunas* was spread on tho new portion of lint about 5.50 p.m. on Sunday, the arse train to pass through being a '•goods" from Tauuiarunui at 6 p.m. On Sunday the seeno of the disaster was waited by !■ jits of settlers aid resideeta of O , and the clearing operations .. .vatched with interest. Xl» damugeu engine and partly-diunaged car D were hauled to Omracue raiiwaf station, and the debris was banted a heaps on the bank. Among the debris could be seeu tho broken iron frame* > of the wrecked second-class cftirtafiU. Those were eo badly broken that <M» could readily imagine the force of tfc» impact, and the reason for so many!," manned bodies among the rietuusv > On the side of the track were also aeett i a gas cylinder intact and another <MW which iiud been either smashed or *»» ploded Furuier along was the to** -, uaieuer oi the derailed engine. Lit kw ; .?. severely twisted, and bore ertOeuc* ttio roujli handling it had received ia\ '■'> tho collision with the three-ton ofMUteKy '} I Appearance of HUlirfdn, The hillside from which the eooHefe £'• ana otner ni&ienal fell shows a sucii as is seen in tne uUiatoe It is not a dangerous looking overuatHyji mg call, but an ordinary toasiag siae on a grade anil overgrows tern and scrub. Ibere are far : «o||fs||] dangerous looKing spots on 0» Jit»n(S| Trunk line than tins, but locai say jt is nevertheless a bad spot, fact, some consider that the *hplß the face at this bend ia on th^a^rppfp ' towards 1 the river, and that «V time in the past tnere has been a i|JKj||| . slip there which- narrowed the into a small, last-running < tonmiKw such as it is just below Ungaruef*lw|i|jS| ' The Bight Sptatt. - ; - % J The railway oinoers are exeeadingjtr 4 grateful for the line spirit abocu ny | tne men of the Public Worka; JJepart-. * meat. Immediately the %s»« 1 notified to them at Ohakuku% ■Mr JU " 4 C. JPascand, Assistant' iunguieer,' aJJfafrJ Mr S. Holmes, foreman, ouconbnq|Kffl| the day's work on the Mattere in'ffßßra of the railway, and jumped -im» *»]jHsn emergency, organising all banSa, placing them at the dfapoea}. <n" Us L £; Kail way Department. willing workers set s& «• scene of the acciciej& and ablo leadership of Mr splendid work until relieved W nwngtf% workers. Mr Keller, Beaidanl Ati»s:lii ear, djd not hear of the* J i>liihiijß Jff till 8 a.m., and was more than fled to that his men; •&* o£akn*,l& kura had responded to dufe 1 * without waiting for orders., £ It Wasrsi ond of those occasions which i&alkd fte s« prompt action and appealing for formal instritctiuK} £)td fa officers and men are ta lin ("iinmiir wjhut l ' foi their foresignt. , **, -"• f\J A Dangerous Secret* ' '1»« The portion of the (inn J hninrUiiifl ~ Jfuketucu aua To Jituti, wtifiA" JMsVzb been causing the itauw&j a good aew ot anxiety ox late, waisMHl dpected ytateruay, uud. tact tuat tnere u tswd anxiety tor uit> safety of travtuhing tlus route. there is a sloping bank, and l»£ir T fainy steep arop ot two or drea feet. A sup started av »B«ltV5B>«H below tne line, and i& torty-eiauv' wide. Xne fence nuio fliNwlfi in ruid-air. Xhe line is w day and night. After the a train the line subsides. .- it w •> 1 lifted boduy with jacka, and nsttnt poured under the reus. Twentj-AlHk truck loads of metal hoyeCbaen placea i under the rails in thia rr m iwittfi * a sixteen-yard stretch in Ihe laefcfew •""( days, but the yielding earth —"™ tt> < swallow it almost aa fast aa n> can ba> put in. A goods tram that weat'onß'% this portion ia*t week had •*** ««»- " guns derailed as a result of a jolt artar ' passing the sunken rade, A qvaar gang was requisitioned, and the wafe- g& gons were back on the line m a Mrw nours, not much damage resulting. J&i . The slipping landjinmwliaieOf the rails is lull of cracks and ntauriraMFl and may give way at any "KPWtlit. s&§&%s is thought to: be safe enough lib aMplif weather, but lit present loota ous. The landslip is said to caused by the recent contintiol|i'«)daSPifl Sunday and to-day are fine.* <iH47'S rainy season appears to be 'M the sixty-one days in May a^/Jan* « the rain fell on fifty-fire dan. tte t«SrPw fall being lS.47in. ~^ PROGRESS OF THE INJURES! % (pbs3» usocuiios •—***<* ixfy ,<&, TAUMABUNUI, Job/ fc /'* > The latest bulletin front the hfrfiitil . ~« regarding those injured states ibaa df|- ,y the serious cases, Collina had a &§&" *M night, and his condition is &k Campbell is doing rery well; Alcilala "J lane shows an improTement; Keale J» dk doing well. There has been auAiuty over Mrs amah, but aaeis also doing very well. The following are making good gress:—Dignan, Tyler. Walker, Fley. Wheeler, ing, Hughes. Morgan, Miss iLss Gordon, and Mrs Henderaoß^^p^ffl commission op BNQunntv!^3 VmiJ2^TON. Jur^iliS The Government ia sattin^^^W^ Commission of Enquiry int^' tly^-i^^^^ rue disaster with a Magistrate *»«^^^^ The body'of the late Mr\Hen||S Thomas Ward, who was killed ia °aSn Ongarue railwav disaster, ia bcW»*|i brought to ChiTSehurch. The, which will be private, will takn otiqaS thin afternoon. w ,

GUARD'S NARRATIVE.

A HARROWING PERIOD. GETTING OUT THE DEAD AND MAIMED. (3PSCIAL TO "TOT PRESS.") AUCKLAND, July 9. The narrative of the guard of the wrecked tram, Mr H. P. Hodson, provides a graphic description of the appalling effects of the accident. In an interview at Ongarue, lie fully confirmed the statement that the presence of the huge bouider was primarily responsible for the telescoping or the second class carriages in winch all the casualties occurred, Mr Hodson, who was uninjured, but considerably affected by the sufferings he had witnessed on the previous night, was averse to talking of his own snare in the rescue work, but could not speak hig.ily enough-of the volunteers from among the passengers, and the residents or ' Ongarue who assisted therein while awaiting the relief train from iauznarunui. This arrived within two hours of the smash. Mr Hodson said his . train cleared Ongarue at 5.50 aM., and was then running at about 2o tp 30 miles an hour. He was in his bra/e van at the rear of the express. Three Distinct. Shocks. ''About, a minute and a-half after ' passing Ongarue," he said, "we came to a sudden stop, and 1 at once surmised that we had struck a slip. The shock was not sufficient at my end of the train to cause me to fall. There : were three distinct phases of the stoppage, with a oecond or two between each. The first impression was that of striking, the second that of something settling,' and the third the dead stop. Grabbing my hand-lamp, I tore along the right-hand side of my train as far as the forward end of the ladies' car, .-which was in the centre. I jumped up on to the platform, but was unable , to get through into the car owing to the-gate of the platform being jambed and buckled. I therefore climbed on to the carriage, and from there was able to realise, at a glance what had , happened. Daylight was just breaking, and I could see ahead along the cutting to where the engine and ten- , de'r and postal van lay on their sides. .; On all hands I could hear cries of distress and piteous appeals for help. ■ I A Call for Help. "Calling for volunteers, I had a . ' quick response from the uninjured passengers and the postal officials, all of .; whom assembled and commenced without- delay, the work of rescue. I rushed . back to my van and procured axes, ' saws, crowbars, and other breakdown :; equipment, and sent the sleeping-car attendant back, to Ongarue with the !•. news,"and a call for medical aid. I then went to the rear end of .the fourth car in the train, a second- . , class carriage, in which I could see ,; the passengers were in serious straits. \ I broke the lavatory window with my fist, and pulled the broken glass away to make an entry. By this time, however, one of the passengers had managed to burst open the door. I then attacked the aide., of this coach with an axe, having noticed the bad plight of four or five of the occupants. One of them, a young lady, had one arm projecting through a window and one foot; protruding .through a Bole in the .side of the car. ! She was appealing for help.' ,The whole side.of the car was bulging'out about 18in to 2ft, and, . owing to. the framing, etc., it took us BOme'time to chop away the side of the' coach and alleviate the sufferings of the_ trapped passengers. A group of five" or six people were all huddled . together in a corner. They had been ,' literally swept there with their seats ' during the telescoping of their car, and the-two ahead- The seats were ,';" chair, seats, and the whole of them in this section of the carriage' had been ~ wrenched from £beir sockets and ! crushed together at the end of the "<■■■ compartment. The unfortunate pas--1 sengers were hopelessly intermingled with them. .

, • •'. Heartrending Sights. i"I saw many' heartrending rights during the period which followed," ; continued,Mr Hodson. "You must , understand that there were many willing workers, and that I was constantly moving from one part of the train f to another in my anxiety to do the utmost possible for the suffering and ; injured. . At ono time I would be on " the roof of a car,' at another in a \. drain-; and again on the top of the •.. Sank..helping to drag the dead and , maimed out, througn windows or '*• through gaps we had- cut in the tops. .'.''' and sides of the cars. Several of the ..dead had been killed outright. The ~ only lady to be killed'in the wreck, Mrs Donald, wastin one of the rear ■' seats in the . fourth car. Near her was ;'■ the youne lady to whom I have previously, referred, and she was huddled ■ on Top. of a seat in the corner. In the same car was a little boy of about seven years who, when rescuers broke in, was crying piteously and calling for his daddy. .The poor little fellow had iboth his legs seriously injured. His father, who had been badry cut over the right eye and was bleeding, gathered his boy into his arms and with assistance, removed him to the nearby house of a railway ganger, where he received surgical attendance. The lad proved himself a little hero, enduring.his pain with wonderful fortitude and brav.ely refraining from com- ... plaining. He died later. Welded Together. . ■"■ "As we were in a narrow cutting the work of rescue was rendered most .. difficult. I remember that after working on the fourth, car I turned my attention to the second-class 'smoker' the carriage immediately • behind the postal van. It was here that the [worst casualties occurred, and the greatest damage was done. This car, when the impact came, telescoped with two in the rear. It contained , , from -25 to 30 passengers, while the , next car contained about 12, and the third seven or eight. All three had : been literally welded together, and the passengers were in an awful plight. •. Some in the front end were dead, as • were two in the centre, and one or .. two in the rear end. In order to get ••; to them, we had to cut through the , ; roof of the 'smoker.' Inside there was •.; an mdescrible scene of confusion and splintered wreckage. Some of the in- .. jured were, pinned down, and had to • • wait until we released them with saws and axes, or lifted heavy weights from their bodies. Once a man in one of the cars struck a match and there was an ignition of gas, but this was in- . stantly extinguished. The dead were ; It £" the left " hand bank overlooking , the Ongarue river, on cushions, and ; covered with rugs. The injured were .;■ also provided with rugs, etc., as they ■ were taken to the bank, all being cot ready to send into Taumarunui All = bore their ordeal bravely. "A Babel of Sound." ■ •■ ! + '? h fv 110 , , T o r of scene was added <. • to by the hissing of the escaping steam . from. Wie engine and the moans of the Ifc. injured •as they were recovered from M IT * could not noticing ■ aIW. the incessant roarina of the river 1 ««• it raced over the rapids in the H !L Cln i yaS thou = fa striving to minimise tba human tragedy in which \y* »ere

taking our grim part. God was good to us. He kept the weather fine, and our efforts were unhampered. I could not but admire the way in which the uninjured passengers toiled for the alleviation of those who had suffered worse than themselves. Yeoman service, for intance, was rendered by the Maori team of representative footballers who were on the train. The first of the injured passengers were sent off to Taumarunui within two or three Sours after the disaster, and the remainder arrived there shortly after noon. There was some delay owing to two or three requiring surgical aid before they could'be transferred. The dead were tak-an in to Taumarunui later."

TAUMARUNUrS HELP.

A GENEROUS TRIBUTE

MAORIS' EXCELLENT WORK. (SPICIiX TO 'TH3 MHI."S AUCKLAND, July 3. A commercial traveller of Auckland, who regularly travels over the Main Trunk line, and who proceeded to the scene of the disaster from Taumarunui on Friday morning, says:— "The scenes in Taumarunui that day I shall never forget. There were hundreds of women helpers. Doctors and nurses were available, and motorcars were ready for any service that they might be required for. In fact, every possible assistance was there, and th-s only disappointed people I think were the volunteers whose offers of assistance were not needed. The people of Taumarunui rose maginhcentiy to the dire occasion. No one couicl have done more. Most of tne injuries seemed to be head wounds. ••The driver of the derailed engine was brought by train from Ongarue to Te Jvuiti. Apparently at the outset of that run he was able to talk without showing signs of coilapse, but 1 understand he appeared to be getting worse while in the train, and a message was accordingly sent ahead tor a doctor to be at once available to receive him at Te Kuiti. The driver told those who were travelling with him, so I was informed, that the train first hit the slip and then the boulder. After it had pushed the boulder some distance, the big rock became stationary, and then it was that the engine lurched, first to one side, and thento the other, and then ran on to the bank. I know that bend well, and I can fullv realise that it was absolutely impossible for the driver to have seen the obstruction. I have travelled that line for the last 20 years, and I certainly should not have thought it a likely place for an obstacle such as that boulder, to be thrown on the line. , , , "The Maori football players who were in the fourth coach, stated that the shock of the accident as felt in their coach, was practically not much more noticeable than had the brakes been suddenly applied. These natives had their first aid appliances with them, and they did some very fine work in rendering immediate help to the injured. Little did they thinkthat their football first aid set would be put to such a needed use. The Maoris spontaneous efforts to alleviate suffering was the tajk of the district, and the railwayrhen were, I need hardly Bay, equally fine in the way they tackled the work of rescue." An Auckland lady at present staying in a boardinghouse at Taumarunui, with slight injuries sustained in the accident, was sitting three seats behind Mrs Donald, of Epsom, who was one of the killed. The lady who so fortunately escaped serious hurt, states that she owes her good fortune to the fact that at the moment of the impact she was standing up to reach her hat and effects down from the rack. She was pinned by the legs, being held between :the seat and the end of the coach, and was unable to move. The rescuers cut her out with an axe, and in doing so she was struck on the back by an axe. Her coat was cut and her back bruised. She describes her escape as a marvellous one, saying that had she not been on her feet she -would have had her body crushed instead of her legs.

A FIGHT FOR LIFE. CAUGHT BETWEEN ENGINE AND ROCK. FIREMAN'S TERRIBLE PLIGHT. (peiss AsaoCTATroir timcobak.) TAUMARUNUI, July 9. All the bodies with the exception of those of Mears, Mayne, and Hunt have now been removed from Taumarunui by relatives. The progress of the victims of the railway disaster was reported as satisfactory to-night. The injured fireman, Campbe.ll, is 27 years of age, and served three years at the war. Since then he has spent about six years in the railway service. His brother, from Palmerston North, interviewed the sufferer on Sunday. Campbell told him the engine was proceeding down the incline with steam *hut off. He was sitting down with his arm resting on the sill of the cab on the left side when he saw something Hash past the engine, and this he thinks was the boulder. When the engine fell over on its side his coat was caught between the engine and the rock, and he was pinned down. The steam injector was broken in the smash. One end of the pipe was turned towards his body, scalding him all the time. He struggled hard to free himself, and felt the driver pulling hard at him'. The driver, however, could not see him for steam, and he thought he was pulling in the wrong direction. The unfortunate man once more made a straggle, and almost gave himself up for lost when an extra wriggle freed him from the engine. When he got out of the cab he had to walk in icy cold water as far as the postal van. His boots filled with water, and his feet began to freeze. He felt done, and called for help. Eventually someone came and found him lying in the wet and frost. His boots then_ were removed and his feet rubbed for some time before circulation was restored. He felt his end had come while lying unattended in the frost.

Campbell's injuries are all on the right side. He is very badly scalded from the right eye to the back of The ear, and on other parts of the body. He has also bad cuts or. the nose and on one ear. BODY IDENTIFIED. NAPIER, July 9. Mi 4 W. Lear, who was killed in the railway accident, belonged- to Napier, and arrived here in November last from England. He was on his' way to Wellington to meet his wife, who is arriving by the Athenic.

OFFICIAL LIST OF DEAD.

Seventeen deaths have occurred as the result of the Ongarue railway disaster, ,and the bodies have all been identified. The official list of the dead is as follows: H. T. Ward, 132 Bealey street, St. Albans. Geo. Morgan, Palmerston North, Charley Mayne, care of Stead and Richmond, Box 59, Morrins- , ville. C. H. Payntar, Hora Hora, Cambridge. E. McCombs, tailor, Botorua. J. J. Brady, care of S. Skuilion, Tay street, Woodvilie. Maurice John Connor, Eakanui T. J. Billings, Eahotu. Norman Leslie Waters, returned soldier. Mrs W. McDonald, 25 Arcadia road, Epsom. William C. Petschukert, Papatoetoe. W. Lear, care of J.- White, Auckland. Paul Currie, 88 Union street, Auckland. Horace Greenwood Hunt, Te Kauwhata. Alan G. Saiby, Clyde road, Napier. A. M. Graart, police constable, Tewhaiti. Benjamin Mears, Mahirakau. CITY COUNCIL'S SYMPATHY. The City Council last night, on the motion or" the Deputy-Mayor (Cr. A. McKellar), adopted the following motion:—"That the Christchurch City Council desires to express its deep sympathy with Mrs Ward and the relatives of those persons who lost their lives in the appalling accident on the Main Trunk line, and further desires to express its sympathy with those who suffered injury, and hopes that they will be speedily restored to health."