FRIGHTFUL ACCIDENT ON THE OUTRAM RAILWAY.

Clutha Leader, Volume III, Issue 149, 18 May 1877, Page 3

FRIGHTFUL ACCIDENT ON THE O UTRAM RAILWAY.

* SIX MEN injured, and oste killed. A terrible; accident, involving loss of life, happened on the branch line of vailway between Mosgiel and Outram on Saturday afternoon. The line is r.-pidly approaching completion, aud fbr some time past the contractors — Messrs Henderson and Fergus — have had several gangs employed pushing on the Avovk as expeditiously as possible,. On Satuiday afternoon one ,of the; gangs under Mr Green, Avho has the contract for plate-laying*, was at work with the rest of the; hands getting out bnlliist at the pit just below the Mo?giel station. Between 2 and 3 o'clock an engine left with four trucks loaded. with ballast, and about 20 men for the purpose of spreading it Half a dozen, of the men rode with the driver on the engine, which has a platform , andhandrail for the accommodation of workmen when travelling, the remainder travelling on the top of the trucks. They laid only proceeded about two and a-half miles on their road, and were about a half mile beyond Craig and Wylie's firm, Avhen from some unexplained cnuse the two trucks next, the engine got off the rails and began to dance in an alarming manner over, the sleepers. The. embankment is about two feet high at/the spot, and an etfort was made to stop the engine, bu; t:>o late to be of any use. ; ; In a. moment the engine was swung in the air like a football, then, held fast by the trucks behind, it . was twisted .round, and finally it dived headlong .down . the bank, digging its nose deep in the soi!, and falling over on its left side. Then, owing to the momentum with which the trucks were proceeding, tha loud crashing oi timber could be heard as the trucks dashed into each other, and in another moment a scene of wreck and carnage of a most appalling character Wins presented. Of the six men who rode on the engine, one , was. thrown beneath and crushed to death, and two Avere pinioned to the ground. The name of the man. who was killed is Alexander Clarkj aged 27, a native of Port Stewart, Londonderry, Ireland. He was married, and resided at North 1 Taieri. William Jones, who rode on the left side of the engine, was pinned to the ground and had to be dug out. He sustained a compound fracture of] the left leg. David Henderson, who stood next to Jones, was caught by the step ol the engine, and had his lef: foot. ; almost severed, at the* ankle. Six of. I the principal sufferers were removed; on! litters and stretchers, arid .in the course of the evening conveyed by special tr.ain to Dunedin, where they were lodged in the Hospital. After, his arrival there, Henderson had his leg amputated below the knee. The names of the four men conveyed to .town besides Jones and Henderson are asifollows : — John Fleming, John Hoscroft, Fred. Dodd, and Charles Faulkner. Fleming sustained a compound fracture of the right leg;; Hoscroft has been seriously hurt : he suffers vfrom a compound fracture of the right leg, a dislocation of the right hip; and several of his toes have been mutilated to such an extent >, that some of the bones have had to be extracted. Dodd received a dislocation of the right shoulder, besides being i badly; , bruised,.- and 7 -Faulkner, had his right leg broken. „ The trucks em-s-ployed foV ballasting were, it is said,

I the old Government- trucks employed i at Bell ' Hill. of them cpnt'jiined about! 2|v„tonsV: but /they- are of rather : faulty construction, and ill-adapted for rapid .travelling.. ... .The : p]ace which, was being 1 ballasted on Saturday is about six miles distant from the ballast-pit. Every! possible Yeare was taken of the sufferers during, the. transmission to towri^ arid since their arrival at the Hospitalthey have, received; the utmost attention from the resident and honorary, medical officers. ' 'Considering the nature of their injuries, they ha ye been progressing since their admission as favourably „as could be anticipated. Sincethe occurrence of the accident it has been rumoured that Dr M'Brearty,, oftbeTaieri,had hiscolbr-bone fractured through his horse falling as he was riding home in the dark after attending to the sufferers. — Guardian. The inquest on the : body bf the deceased man, Clark, was held by Junies Fulton, : Esq., R.M., and a jury at •Snow's Hotel, Mosgiel, on Saturday afternoon. 7 After hearing, evidence the Jury brought in the following verdict : — " We find that' the deceased came by ids death accidentally. But we add as a rider that we find that the Government are to blame in supplying material in the shape of engine and trucks tothe contractor quite unsuited tor the fulfil-' ling ol the contract, and unsafe to those employed."- ...■:..-. ;