THE "PAEKAK" BOULDERS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1095, 6 April 1911, Page 4

THE "PAEKAK" BOULDERS.

ANOTHER TRAIN STRUCK. From certain statements which have been made by passengers who travelled from Wellington on' the New Plymouth express a few days ago, there would appear to bo no certainty, under existing conditions, that the fatal accident which occurred in the vicinity of I'aekaknriki Station on a previous occasion, when a liiiye boulder crashed into tho train and killed a young lady, will not be repented. That the risk still is there is demonstrated by the experience of two newsbuys who were silting in the train, facing the seaward side of the line. As Iho train approached that particular spot, a boulder, loosened from its position high up on the hillside, bounded towards tho train, and struck the side of the carriage just below the window where the boys were sitting. Had the boulder struck higher up, it would have crashed through, the window, with what result can only be conjectured. On tho arrival of the train i at Paekakariki Station, the boy.s inspected the exterior of tho carriage, and saw a fair-sized dent on the woodwork whern the boulder had struck. The statement of tho boys is backed up by two adult passengers, well known in Wellington, who travelled by that train. A representative of Tub Dominion made further inquiries concerning the matter, but, so far as could be gathered, the railway officials knew nothing of the occurrence. In the regular course of events, the guard of tho train would report such an accident officially to tho District Traffic Office, but no such report has been sent in, and tho officials vere therefore not in a position to say whether the facts were correct or not.