ACCIDENT TO NAPIER EXPRESS

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1402, 30 March 1912, Page 6

ACCIDENT TO NAPIER EXPRESS

COACH LEAVES THE RAILS. Tho south-bound Napier express mot with a mishap at Otaki yesterday afternoon, which caused some commotion, and about two hours' delay, but, fortunately, nothing mora serious. When tho train, was slowing up to draw into tho station tho engino jumped tho points, and ran into the first siding, but did not leavo tho j'ail.s. A horse-box containing two racehorses, Iwlonging to Mr. E. J. Watt, which were being taken down to tho Canterbury Jockey Club's meeting, followed the engine safely along the' siding, but tho first coach, a first-class "smoker," did not fare so well. Tho first bogey followed tho engine, but tho second ran along the straight lines. The result was that tho car swung round, and in an instant was dragged off tho rails by tho engine. Tho train pulled up at onco, but tho car blocked tho track, and it was two hours before it could bo got clear. Meantime tho New Plymouth mail train had come along, and was likewise held up. When tho lino was eventually cleared, tho two trains wcro joined up, and they mado the journey to Wellington as ono train. More delay was caused by a local from Paekakariki, which, of course, rau a slower time-table, and it was 9.5 p.m. boforo tho double train reached Wellington. The passengers in tho smoking-carriage, were sunken by tho accident, and somo of them were somewhat perturbed, but the only casualty reported was a broken tooth. The cause of tho accident is a mystery, as the points, so far as could be ascertained afterwards, were , safely locked.