THE MAIN TRUNK RAILWAY ACCIDENT

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2162, 30 May 1914, Page 6

THE MAIN TRUNK RAILWAY ACCIDENT

CONDITION OF THE INJURED. (By TelegraphPreAssociation.) Auckland, May 29. No permanent physical injury Ms likely to be suffered by any of the paßseng&rs who survived the destruction of tho sleeper-car ( in the disaster at Whangamarino on Wednesday morning. Reports of satisfactory progress wore given this evening in regard to all of them .by,their medical attendants. Tho doctors consider that in no case is there any fear of tho nervous shock having any sustained effect; _ • Tho condition of Mr. V. S. Goldingham, of Palmerston North, was so much improved to-day that ho will be able to leave his bed to-morrow. He is rapidly '.recovering from the shock, and from tho injuries which he received through being driven through tho partition .wall. Tho extensive bruising rcceivcd'[fc>}2'»Mr. H. A. Fox, of Wel-litigSn,'-is"" still very painful. Tho dislocation of his too was reduced on Thursday, and ho is now making good progress, though he will probably be incapacitated for some weks. Some of the other passengers who escaped physical injury are still sufforing from shock, and aro under medical care. The-complaints made regarding the lack of tools available when the work of extricating the injured passengers was undertaken were criticised by Mr. R. W. M'Villy, chief clerk of the Railway Department, in an interview reported yesterday. To tho statement 'that only two axes and two crowbars were procurable, Mr. M'Villy replied that in the guard's van of each train thero should havo been the usual equipment of tools. Attention was drawn by ono of the passengers to-day to tho fact that tho van of .the goods train in which Mr:' M'Villy stated oiie set of tools could'have, been found was smashed with the other vehicles by the collision, so that it was highly probable the tools were either buried in the debris or scattered, so that search for them'in tho darkness would havo heen fruitless. Even had the full equipment of tools from the vans of both trains been secured there "would have been only two crowbars and two axes, which would not have been of any effective valuo in breaking asunder tlio wrecked portions of two cars. Tho "sprags," "scotches," and other things mentioned by Mr. M'Villy were of no valuo for the work that had to bo dono.