THE ACCIDENT ON THE MAIN TRUNK

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 127, 30 May 1914, Page 6

THE ACCIDENT ON THE MAIN TRUNK

INJURED MAKING GOOD PROGRESS THE QUESTION OF APPLIANCES. (BY TELEOIIAPH— PItISS ASSOCIATION.) AUCKLAND, 29th May, No permanent physical injury is likely to be suffered by any of the passengers who survivpd the destruction of the sleeper-car in the disaster at Whangamarino on Wednesday morning. Reports of satisfactory progress were given thm evening in regard to all of them by their medical attendants. The doctors consider'that in no case is there any fear ot the nervous shock having any sustained elTect. The condition of Mr. F. S. Goldingham, of Palmerston North, was so mucti improved to-day that he will be able to leave his bed to-morrow. Ho is rapidly recovering from the shock and from the injuries which he received through being driven through the partition wall. Tho extensive bruising received by Mr. H. A. Fox, of Wellington, is still very painful. The dislocation of his toe was reduced on Thursday, and he is now making good progress, though ho will probably be incapacitated for some weeks. Some of the other passengers who escaped physical injury are still suffering from shock, and are under medical care ' • The complaints made regarding the lack of tools available when the work of extricating tho injured passengers was undertaken were cnticisea by Mr. R. W. M'Villy, chief clerk of the Rail- | way 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 there should nave been the usual equipment of tools. Attention wad drawn by one of the passengers to-day to the fact that the van of the goods traih in which Mr. M'Villy stated one 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 th<> debris or scattered, so that search for them in the darkness would have been fruitless. Even had the full equipment of tools from the vans of both trains beeh secured, there would have been only two crowbars and two axes, which would npt have been of any effective value in breaking asunder the wrecked portions of tovo cars. The "sprags," "scotches,"' and other things mentioned by Mr. M'Villy were of no value for the work that had to be done.