THE WOODLANDS TRAGEDY

Evening Star, Issue 14535, 10 December 1910, Page 11

THE WOODLANDS TRAGEDY

The *' Southland Times' gives particulars of the accident at Woodlands on Wednesday evening, which resulted in tho death of Dr Green. In company with Miss M'Lcod (his housekeeper) the doctor had visited Winton in his motor car on medical duties, and he had almost readied home when ho met his death. Ho had descended the hill from the Meat Works and approached the level crossing at Woodlands just as a down train was passing. Probably unknown to the doctor the train from Gore to Invercargill usually duo at Woodlands at (i.-li p.m. had been delayed an hour or so by reason of the Gore show. As he, in his motor car, neared the level crossing in daylight (about 7.4-3 p.m.) he was noticed to bo looking in the direction of the railway station, but the train was coming in the opposite direction —viz., from Goro to Woodlands. He was travelling at tho rate of only about nine miles an hour, but he seems to have discovered his oversight too late to pull up. The train and the motor ear reached tho level crossing almost at the same time. Dr Green apparently attempted to stop the motor ear (its brakes were found hard jammed after the accident), but in vain. Tho ear swerved to the, left and then to tbe right (meanwhile the train was passing over the crossing), but charged into the train and came into contact with a carriage some distance away from the engine. As 'the result of the impact the ear was literally broken to pieces. Dr Green was thrown out on ids head with such force that his skull was smashed, deatli being practically instantaneous. Miss M'Lcod was more fortunate, as, although stunned and severely bruised, she was not seriously injured.

Tho accident was seemingly due to the doctor's ignorance of tho approach of the train, and it would appear that he did not hear its warning whistle, which was blown twico as the train neared the station —once about 200 yards away for tho down signal and again, as is customary, about fifty yards further down for the crossing. The speed of tho train, liko that of the motor car, was only about nine or ten miles an hour. Dr Green had only very recently been instructed in the art of motoring, the car Having been purchased -within the last few weeks. Previously in practice in Winton, ho had been a resident of Woodlands for oidy four or fivo months, and he also owned a small farm at Daere. He enjoyed considerable popularity in Winton, Invercargill, and Woodlands, and his untimely death is deplored by many, friends. Dr Green was a man of no little musical attainments, playing the 'cello excellently. He was born in Manchester (England), and was about forty-five years of age.