TRAIN FALLS TO RIVER

Evening Star, Issue 24004, 1 October 1941, Page 6

TRAIN FALLS TO RIVER

SENSATIONAL GOODS DERAILMENT DRIVER SUSTAINS HEAD INJURY DOCTOR LOWERED BY ROPES TO SUCCOUR HIM (P.A.) WANGANUI, October 1. The goods train which left Wanganui shortly after midnight for Marton jumped the rails on the Wangaehu Bridge and the engine, 11 trucks, and the guard’s van were hurled into the river. The driver, J, M'Laughlin, of Wanganui, suffered head injuries. Dr R. A. Church, of Marton, happened to be passing at the time, and he attended the injured man in the bed of the river in the engine. The fireman escaped injury. ' The doctor was apparently lowered over tbo bridge by ropes. Later the driver, with scalp wounds, was hauled on to the bridge and taken to Wanganui Hospital. The engine lauded on a sandbank, which prevented it tipping over in the stream. The water rose nearly halfway up the boiler. MIRACULOUS ESCAPE.

The engine crew had a miraculous escape, surviving a fall of 20 feet and scrambling through , the window of the cab.

The engine and tender came to rest on their left side, with only the footplate and side of the cab above water. The driver was the first to get dear, and was able to extricate the fireman, J.' L. Benefield, who was dazed and had his leg caught under the seat in the cab. Both climbed on the side of the cab and there' awaited assistance, M‘Laiighlin suffered from a scalp wound and facial abrasions and injury to his hands and ankle. He was placed under an anaesthetic to-day to_ have the injuries treated, and is making satisfactory progress. Benefield visited the hospital to-day as an out-patient. He suffered some abrasions. The guard, H. J. M'Kernan, used a telephone key to advise the Traffic Manager’s office at Wanganui of the mishap. The District Traffic Manager and the engineering staff immediately went to the scene. TIMELY ARRIVAL. The noise of the crash was heard by Mr S. Xeilson from a house nearby. Looking out of the window, he saw against the light of the setting moon clouds of steam arising from the direction of the railway bridge. Hastily dressing, he hurried to the scene and was joined by Mr A. D. M_ckie. In the meanwhile Dr Church had arrived at the crossing near the bridge and immediately took charge of the rescue operations. He called for ropes, and while Mr Neilson went to get gear from the Wangaehu station the ambulance had arrived from Wanganui, bringing ropes and gear. Dr Church was lowered over the side of the bridge and the driver and firemen were hauled up one at a time in a knot chair. RAILWAY WRECKAGE. Apparently trouble developed about a quarter of a mile from the bridge near the bend at the foot of the hill. The sleepers are marked as if by the llange of a wheel. At the point of the main derailment the roadway was strewn with couplings, piece of trucks and litter. The iron bars which form part of the cattle stops were cut and twisted, and the. ends of sleepers splintered. Apparently the engine tender was dragged along the edge of the bridge and toppled over, still coupled to the engine, thus pulling the engine over. Ten of the wagons rolled down the embankment on each side. One was derailed, but stood beside the track, and two wagons and the van remained on the track. The train consisted of an A.B. engine and a tender and 13 mixed wagons and a van. It carried a freight of mixed goods, including a truck of potatoes, three of manure, and the remainder general merchandise consigned to Hawke’s Bay, Palmerston North, Te Kuiti, Greatford, and Marton.