MAILS BURNT ON TRAIN

Evening Star, Issue 25699, 24 January 1946, Page 4

MAILS BURNT ON TRAIN

RAILWAY WAGON ABLAZE MISHAP TO EXPRESS NEAR INVERCARGILL Twenty-eight bags of mail and a quantity of freight goods were destroyed when a roadside wagon at the rear end of the south-bound express from Dunedin to. Invercargill caught fire yesterday. Luggage - and other goods were damaged or destroyed. The cause of the fire is unknown, and there was no mechanical defect to account for the outbreak. . The fire was first discovered when the train was leaving Woodlands.' 12 miles from Invercargill. but' contact could not be made with the engine crew until Kennington. seven miles further on, where the train was stopped. The blaze then had a good hold, and when the wagon was opened sheets of flame burst out. The van was shunted off the train and every attempt made to save as much of the as possible, but the heat became too intense. Fire extinguishers which were available on the spot were not able to quell the flames. The Invercargill Fire Brigade was summoned, and was at first hampered by a lack of water, but the'van was,ypushed along the line to a bridge over the stream, but by then very substantial damage had been done. NORTH ISLAND MAILS. The mails affected included a substantial amount of North Island mail which 'normally is carried south on the express leaving Dunedin at 4.40 p.m. On Tuesday, the steamer express from Wellington to Lyttelton made a daylight crossing, and the mail consequently was delayed. There were 51 bags of mail, 28 of which were destroyed or badly damaged. Those lost included registered mail. Other contents of the van were cases of fruit, ale, tobacco, cycle and motor parts, a considerable quantity of clothing, including women's , underwear. Films consigned to a city theatre were not damaged. Some consignees were fortunate to escape without loss. .The wagon did not develop a hot box and there was no brake, failure to account for the fire. Anfinquiry into the circumstances will be held. The north-bound express, which leaves Invercargill at 1.25 and which is due at Dunedin at 6 p.m., was delayed for a short time at Kennington because of the fire, but time was made up later and the train arrived in Dunedin on time.