MISS POWER’S DEATH.

Greymouth Evening Star, 22 February 1911, Page 5

MISS POWER’S DEATH.

THE NAPIER TRAIN FATALITY.

NARROW ESCAPE FROM A BIGGER DISASTER.

[by TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL TO THE STAR.]

WELLINGTON, This Day. After viewing the spot where the Napier mail train was struck by a flying boulder on Monday and looking over the wrecked carriage, it is impossible to come to any other conclusion than that the whole train had a narrow escape from derailment, and that it was only a miracle which saved the lives of several people who were seated close to Miss Power, the victim of the accident. When the jury and Dr. McArthur, S.M., coroner, visited the scene of the lacfcident yesterday afternoon, a Greymouth “Star” representative travelled with them and saw the TRACK OF THE BOULDER. The spot is about a Quarter of a mile south of the quarry. The sea beach lies close at hand, and on the east side the steep hill rises to a height of a thousand feet, this figure having been ascertained by engineers. The boulder, weighing fifteen hundredweight, is so large that it fills the whole width between the seats of the wrecked carriage. It started from an outcrop of rock 350 feet up the hillside and 515 feet back from the railway. At first it bad an almost vertical drop. Then, judging by the marks in the steep slope once grass-overed, but now swept bare by fire, it bounded several times into the air, and then took a leap up a slight bank on the railway’s edge right through the side of the carriage, hitting the roof. A MIRACLE. That only one person should have been killed, when 23 were in the carriage is one of those mysteries just as inexplicable as the fact that the Napier express was three minutes late, or it would not have encountered the tremendous missile. In fact, if the rock had come down ten seconds later it would have missed the carriages altogether. It tore a hole seven. feet wide, extending from floor to roof and scattered fragments of the carriage side, smashed into splinters, for a distance of twenty yards. FROM A GREAT HEIGHT.The inspecting party picked up the carriage number plate and the pressure gauge of tire gas cylinder, wh’ch had been knocked into the ditch. About sCoft up the hillside and a little to the north of the place from which the boulder rolled is a vertical and in some places overhanging outcrop of rock. Those who climbed to it found no loose stones which could do damage by falling, and they were told that the spot is regarded as quite ouside the danger zone to the southward, which has to be patrolled day and night because of the possibility of loose stones blocking the line. TO-DAY’S EVIDENCE.

Expert evidence regarding the probability of further trouble at the spot will be given at the adjourned inquest to-day, when the witnesses will probably include Mr Marchbanks (engineer to the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company), nch formerly owned their line; Mr A. C. Cock, an engineer of the Railway Department, who obtained details of the track of the boulder, and the ganger in charge of the section.

The body of the late Miss Alice Power will arrive by the Mapourika to-morrow morning and will be conveyed Oo St. Patrick’s Church' where a Requim Mass will be celebrated at 7 o’clock. The funeral will leave the church to-morrow afternoon at 2.50 for the Greyihouth cemetery. [BY TELEGRAPH —PER. PRESS ASSOCIATION.] VERDICT OFTHE JURY. At the resumed inquest on the body of Miss Power, who was killed on the trai by a falling rock, evidence was given that the spot from where the boulder fell was 350 feet above the railway level and about 150 feet horizontally. Expert witnesses stated that in their opinion the spot where the accident occurred was not considered dangerous. The jury returned the following verdict;—“That we have come to the decision that it was a case of pure misadventure. The jury having visited the spot are of the opinion that there are some stones liable to come down, but we a’re not able to make any recommendations as to- their .removal.”