THE TRAIN DISASTER

Greymouth Evening Star, 30 May 1914, Page 2

THE TRAIN DISASTER

CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE. AN INTERESTING STATEMENT. ' WANGANUI, This Day. ' Among the pasengers by the lUain Trunk express which met with disaster on Wednesday morning was Fred Cunningham, Wiseman and Son's reprepresentative. To-day lie said the pasengers' stories told to the Auckland pressmen had not in all case's given credit to the right persons, though this was not to be wondered at considering the darkness and confusion. The man deserving of credit for preventing the explosion ot gas was James Domes, a farmer,'from VVaimate, South Canterbury, for while others smashed windows to let the gas out, this was done at Borrie's instance, and but for him probably no one else would have thought of it Most of the passengers were unable to see in the uarkness, and room for A'orknig being limited, returned to their seats to wait, daylight; but a few who were able to do good stuck like Trojans to the work of rescue. The only one of them he knew was Arthur R. Johnson, a Rutland hotel employee, of Wanganui, who worked heroically getting the injured out. In addition to the Maori nurse already mentioned, there was also the white nurse whose name he did not' know, and both these women were working in the attention to the injured. - , Regarding the delay in sending on the engine of the goods train for help, Cunningham said it was due to the fact that the tablet which had been picked up by the express engine could ( not be found, and without it the train official could not go on. It was finally found about eight o'clock, and then the engine was despatched. |