GRAPHIC ACCOUNT BY AN EYE WITNESS

Grey River Argus, 28 May 1914, Page 5

GRAPHIC ACCOUNT BY AN EYE WIT NESS

; ; ;-•.:•■ r AUCKLAND, May" iyr ; : Ah eye-witness -stated that he was sileep in his berth and was awakened by the collision. '■"■■" "'., >'• "I sat ■■; up in*' my .berth," he said, ; c and a moment later was thrown, ' to' the ground. The car seemed to tip bp, and threw me several feet , away. The 'side of : the-caf" was entirely smash bd, and several men 'were lying" bn -fJiSbr . stru ggling" under a mass of OTecltage; the sleeping berths had rum fed down-. ■ ' _' : ; - : :.'''■' --"" .''. ■■''r- : \ ■'■ :^ r ' i '-''.. : 'i ■ 'The .car- was; so strewn with wreck apfe- that -it was almost, imppssible to fell - '.^what 'happeTifid; '^ % >"I saw Peterson fying on .-tnjg 'ground in- gfea't- v pain. ! " Somebody came along inVF tried to restbre him. He seem §d 'to -revive for 1 A- few moments and ijhen becani'e unconscious. I don't tnow whether .tie- was; dead then; \ how the accident happen kbit is impps sible to say;; Most of |s were.; r asleep It came so Suddenly' > -Anotherobccupant of a r sleeper, nam^ 3d George 1 Pace, siaid : "Our car' was smashed -completely -.-■•■■ih ' two/. and the sides' of the' train as .well- as the sleep-; ing berths \vere all jumbled up." We vere all' thrown from one; side of the :^to ■* Some; of those isleep in berths Twere knocked to the ground -andipinned under the" wood. ? ■;.. RESCUFWORK DIFFICULT. ■■,:■, .\ Mr. W. HilLwas thevfirs/t passenger (W emerge;' from ..the wreck, kicking iis wav thrbugh a window. Rescue york Was ' hampered by I darkness and he; fact '■■•that'l there was. only one axe, jut 'everyone lent willing- hands. . ,/ ■ Stevens-" had. a splinter .through his jrain^ 'and death r must'have been in-.' itaritaneousV'" "'; r '" ' \ T',_ 7.. ■' ■ ■'' Peterson, 'whb'was the last to be jxtritated; .was : .wonderfully ...ch^ i4thc^^h/'p|h^e(J^^^^^^^ part >f his' "body. '[■ He 'wasl -aliye; ?-ot but" about three-quarters of -an lour a.fter the /smash.' but ''.suddenly jxpife^f" o^' ' v ; ; "'"■ ■•'; ; [ '..'. '■. x .. ' '//■: . Se^efal o^er were severely ~iAsfe%.'^"' :^l~* v ;'.':■■. :;'.;/;, ■ Tnere v 'was> : ; softie* " comment made at the "scene" tlp^ii /tfie |act u tha!t it was thre>. 'hburV^befbre;' /help came froni Mercef/; seven. . mHes 'away. ' .".*. "...•"' •■■;' ' All paVse'ngers ! 'caffi Hy a special train which arrived at the platforf^^^^itly aftei: half-past eleven!. '■.•^V\: I wv"-._i^. .;.>■■ ■^■^' ; "'*^-'~* • Most : ' r ttitea^;re .^liitwsi^ had: " drifted through l^ M^ city, jand there was ' a large^ crbwo^ of people" expect|n^ peopie by the train.; ; f'fS^^J