MAIN TRUNK RAILWAY SMASH

Grey River Argus, 29 May 1914, Page 2

MAIN TRUNK RAILWAY SMASH

.+. THRILLING ACCOUNT BY REPORTER. MIRACULOUS ESCAPES BY OFFICIALS. PETERSON'S AND STEVEN'S BODIES HORRIBLY MANGLED. 1 (Per United Press Association.) AUCKLAND. May 27. Describing the railway disaster T the Star's Mercer correspondent telegraphs as follows: — "Wh ingrain an no station, the scene of the collision a place r'tween T.-re and ten miles from Mercer. The accident was due to the Main Trunk express coming into collision with a mixed goods and cattle train which was being* side-faced'to allow the <x- ] press to pass and apparently cving to some misunderstanding with regard to the signals the express, travelling et 35 miles ar hour, ran into the goods tram which was going across into the loop line. The express cut right through the goods train and the engine then overturned into one of the marshy siwamps which fiinge the bank of the Waikato River.' The mail van^ .telescoped with the sleeping car with the result that eight out of the eleven occupants were either killed or injured'A reporter on arrival at the scene lof the accident *ound everything- in a hopeless state of wreckage. The big 72-ijon engine of the express* had completely overturned and was lying in ,the swamp, six feet below the track. On the engine itself rested the remains of a cattle truck, end up; while the postal var: and the sleeping car I had been completely telescoped. i The roof of the postal van was quite intact after the"*accident and a sleeping car behind having t^e^copM the van so completely that the car roof fitted neatly on *o the van roof. In the sleeper all the compartment were jumped concertinawise into one tangle" of wreckage from which the injured passengers had to be extricated. A.mong some remarkable escapesl recorded that of tablet porter William Donaldson was probably the most extraordinary. He was .in charge of the Whangamarino station last night and when Iseen by a "Star" reporter this morning hod an extraordinary story to tell. He declined to say.how the signals stood it the time of the accident but said that when'the smash occurred he was 'sittin* on the points side-track-ing the troods train with which the express collided. It was while he was thus occupied that the express came thundering through, and atrhing the <roods mm fairly amidships the big express engine crashed straight .hninjh the trucks of the freighter n»d ta«scd right over him. He was carried some *>»"11 ice «"T '1 the> debris and was found afterwards in an unconscious condition lying amongst the wreckage of the destroyed goods and cattle trucks. He sustained a broken arm and was badly cutj about the face and body but his escape from instant death and mangling was truly remarkable. Equally sensational and equally providential were the escapes of F. Parkington and J. Stone, -fireman and driver, on the express and of Messrs Scott and Bristol, officers in the mail van! When "the collision o curred the trdin was travelling at a speed well over thirty miles an hour and after passing through the goods train the en. rine leapt into <?pacc and turned turtle •n the swamp below. Under the circumstances the escape of both the driver and fireman was miraculous. They were both thrown clear of the cab of the engine into 'he swamp and escaped almost scratchless^ The officers ir the mail van which was immediately behind the engine and which telescoped with the sleeper also escaped without serious injury. The driver and the fireman of the goods train. Messrs Hill and Collett also escaped injury. Guard James Wilson when interviewed at the scene of the accident said that the first intimation of anythin wrong was when he \Vps*:nghouse brake was suddenly applied. It was a remarkable thing, however, that even when the collision took place practically no impact to speak of was felt by those at this end of the train. He ascribed this to the effect of the Westinghouce brake. When the express train had come to 1 standstill he immediately went to the front of the train where he was su rprised to (find the express lying on its bark and two front cars telescoped. Piteous cries • came from the occupants of the wrecked sleeping carriage and the guard rushed back to the guard's van for a light crowbar and axes- ' The interior of the sleeping car was but a hcapof wreckage as' all the compartment been jammed together and several of the passengers were caught between the shattered hug ment of woodworks' and the ceiling-. Passengers from other cars worked like trojans, to assist in rescuing those injured. Those caught in debris and who were still conscious were calling for help and urging- the rescuers to use every possible h^ste in their work. J ■> Mr. Petcrsen was one ot the first to whom assistance .was rendered. He was caught between the shattered walls of the cru with his head projecting through one of the, compartment windows., Crow-bars and axes had to be used to release him. Death occurred shortly, after Petersen was got out. Mr. Stevens had evidently died hefore anyone could get to him.

The bodies' were conveyed , ro< fhe little wayside station where it could be seen that both had been terribly injured. Stevens had sustained a terrible crushing, His skull being almost crushed in. Pctcrsen had also been feaifully crushed ,and there would have been no hope for either it was clear that even had no time whatever been lost in recovering them from the wrecked car. The lnjurieg^vere confined to the occupants of the sleeping car.