Lucky Escape From Collision

Grey River Argus, 31 July 1935, Page 5

Lucky Escape From Collision

70 HEAD OF STOCK SUFFER. F.XGTNE PLOUGHS THROUGH TRUCKS. ( T>ro«c A i a tion ) . TAUMARUNUI, July 30. On the train that had the mishap 'he guard was Mr IT McQuillan. ITr mitieod the fumes in the tunnel, and he wondered what was liapponing. Then a bumn eame. and he went forward to tiie. engine with two passengers, a man and a hoy. who were riding in the van in charge of the live stock They found 'ho C""ine and sixteen of tiie waggons derailed. The extent of the damage to the rol’ing stock is not yet known. Tn front of 'the Samnson Post, two empty trucks were standing. The engine crashed thronrh theffe. and hit the post.'then turned over on it’s side with the sixteen trucks. One truck lay across the main line, and held up tin traffic. This track was removed four hours Inter. from the wreckage, fortv cattle ami F’ixtv sheep and two horses were rescued. Fifty sheep and twenty cattle were iniured or ki’led. It was fortunate that th.? points were open t’o switch the train on to the side track, ns the down goods train for which 'the wrecked train was to wait, arrived -five minutes after the smash. Thus a lucky head-on crash was averted.