RAILWAY COLLISION

Grey River Argus, 26 August 1946, Page 5

RAILWAY COLLISION

WONDERFUL ESCAPES At an Auckland Station Trains Much Damaged four people in hospital P - A - AUCKLAND, Aug. 25. Two suburban trains met in a headon collision at Papatoetoe railway station at noon on Saturday. Eleven people were injured. The trains were extensively damaged. A train bound for Papakura on the down main track, struck a train on the eastern side of the station with such force that the stationary train, which was waiting to leave for Auckland, was driven back about 15 yards. The first two carriages of the southbound train were partly telescoped, and the interior of each carriage for a distance of about 12 feet was filled with heaps of wreckage. The driver and fireman of the stationary locomotive probably would have lost their lives had they not leapt out just before the crash occurred, as the real’ of the engine was pushed about two feet into the cab, when the chassis and other steelwork were buckled by the impact. The guard’s van immediately behind the engine of the standing train mounted the floor of the engine’s coal bunker, and the back platform of the first carriage was lifted on to the platform of the second car.

Though eleven people were taken to Auckland Hospital, only four Were admitted. The rest were discharged after treatmeat in the casualty department. None of the four in hospital is in a serious condition. Nine of the eleven people were passengers in the two forward carriages of the southbound train, and the other two were the enginedriver and fireman, who escaped with only minor injuries. Only about 20 passengers were travelling in these two carriages and there were few people in the other three carriages. About 40 people were in the six carriages of the stationary train. None was seriously hurt. Many of the; people in both trains were bruised, and received cuts from flying glass and smashed woodwork, but they were able to go home after receiving medical attention at the railway station. Those taken to Auckland Hospital were: — William Henry Gallagher, aged 59, carpenter, of Papatoetoe; spinal injuries. , „ George Teriaki, aged 15, of Paerata; fractured spine and lacerations to the forehead. Mrs Inez Ruby Williams, of Hamilton; injuries to the back and lacerations to the left leg. Donovan John Whale, aged 31, married, timber yard foreman, of Papatoetoe; concussion and a fractured nose.

The crash occurred just as the Wellington-Auckland relief express, which was running late, went past the station. The stationary suburban train of six carriages and a van was drawn up alongside the platform on the down main line, so that the track would be clear for the express. It was due to leave for Auckland a few minutes after the crash occurred, and most of the passengers had taken theii’ seats. Several of the passengers in the Papakura train who were leaving it at Papatoetoe were standing in carriages or walking towards the doors as the train came alongside th e platform. The trains collided with a violent crash, the sound of which was almost deafening to the few bystanders on the platform and it was heard in many parts of the town, and brought a large crowd to the station within a few minutes. Two Papatoetoe doctors, Dr T. E. Caffell and Dr F. N. Sharpe, arrived at the station within a few minutes, and attended to the victims on the platform and in their surgeries, until the arrival of three ambulances from Auckland. One of the ambulances brought Dr Robert Holmden, and Mr Barclay Innes, senior surgical officer, from Auckland Hospital, where preparations were made for receiving the injured people as soon news of the accident was telephoned. After inspecting the wrecked carriages, Mr Innes said he could not understand how anyone had come out alive from the telescoped cars, as the seats and racks had been smashed to pieces. He considered it was a miracle that none was killed. He paid a tribute to the prompt work of the local doctors, who had considerably reduced the task of the Auckland party- T , r, The District Traffic M mager, Mr F. Gembitsky, arrived at the station soon after the accident (o make a preliminary investigation He stated that the cause of-the accident would, be the subject of an immediate enquiry. H e expressed sympathy on behalf" of the department to those who had been injured.