SENSATIONAL MISHAP.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 22 December 1924, Page 3

SENSATIONAL MISHAP.

ENGINE DERAILED. MIRACULOUS ESCAPE. [ln the derailment of a goods train , ;in the early hotirs- 'of yesterady morning on the Pukerua incline, about a mile from Paekakariki, the engine drivel* and . fireman had . a miraculous escape from death, when the engine crashed into a slip and was precipitated half over a cliff ■ thirty feet above a rocky beach. It is- believed that- such a- narrow escape has never been . recorded in the history of the New Zealand railways.] 1 ■ ;

WELLINGTON, Dec. 19. , It was between 4 and 4.30. o’clock this morning .when a goods train left Paekakariki on the-ascent to- Puke.ru a to proceed to ThOrndon. The engine was travelling at an ordinary pace on the rincline, and a. few minutes after passing the first- -tunnel came into contact with a fair-sized, si ip -not sufficient in- itself to .derail an engine, but. before the train had passed the locality there was another fall of earth, and a number of boulders struck the engine. There was only a very narrow clearance at the spot, and the engine could not get through, the boulders and earth forcing her towards the embankment, a precipitous .though somewhat sandy cliff between 3o and 30 feet above sea level, with formidable rocks at the bottom:;

: The driver shut off as soon as he encountered the first .fall of earth, and, with the fireman,-made-ready to jump clear, but the engine was struck too suddenly, and the driver was caught by the foot, while the fireman was thrown' towards the cliff side. of the., engine. He nee it was that both men were providentially saved from a frightful death. The forepart of the engine was projecting right over the cliff, and the impact had caused the tool box, which was on the cliff side- of the engine, to be hurled to the bottom of. the cliff through the openings out of which fireman and driver peer. If it had not been for the tender attached to the engine, it might reasonably be expected that there would have been one more tragedy on the New Zealand 11-ailways. Tn view of the fact that the platform of the engine carriage was sloping directly on to the rocks below, it was only a miracle that could have saved the occupants from being dashed to death with the engine.

The engine driver (Mr. C. Southey, residing at Kaiwarra) was injured about the loot, where lie was.pinioned, but lie was able to proceed to Thorndon on tlie first train to leave the scene of the mishap, a .few hours later. The fireman (Air. W. J.. Gordon, who resides at Tbonidon Quay) was uninjured, and both men, on arrival in Wellington, were sent home in a motor car. . >

Among the first to reach the scene of the mishap an hour or so later was a. representative of the Wanganui Chronicle hut beyond the sight of the engine projecting over the embankment, and indications that the soil that had come down with the heavy rain contained a great many heavy stones and a good deal of shingle,- there was nothing to interest spectators. The most sorrowful feature was the fact that trains were beginning to run into Paekakariki but could get no further. Likewise,-the trains from Wellington found themselves at a dead-end at The other side of the slip Paeka.knriki has never been so well patronised as when the big Auckland “.Limited” disgorged its many carriages of passengers at the refreshment stem. Then came “Field’s Express,’’ with all the dignity, but not the pace, of a fire breathing seventy-mile-an-hour C.P..R. leviathan of the rails. Meantime,, the scene of the accident had been inspected, and several relief gangs set to work, hut it was found impossible to move the big engine (it was one of the largo typos) without furihor facilities. y\ special train was summoned from Wellington, and nearly two hours after the arrival of the. “Limited” it was decided to tranship passengers and lugcage at the scene of the accident. The Am.-Vlnnd Express was joined to “Field's Express,” and the passengers

i werp taken to where the’engine was' ; derailed, in order to walk round the debris. Here *was a humorous scene. All sorts of.: people . were lugging, all sorts of paraphernalia in. a rush Lor the seats. Smoker's .were -not debarred’ the comfort of a ladies’ carriage; and- Women who did not snroke could sit in;the smokers’ carriage if: there was'-seats. A good many. , people were obliged to stand, but did so .willingly in view of the prospect, of-getting to Wellington that day -Gangs of men earned'the contents of the luggage van from one train to the other, and the combined Auckland “Limited” and Field’s Express” arrived at .Wellington at 12.55, instead of 9.30, in the case of the Auckland, train, and about 11 a.ni. in the case of Field’s Express., Owing to_ the location of - the derailed engine, it was not thought possible to-day that the line could be cleared effectively, under two or perhaps three claAs, as ■it means coupling a. big engine or two to the tender of the other 1 engine and endeavouring to draw her down the incline- to a suitable. “jackin£c’ position. In the meantime, it i's probable that a slight deviation will be made at. the site of the trouble. I assengers on the train down marvelled at the fortunate escape of the engine driver and the fireman, and it was generally considered that, even be- 1 mg fortunate enough to escape going dver the cliff, the men were certainly lucky m escaping a severe-scalding..