FOUR KILLED

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 26 February 1926, Page 5

FOUR KILLED

ON LEVEL CROSSING.

TRAIN WRECKS FURNITURE VAN.

VICTIMS' TWO MARRIED' COUPLER.

(BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION.) WELLINGTON, Feb. 26. Four persons were killed and a child injured in a dreadful railway crossing smash two miles north of Paekakariki last evening.

The dead are:— William Ernest Fordham, carrier, aged 34 years, a partner in the firm of Fordham. and Childs, residing at 218 Cuba Street, Wellington. Rubia Victoria Fordham, wife of the

deceased W. E. Fordham, aged 34. . : : ' ; : y William Wallis, aged 31 years, of Wei* * lington. Florence Wallis, the wife of the de-

ceased W. Wallis, aged 27 years.

The injured child is Esther Wallis. She is suffering from shock and abrasions, but her condition is not serious. The two victim families are believed to be related. Fordham was taking a load of furniture on a lorry to Te Horo and the others were making the trip as passengers. The lorry was at McKay’s Crossing when it was struck by the train from 1 Palmerston North, due in Wellington; at 7.13 p.m. The Railway Department states that the ’ crossing is not dangerous, there being a right-angled approach, apd drivers of vehicles have a clear view of the line for 300 yards on, either side. But just before the rails' are reached' from the Wellington side there is iai slight upward rise, necessitating an increase m speed. The-’’train, which ' was travelling at about 25 miles an hour, hit the lorry full and square, smashing it to pieces. Three of the occupants were killed instantly, and the fourth victim died on the tran before Paekakariki was reached. In this case valuable work was done by a medical student, J. W. Harding, who was travelling on the train. :

The train stopped about 200 yards from the crossing, as portions of the lorry had got jammed' into the front of the locomotive. It took half an hour to clear the wreckage so the train could proceed. The damage to the colliding locomotive was so serious that it had to be taken off when the train reached Paekakariki. Relief trains were sent from Johnsonville and Paekakariki, on receipt of the news, to the scene of the accident, but fortunately they were not required. 1 . Dr. Cameron met the train at Paekakariki, only to find that the one woman who had been still alive when placed on a stretcher in the guard’s van at the scene of the accident was dead. The other three bodies were brought along in the van.

The little girl was brought by the medical student, Mr. Harding, to town and was sent to hospital. Two lady passengers rendered great aid to the injured girl. Misfortune still dogged the train as, on reaching Johnsonville, a further delay occurred through the line, being blocked by a slight accident to another train at Khandallah. Passengers in the Palmerston North train were brought to Thorndon by another train, arriving two hours late.

A resident of the district .where the accident occurred states that the crossing, in his opinion, is fairly dangerous. It is true the actual crossing Is made at right-angles, and there is a. clear view of an oncoming train, for 300 yards; but there is a bend and a hill a short distance away, which would be apt to claim a motorist’s whole attention, especially if he had . a full load and wished to take, the hill on one gear.

The resident considered that the driver of the lorry in this, ease accelerated his engine to take, the rise, and the train was upon him before he had time to halt. Residents of Paekakariki state that two passengers were seated on the top of the lorry load when it passed through the township., .

Furniture was scattered on both sides of the railway traek from the crossing to the point where the engine was brought to a standstill. Fordham and his wife had just returned from a visit to the Exhibition.