TRAINS COLLIDE.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 12 March 1928, Page 5

TRAINS COLLIDE.

HORSE! WAGGON DERAILED. NO' SERIOUS DAMAGE DONE. |by TELECUAPH PRESS ASSOCIATION.] AUCKLAND, March, 11. Several racehorses, including Sir Archie, which won' the Franklin Cup, narrowly escaped serious injury in a railway collision at Penrose Junction shortly before nine o’clock last night. Three waggons in a special race train bringing horses back to Ellerslie from the Pukekoho meeting were either derailed or overturned. One was empty, another was carrying three racehorses and the third was carrying four. The waggon carrying the three’ horses was completely overturned. Two- men J. Stenning and J. D. Kemp, who were travelling in the attendants’ compartment, jumped clear just in time. It was about two hours before the carriages could be righted, and during this time the horses were kicking and struggling in frantic efforts to escape. Fortunately none of them was seriously injured. The two. trains concerned m the collision were - both north-bound. The goods train, bound from Papatoetoe to Auckland, was coming back from the main north line. At a point on the Auckland side of the station there were several empty trucks and unoccupied passenger cars which were to be left at Pen lose yards. The race special, with it car-loads of horses, entered the station slowly and passed through. The goods train was backing into the yards both were moving slowly. At the end. of the goods tram_ was a passenger car, and it was derailed by the collision, while the engine of the race special was slightly damaged. Behind it was an empty horse waggon, the horses occupying it having been taken out at Otahuhu. It was completely derailed. Behind it the waggon containing three horses ownedby F. S. Stenning, Sir Archie, Sir Henry and Spalmore, was completely overturned and lay across the line on its side. J. Stenning was on the point of entering one of the compartments to place a halter on one of the horses. The collision came and he jumped clear. Had he entered the compartment he would have been trapped with a horse mad from terror, and his chances of escape would have been very slight. The third waggon was partially derailed. It contained four horses, three of which belonged to. J. Williamson. After the collision the attendants from the race train and the station hands gathered round the scene, but it was realised that any attempt to rescue the imprisoned horses 1 would be hopeless until the waggons were restored to the track. Ais it was Saturday night, some difficulty was experienced in getting together a relief gang, but a party of men arrived as soon as possible. Meanwhile the owners and trainers were impatient to ascertain whether their horses had been injured. FAentuallv the derailed waggons were righted, but this was not until shortly before midnight, the repair gang having first concentrated ■ attention'on clearing the way for traffic. Al--1 though none of the horses were seriously” injured, several had lost skin and were badlv bruised through their efforts to kick their way clear from the overturned trucks. The injuries to Sir Archie were the most serious. One of Air. William son’s> horses, Vallar, lost skin from his hocks. None of the overturned or derailed waggons was badly damaged, but some were' a little splintered.