RAILWAY DISASTER NEAR WELLINGTON

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume I, Issue 45, 15 September 1880, Page 2

RAILWAY DISASTER NEAR WELLINGTON

PULL PARTICULARS. ' -

[pee united press association.]

Wellington, September 18.

The special train returned from the scene of the accident late on Saturday night. It appears that the train left Featherston as usual, there being two carriages and a van in front of the engine, and two loaded goods waggons, and & break-van behind it. The train reached half way up the Rimutaka incline in safety, but immediately after emerging from a deep cutting a" terrific "gust of wind caught the first carriage, occupied by first and second class passengers, and hurled it over the embankment ; the second carriage followed, and the weight of the two hurled over drew the van over. The engine remained on the line. Fortunately the couplings of the wrecked .carriages and van held. This' prevented' the train from going to the bottom of the gully, » depth of 200 feet. Immediately after the >,ccident, the break van at the rear of the train ran down the incline by its own momentum, and then proceeded to Cross's creek for assistance. Almost instantaneously after the first carriage left the line, the body was carried away from the bed and literally smashed, and the pas* sengers, estimated at 12, were, thrown to the bottom among the debris, and it was at first feared all were killed. Assistance being at hand, the work of rescuing the passengers commenced. In the- second carriage, which was thrown over on its side but not smashed, it was 1 found that out of 12 occupants, one lad, named John Quinn, aged 3 years, son of a publican at Greytown, was killed; it is supposed through suffocation by the' number of people thrown on top of him. : The other passengers in this carriage were not seriously injured, and -were with difficulty got out of the carriage. By means of a rope they were hauled on to the line again and placed in, safety. Among those thrown out of the first carriage "were Miss Pharazyn, aged 11 years, daughter of Mr. C. Pharazyn, stationholder, near Featherston, who was killed instantaneously,, it-is thought, as she bore no marks of injury ; her neck was broken. A lad, named Nicholas, aged 7, was also', killed by having the back part of his head torn away, and the brains protruding. Some of the others were severely injured by the debris which fell to the bottom ;' but those not seriously injured .rendered all assistance in their power, placing the less fortunate out of danger. The wounded were placed on the line as quickly as possible, where the train .was waiting to take them on to Kaitoke. About an hour later medical assistance arrived from Wellington, when the sufferers were attended to. A number of those who were ' seriously injured returned to Greytown, the remainder coming on to Wellington. The force of the wind may be imagined when it is said that the two loaded wagons in the rear of the train were, subsequently to the carriages, capsized, but fortunately not thrown over the embankment.

The line was not cleared again until a late hour on Saturday night, when communication was restored.. Those killed are : — Miss A. Pharazyn, aged 11 ; John Quinn, aged .3 ; Master Nicholas, aged 7. The injured, so far as can be ascertained, are : — Mrs. Phillips, dislocated wrist and internal injuries; Mesdames Hodge. and Quinn, slightly bruised ; "Miss Pharazyn and Master Nicholas, injured about head, but not seriously ; Messrs. McKenzie (drover), left shoulder dislocated, left leg and right hand injured, besides cut about the head.; James Crouch,- badly cut on the head and legs; Quinn, publican at Greytown, bruised, about the body ; Walter Dunn, injuries to ribs ; Madden, bruised about the head. Hare, farmer, of Masterton, is the most seriously injured, having received a scalp wound from the top of the falling carriages, and it is feared erysipelas will set in. Jackson, saddler, Greytown, received concussion of the spine, and is pa: tly paralysed. A man, unknown, and Donald, of Featherston, are severely injured about the head. Blakesley, of Wellington (contusions about the head and hips), Riddick, of Featherston (injured about the head— not serious), Hickson, Wellington (injured about the shoulders — not serious), Mr. Rye, aged 60, of the. Hutt (bruised and shaken — internally injured) . Four of Mr. Quihn's children slightly injured. An inquest is being held at Featherston this morning. Bishop, carpenter, was one of those injured* by the railway accident, having his ear cut off and face badly bruised. Telegrams from Greytown. this morning state that the injured "are progressing as favorably as could be expected. Mr. Lawson, Commissioner of Railways, held a private inquiry into the accident yesterday, for the purpose of submitting a report to the Minister of Public Works. Mr. Lawson issued instructions .that when any wind was blowing, trains going up the incline must have an engine in front and one behind.