THREE TRAINS IN COLLISION.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXIX, Issue LXIX, 24 May 1915, Page 4

THREE TRAINS IN COLLISION.

INDESCRIBABLE CONFUSION. SEVENTY-THREE BODIES RECOVERED. BT CABIdB-^PBEBa ASSOCntAMOS-OOPYBIGH*, LONDON, May 23. .. A local tram from Carlisle was shunting at Uretna to enable the midnight express Horn Euston to pass, whena troop train wrtn companies of the let and Ytnßoyai Scots, proceeding southward, dashed into tAe local partly wrecking ,t Tne troop train was teli scoped to the centre. • A nre started, and then horror leaped*, on horror. • The Loadon express dashed into thedebns of both ti.ains, and everything, was piled in indescribable confusion A strong wind fanned the flames, and! a great conflagration occurred, involv- • Soldiers wno escaped displayed fine heroism. The fire was so fierce that several carnages . were unapproachable It is believed 'most of the express passengers escaped. Three officers— Majoc Hamilton, Captain J. N. Mitch-S-'T an! G Jlf Ut- C- Sahresen, a nephew ot Lord fealveson--penshed, and many soldiers sustained broken limbs Two j soldiers were pinned under burning I wreckage shouting "For God's sake eeF ! nic out! ■. .Dr. Edwards showed great bravery. ■&*■ amputated one man's leg and both; J£gs of another man, one of whom died. There wer* 14 officers and 465 men 6nv board the troop train..' ■ The Red Cross ambulance was quickly available. Hundreds of the injured'Ff re transported to Gretna and Garl~: isle. The groans and cries of the victims were pitiable. . Fire brigades were despatched, but-, there was little hone from the outset for the victims were pinned by thewreckage. ■ Twenty were killed outright in atelescoped carriage. A man was nippeck, by a door and only released by the am--putation of his arml No one was hurt in the local train, which wayS almost empty. The driver" 1 and fireman of the troop train were*' killed. After-the first collision the carriages£nd j engines were, hurled' across- theLondon line. Almost immediately theexpress, drawn h> two- engines, toreinto the wr.ockaaej and 1 the- four engi*>ps were frinchetFih a heap: The Tieat dro^e the rescuers back repeatedly, and' they had' to leave manvvicti'ms buried" alive. &.* arotnnmtion waggon, at the rear - of' tft> trooo train, and" its contents--wss- removed" safely. There were mirior explosions from carAridaes carried by the troops. Seventy-three bodies, includinc thosenf a few civilians, have been recovered. F«vir or five express passengers werekiMed. Thrpe hundred soldiers are reported' injured.