APPALLING RAILWAY ACCIDENT.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CV, Issue 12427, 16 February 1901, Page 8

APPALLING RAILWAY ACCIDENT.

SEVEN PERSONS KILLED. A LARGE NUMBER INJURED. EXCITED CROWDS. United Press Association —By Electric Telegraph-Copyright. (Received Feb. 15, 12.38 a.m.) SYDNEY, Feb. 15. ■ The scene of the railway accident was a ■ feW| hundred yards from the Tempo station. The train, a suburban one, running as an'express through as -far .as -Tempe, idt the city a few minutes before 6 o’clock, the busiest part of tbe evening, just as people were leaving business. It consisted of nine carriages and several hundreds of passengers were aboard. Just before reaching Sydenham the engine ran off the rails, dragging the first carriage, a second-class smoker, with it. It ploughed some distance along the embankment and then rolled over, the carriage being smashed into pieces. Many passengers were pinned in the,debris and the scene was terrible. So far as is at present known, five persons are killed and between thirty and forty injured; (Received Feb. 16, 1.4 a.m.)

1 Later reports state that seven are killed. These are Lister Beverley, R. C. Teece, Fireman King, two boys and two men not yet identified. Several of those injured are in a serious condition. (Received Feb. 16, 1.30 a.m.) The injured were conveyed to the hospital, where about thirty received treatment. Numbers of others only slightly injured went to their homes. Three included in the list of dead succumbed after reaching the hospital. Doyle, the driver, is : amongst the severely injured.

There is much excitement and many pathetic incidents. Great crowds .gathered around the Redfcrn station and the newspaper offices anxiously awaiting news; Heavy rain set in shortly after the accident and the darkness of the night considerably impeded the rescue operations.

The Railway authorities are unable to account for the accident. Several trains passed over the line shortly before the accident. (Received Feb. 16, 1.6 a.m.) The following are amongst those injured ; —(Matthew Hoyle, F. Jock-el, Charles Beverley,- C. Spencer, F. Rolfe, R. W. Wildsmith, C. Lake, J. Cunningham, C. Tiller, J. Nicholson, T. Beckemide, F. Pollard, S. Goodall, A. Beattie, T. Griffiths, D. MALI tan, F. Clarke, A. Gilding, J'. Dillon, Taylor, E. Clapham, G. Mort, P. Bray and L. Reardon. (Received, Feb. 16, 1.17 a.m.) From what can be gathered amid the scene, of confusion, the engine, from some unknown cause, suddenly jumped, turned over and righted itself again. The front car, a smoker, full of passengers, by force of the impact,' collapsed, split open, and then closed upon the unfortunate occupants. Ready hands gave willing assistance, and Boon axes were at work cutting up the ■carriage. Some of the victims were pulled ■out through the roof, some through the floor and sides of the car. Some of the splinters were hurled high in the air, and landed fifty yards away.- Alongside -the line where the accident occurred is a blind roadway, and the wreckage went over and lodged itself there. People came rushing from the houses around, the noise of the catastrophe having been heard at a considerable distance The driver shut of the steam to prevent an explosion, and all fears of a fire occurring were, fortunately, soon at an end.