RAILWAY DISASTER.

Mataura Ensign, 26 July 1909, Page 3

RAILWAY DISASTER.

COLLAPSE OF A BRIDGE. TWO MEN~kILLED. BRISBANE, July 25. The mail train from-Roma met with a terrible fato, 175 miles from Brisbane, yesterday. Tho train was rushing over a email bridge when it collapsed, wrecking the engine, three carriages and tho mail van. A man named Reeves, a commercial traveller, was killed outright, a similar fato befalling another passenger named McKie. The oridge was under repair at the time of the collapse. Luckily it was a low structure, tho overturned carriage dropping only five feet. The engine remained on the line. Several chains of the permanent way wero torn up. A special train convoying doctorswas quickly on tho scene. .Eighteen wore injured, the majority slightly, the most serious cases being those of Souter, Morgan, G. Laseon, bcanlan, Nagen, Thonij suffering either from broken arms, sovero bruises or shock. A MYSTERIOUS OCCURRENCE. MIRACULOUS ESCAPES. Received July 26, 10.10 a.m. BRISBANE, July 26. Tho cause of the railway accident is a mystery. Investigation shows that the carriage following tho engine left the rails thrco chains before reaching the bridge. The engine and tender crossed safely but the carriages toppled over. The engine-driver showed great presence ot mind in pulling up smartly. Tho over-turned carriages at tho bridge aro completely wrecked. The eighty passengers aboard included members of His Majesty's Moving Theatre Company, whoso stage properties came in useful iu rescuing the imprisoned pnssongere and accommodating tho wounded. Messrs Reeves and McKio wero killed through being partly projected through the windows and then dragged along. There wero many miraculous escapes, a man and little girl being thrown through tho windows, but thoy escaped uninjured. Several persons had to be released from among the debris by chopping it awßy, while others had to bo hauled through tho windows. The injured aro doing well.