HOW A COLLISION WAS AVERTED.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLV, Issue 216, 19 September 1911, Page 6

HOW A COLLISION WAS AVERTED.

THE GALLANT ACTION OF THE

LATE MR CLAUDE

AUCKLAND, Sept. 15. The gallant action of the late Mr it: Claude in saving a .collision between the Auckland-Wellington express and a runaway goods train will still be fresh in the minds of the public. Mr Claude died shortly afterwards, and a petition was made toParliament for a compassionate allow- '< ance for Mrs Claude. The Petitions Committee reported this to the Government for favorable consideration, but when the matter came up for discussion in the House, the Hon. J. A. Millar said he wished to disabuse the minds of the public of the impression that Mr Claude saved the express, for the runaway train was slowing down on an upgrade, and the driver of the express had seen it, and stopped his engine. „ -~,-, This statement is refuted by the Rev. H. Mason, of Otahuhu, who has been collecting evidence to show that the Minister for Railways had been misinformed of the circumstances. The facts in Mr Mason's possession clearly show that the runaway tram had mounted the upgrade at a considerable pac>, as the result of the impetus* gained m its long down-hill run from Otahuhu to Westfield. It was within a few yards of_the top of the rise when the late Mr Claude iumped aboard, and the tram was about to commence a descent ot another down grade when he applied the Westinghouse brake. The rate at which the train was travelling, states Mr Mason, is proved by the tact that the shock was sudden enough to throw Mr Claud© off on to the ground, his clothing being cut about through his fall. The train was brought to a standstill, however, and Mr Claude, seizing the tail-light from the guard s van, ran towards the express waving ft wildly, and just before his death in the hospital he informed Mr Mason that he was so afraid of not attracting the driver's attention that he was about to throw the lamp at the engine and jump clear of the rails when he heard the brakes put on. A bystander who witnessed the whole affair has also informed Mr Mason that he heard the driver, when he got down off the engine of the express say "What have you stopped the train for?" Mr Mason adds that he is quite convinced that the episode hastened Mr Claude's death, and even in his delirium in the hospital, 311 st before the end, he was raving excitedly about the danger of the collision and his endeavor to avert it. Mr Peter Wyatt, of Paparata, Bombay i is one of those who supplied MiMason with evidence bearing on the case. He writes as follows:— "I consider Mr Millar's statement in the House robs Mr Claude's action of the merit it deserves. I heard the danger whistles from the engine of the runaway train, and when I got down on to the track at Westneld, 1 found Mr Claude had stopped the runaway train within a chain of the next down, grade. Just after I arrived, the driver of the express pulled his train up and got down off his engine. There- were two -passengers on the runaway train, and it would. he a good thine for them to come forward and give their version of what occurred." •