LEVEL CROSSING TRAGEDY

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIII, Issue 147, 22 May 1933, Page 7

LEVEL CROSSING TRAGEDY

FOUR PALMERSTON RESIDENTS KILLED ' THREE OTHERS SERIOUSLY INJURED

Four Palmerston North residents -were killed and three others severely injured in a shocking - level crossing - smash which occurred at 6 p.m. yesterday, at the Porirua level cross r ing, when a car returning from a holiday trip to Wellington ■was struck by an excursion train and thrown on to the engine of another train standing in the siding. Carried for a distance of twenty yards between the two trains, the car was reduced to fragments. Debris was thrown over both sets of rails and a portion of the car was tossed up on to the platform and framework of the carriages. Both trains were damaged.

The victims were: KILLED

.MRS IDA LINCOLN, aged 26, the wife of Mr Stanley Frank Lincoln, of Rajigitikei Line.

MRS FRANCES LENA GASKIN, aged 36, wife of Mr P. IV. Gaskin, of 7 Bourlce Street, and a daughter of Mr and Mrs IV. Morris, of Eketahuna. MISS JULIA MAUD ENRIGHT, aged 23, who resided at 7- Bourke Street, and was employed in the Rosco tearooms. Her parents reside at Pohangina. i FRANCES LINCOLN, aged 4 years, a daughter of Air Stanley Frank Lincoln.

INJURED

Air Stanley Frank Lincoln, aged 26, of Rangitikei Line, compound fracture of the ribs, head injury and shock. Joyce Lincoln, aged 3, the younger daughter of Air and Airs Lincoln, injuries to head and hips. Mr Harry Holroyde, aged 23, of Lyndhurst* Street, Palmerston North, head and internal injuries and shock. The condition of those injured is reported to be fairly serious.

HIT BY ENGINE. Driven by Air Lincoln, the owner, the car was of the tourer type. The party left Palmerston North at 4.30 a.m. yesterday to spend the day in Wellington. Airs Gaskin visited a sister and Miss Enright saw a friend who is leaving shortly for Australia. The party arrived at Porirua on the return journey just before 6 p.m. The Palmerston North train, which leaves Wellington at 5 o’clock, crosses the Otaki-Wellington train at Porirua, and had already run on to the siding, coming to a standstill with the engine close to the crossing. It was due to leave at 5.48 p.m. The other tram leaves Otaki at 4.30 p.m., and is due at Porirua at 5.46 p.m., leaving again at 5.50 p.m. v The motor car proceeded to go over the crossing to pass in front of the stationary train, but had not passed over the'first -set of rails when it was struck by the engine of the Otaki-YVei-lington train. The impact threw the car on to the engine of the stationary train on the next set of rails a few feet away. The body of the car seems to have been torn from the chassis, for the chassis and wheels, smashed to pieces, were found against the stationary engine, while portions of the hood and'body were strewn along the rails and between the carriages of the moving train. DEATH INSTANTANEOUS. All four who. were killed met an instantaneous death. Airs Lincoln and Airs Gaskin, after being thrown from the car, were apparently run over by the train, and were terribly mutilated. Aliss Enright was thrown on to the engine of the other train, together with'Mr Lincoln and Air Holroyde The bodv of the older child was picked up jn the six-foot way, while the injured one was near her father. Mr Brennan, a porter, was m charge of Porirua station at the time, and lie flashed a quick message to the train-running office at Wellington and telephoned to the Alental Hospital for help. In the meantime passengers from the train hurried to the scene, among them Air Norman Hannah, of Alount Street, who was in the second carriage of the train proceeding to Wellington. He hurried off to the Alental Hospital to obtain medical assistance, and in a very short time Dr E J Williams, medical superintendent Dr Alarshall, of the medical staff’ and Dr Brown, of Wellington, who’was visiting at the hospital, were on the scene. The injured had been removed to the waiting room in the station, where they received medical aid pending the arrival of the Free Ambulance from Wellington. The first ambulance, was on its way a few minutes after the accident, and when the serious nature of the collision was realised two more ambulances were dispatched. As soon as they arrived the injured were conveyed to the Wellington Hospital.

CAR SMASHED TO PIECES. The next steps were to clear the lines, for the wreckage was sprfcad over for about 20 yards along the two sets of rails. The car was smashed to pieces, and but for the wheels there was little to resemble a motor-car. The cattle stops were crushed in. The woodwork of the first and second carriages on the Otaki-Wellington train was damaged, and on reaching Wellington the carriages were placed in a siding. Every possible service was rendered by the officers of the Railway Department at Porirua and Wellington. Constable Williams was on the train on his way to Wellington, and acted for the police pending the arrival soon afterward of Constable Tocher, of Johnsonville. Mr Connell was the driver of the Otaki-Wellington train, and Mr Marshall was guard.

ACCOUNT BY EYE-WITNESSES. Air Norman Hannah, who was on the down train, said the motor-ear rebounded off the stationary engine and hit the second carriage in which he was riding. As soon as tho train stopped he ran back to the engine of the other train. The wheels and chassis were lying near it, and other portions of wreckage were all over the lines. He assisted to lift the wreckage ih response to a call by the guard for volunteers, and tlie bodies were removed to the side of the track. Part of tho hood of the car was found between two of the carriages. He also went to tlie Alental Hospital for help, and met the medical men just on the way. An eye-witness who was standing at the door of the waiting shed, watching the train approaching, said the oncoming train, which was blowing its whistle, apparently caught tlie car toward tho rear portion and Burled it on to tile stationary train, smashing it to matchwood. Passengers on the station, hearing the grating noise of certain parts of tlie car being dragged along and seeing sparks being emitted by the contact with the stones between the lines, were terrified, and several women waiting to board the train screamed. Few realised what had happened until one of the side screens of the car was ejected at their feet, and then immediately a cry went up: “A car has been hit.” Several rushed to the engine of the train, which was about 200 yards from the scene of the impact, and saw certain parts of the damaged vehicle and also a rug on the cowcatcher. A DANGEROUS CROSSING.

The Porirua crossing has always been considered a dangerous one, a number of accidents, some fatal, having occurred there. The view is obscured by station buildings on the right for traffic proceeding from Wellington to Palmerston North, but is fairly open on the left, from which direction the train on this occasion was coming at a fairly fast pace. It is thought that the car driver’s attention was attraced to that train as he made the crossing, and consequently failed to notice the approach of thesecond train pulling into Porirua station from the opposite direction. Relatives of the killed and injured left Palmerston North early to-day for Wellington. They include Air P. W. Gaskin (the husband of Airs Gaskin), and for many years a member of the Palmerston North Fire Brigade, Air and Airs Enright, well-known settlers of Poliangina (the parents of Aliss Enright); and Air E. ,R. B. Holben (uncle of Airs Lincoln, who is a daughter of Air and the late Airs AlcHugh, of Taumarunui). Air Lincoln has been a resident of Palmerston North for about five years, and was employed by Air C. Gray, butcher, of Alain Street. Aliss Enright had been working in town for several months.

CONDITION OF VICTIAIS. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, May 22. Tlie condition of Air Frank Lincoln, and Frances Lincoln, liis daughter, is reported to be serious, while that of Air Harry Holroyd is a little better.