THE SLIP ON THE MAIN TRUNK LINE.

Manawatu Times, Volume LXIV, Issue 141, 18 June 1907, Page 2

THE SLIP ON THE MAIN TRUNK LINE.

A Miraculous Escape.

A large number visited the scene of the slip on the Main Trunk Line on Sunday where a large gang of men were busy in getting the rolling stock on to the rails again. The scene of the accident is about a mile and a half from the Cliff Road station, and on a down grade passing through "Thoresby," the well known property of Mr W. J. Birch. The late rains had loosened the soil on a stony slope, the whole slipping on to the railway line, whilst a few yards further on another small slip had come away, bringing down the telephone post. The approach to the slip is around a curve and the night being dark and raining it was impossible to see the block on the line till the train with its human freight was almost on to it. Fireman Parkes, however, applied the brakes as soon as the obstacle was sighted, but the distance was too short to effect a stoppage of the train and the engine ploughed through the debris, breaking and doubling the cowcatcher under the bed of the engine and then, left the track, falling clear of the , rails on to its side on a small rise ! which prevented a drop of 80 feet on to the plain below. The driver stoker escaped without injury. A goods van and three trucks also left the tracks, and to the make-up of the train on this dark be attributed the miraculous escape of the passengers, who received nothing worse than a shaking. Mr Horabrook, manager for Mr Birch, was instrumental in getting telephonic communication at Mr Birch's residence and an engine arrived in due course and took the carriages and its passengers back to Marton. By noon Sunday the trucks and goods van were once again placed in their rightful position and conveyed to Marton. The work of raising the mud-coated and wrecked engine was finished on Monday and the engine brought to Martoa. On Saturday passengers were conveyed to both sides of the slip and then transferred. The slip took place between the arrival and departure of the night trains at Marton, the down train passing this goint at about five o'clock, whilst the fated engine was due to pass the spot on the return journey at about 7.45.^ A word of praise is due to Driver Parkes for his promptitude in applying the brakes. His action was tin. doubtedly the means of preventing a catastrophe that might nave endea fatally to some of those travelling on the up train on Friday night.