THE MAIN TRUNK SMASH.

Manawatu Times, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 12803, 29 May 1914, Page 5

THE MAIN TRUNK SMASH.

LEVER IN RIGHT POSITION. BUT WRONG LIGHT DISPLAYED. WIRES SUPPOSED TO HAVE CONTRACTED. Press Association. —By Telegraph. AUCKLAND, May 28. Immediately after the railway accident at Whangamarino a number of Railway officials and passengers proceeded to the building in which the signal lever was housed, and found the lever in position to display a red light for danger at the home signal, 200 yards distant. The fog was sufficiently dense to make it impossible for the porter who operated the to see what light was showing from the station platform. After having noted the lever stood correctly set for danger, and was still locked with the patent lock, the party proceeded to the signal and found that a green light was displayed, instead of red. The night was very cold, and it is presumed the wires contracted and caused the wrong signal to be hoisted, as was the case in the Temora (New South Wales) railway smash two months ago. THE INQUEST. ADJOURNED FOR A WEEK. The Coroner's inquest on the bodies of the three victims of the railway disaster opened this morning. Evidence as to identification was taken and the inquest was adjourned till Friday of next week.

TERRIBLE EXPERIENCES. AUCKLAND, May 27. A graphic account of the disaster iis it was observed from the sleeper wagon was given by Mr W. J. Hill, a member of the Auckland Herald staff, who was returning from the south. "I was only dozing when the express ran across the Whangamaiino swamp,'' said Mr Hill. '' The first warning of the disaster was a grinding crash, followed by the splintering of glass. During an appreciable interval nothing further was heard, and then came a succession cf crashes apparently caused by the shattering of wooden partitions as the postal van ploughed through the sleeper. The train bumped and jolted severely and then came to a standstill. As it stopped it seemed as if the whole carriage had collapsed upon us. The lights were extinguished by the shock and we were left in darkness, ignorant of what had happened, and confounded by ignorance of 'what might happen. I tried to move but found that my shoulder was pinned by part of the carriage wall and other wreckage.

'' Someone called out: 'Strike a match,' but others shouted a warning as gas was escaping, and filling the car.

" 'I have been in a smash before, and if anyone strikes a light there's no hope for us,' someone exclaimed. For a long time everyone lay still, until at last the silence was broken by groans, and one of the injured passen-

gers called out, 'My God, lift this up.' Then I managed to get out of my

bunk and found Mr Borrie already standing up. In every direction our hands encountered woodwork. I found a boot, and one of the other men took it from me and smashed the only window that was at all clear. Then wc cleared away most of the broken glass and crawled out. By this time the other passengers had come to the front of the train, but the only light was a lamp carried by the guard, and the full extent of the di-

saster could not be appreciated in the darkness. Only two men were groaning, and we could not imagine that any others escaped alive. Then au acetylene lamp was brought and those who had already started to release the imprisoned passengers were able to see a little better, though lack of light, owing to the fear of using matches, severely handicapped their efforts.

"The few who had escaped injury had forced their way out of the wreckage, and with the assistance of some other passengers, were hard at work in endeavouring to break a way into the injured men. The car steward had been imprisoned between the floors of the telescoped cars, and his j first enquiry on crawling out was for the safety of the passengers. A lead was given in rescue work by Mr Borrie. and after labouring for half an hour Mr Stevens was brought out. He was already dead. "The wreck was so complete that debris had to be cut away in pieces, until the men were found in turn. Mr Petersen was the last reached. Owing to the lack of proper tools, the work had progressed so slowly that it was nearly eight o 'clock before he was found. Throughout nearly three hours he had lain with an iron rail across his throat, forcing his head back, and with one of the ceiling lamps crushing his chest. He was freed at last only by cutting away the wreckage below. Fortunately for the relief of the injured men, one of the passengers on the train was a nurse, Mrs Neville White, of Te Mawhai. near To Kuiti, and

she worked heroically in directing measures for the alleviation of their pain. Mr Petersen was alive when

released from the wreck, and on her advice two men worked for nearly an hour in endeavouring to restore respiration. He seemed to recover consciousness for a moment, but immediately collapsed.

1 "Mr Grimstone was also found to ; have been very gravely injured. He ; stated that he had no sensation in the lower part of his body. Mrs White J did all she could to relieve his suf- | fering, and she also temporarily set I the porter's broken arm, when he was | found unconscious alongside the track. I When the cars were telescoped Mr | Goldingham was driven through the ; partition into the last compartment, and we found him thrown on one 01, ( the berths bleeding from a cut on his forehead and unconscious. We were able to pull him out through the broken window, and his injuries were attended to. "We expected to find the men in the postal car all killed, but they had escaped injury. They were discovered in the forward end of the van, imprisoned by wreckage and soaked by the water which had escaped from the tank in the roof of the van. They were drawn out through a window and it was found that the only injury was a cut above the eye in the case of one man. MR GOLDINGHAM'S LUCEY CHANGE. "I was asleep at the time and have no recollection of what happened," said Mr Goldingham, in describing the manner in which he was injured. "When I regained my senses, my lirst impression was that I was in the water. Now I feel like I did after my first football match —stiff all over, and cannot move my arms. I was really very fortunate, for the berth originally allotted to me was the first cabin. The steward afterwards moved me into the one between Mr Stevens and the last on the car. Had I not been moved I might not have escaped so lightly.

THE LATEST. THE INJURED PROGRESSING SATISFACTORILY. BUT SUFFERING FROM SEVERE SHOCK. MR GOLDINGHAM IMPROVING. AUCKLAND, May 28. Satisfactory progress was reported to-night in regard to all passengers who were only injured in the railway disaster. The nervous shock caused by their terrible experience in the wrecked sleeping car was modified for some hours by their excitement, but four passengers who suffered most had all developed symptoms of severe shock to-day. Those who escaped physical injury were also virtually prostrated. The condition of Mr Goldinghani was slightly improved. He was able to sleep for about three hours during the night, but lie is suffering from severe nervous shock, and will be confined to his bed for some time. His physical injuries include a deep wound below the left eye and extensive bruising on the shoulders. Satisfactory progress is being made by Mr John Swinson, of Wellington, who is a patient in Waikato Hospital. His right thigh is fractured. Mr Swinson had a fairly good night. Mr H. A. Fox, of Wellington, is a patient in Mt. Pleasant Hospital. He is suffering from shock and bruising and had one toe dislocated. To-night he was reported to be progressing favourably. The physical injuries received by Mr H. G. Mackay, of Melbourne, were not serious. The porter who was in charge at Whangamarino, William Donaldson, was in the city to-day carrying his fractured arm in a sling. He is suffering also from very general bruising, as he was thrown off the points lever as though from a catapult.