THE RIMUTAKA ACCIDENT.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XV, Issue 220, 16 September 1880, Page 2

THE RIMUTAKA ACCIDENT.

The special reporter tit" the Post gives the following graphic description of the scene of the late terrible accident:— , .. , JTeatherston, September 12. r According 4 ' to instructions, I proceeded , from Wellington to Featherstou by the even-' ing train on Saturday. The journey up was ; oue of the most exciting I have ever ex- \ perienced. The accident at the Eimutaka • and consequent delay of the down trains had • thrown the railway people into great con- j fusion, and caused some delay in our reach- » ing the incline, and though we were subjected j to what under ordinary circumstances would .j have been considered provoking and un-,j necessary delays, we reached the summit ; about the usual time. As you are aware, the -j accident on theßimutaka was attributed to the j force of the wind, but many persons in town '■ were inclined to receive this statement cum I grano salis. Certain it is that -when the , passengers by our train, reached the summit and found the Inight calm and clear, they could not credit the assertion that the wind had "a hand" in the terrible catastrophe. This opinion was soon altered, for no sooner lad we got through the summit tunnel than a gale was experienced, and when wo emerged from the Becond tunnel — about 200 yards from the scene of the accident — we were able to realise to some extent the position of the unhappy passengers who travelled in the ill-fated train. Our train " puled up " at the mouth (Featherston side) of the second tunnel, and all on board were requested to walk to another train awaiting them below the scene of the mis hap. At this time a perfect hurricane was blowing—howling and whistling through the valley and amongst the trees in an indescribable manner. A brother journalist and your " Special" were the first to start on the march for the train stationed below' "Siberia" (the scene of the accident, and so called from its bleak and inhospitable appearance), and we had no sooner left the carriage than we were blown off our feet. It was simply impossible to walk erect, and we had perforce to crawl along, clinging tightly to the middle rail. When we had got about half-way to the train on the Featherston side of " Siberia " we met Mr Ashcroffc scrambling, in the same .fashion as ourselves, ia the direction of the Wellington- train, to gender what assistance he could. To converse with him was impossible, for our words were literally blown back in pur teeth. On looking back, a sight which would have been exceedingly comical were it not that the' occasion was serious, met our view. Some 15 or 20 passengers, including two ladies— one with a child in her arms-were slowly creeping along by the aid of the middle rail,to which they were clinging tenaciously. It is but right to say that the. guards and railway hands aided the; passengers by every means in their power in that short but .dangerous transit. I cannot convey, in writing any> real conception of the scene. The wind howled, garments fluttered, hats blew off, men and women were buffetted about with the gusts, and pebbles from the cutting above fell on and around the passengors like hail. - The excitement was heighU »5d by the fact that it was almost dark, the moon being wholly enveloped in clouds. In the manner indicated all parties eventually reached in safety the train which was to take us down the incline. While we waited the "transportation of the luggage the wind increased in Jury, and seemed almost to lift the carriages off the rails, and a.continuous shower of bier pebbles was shot like bullets on the top of the train. It was with the greatest anxiety -we, watched own po?ress down the rest of the declivity, and the foot of the incline was reached with a sign of relief. Here we had to wait nearly an hour for an ordinary engine to convey us further on bur journey, and during this time the carriages were several times drifted along with the wind until' the wheels were " chocked " with stones. The rest of the journey as far as Featherston may be briefly summed up. The wind. blew over the plains with terrific force, and •this, added to the Bpeed at which we were whirled over the plain— somewhere about forty miles an bour —and the flames driving every how and again in sheets from the funnel, abd lighting up the otherwise dark carriages made the " trip "—at least to those who were on the platform—one of intense excitement. More than once the wind raised the carriages slightly, and the train was in imminent jeopardy of being blown over. I for one was glad to alight at Featherston, where I remained for the night; One passenger during the run from the incline 'to Feather, ston stood on the windward edge of the platform ready to jump on the first tilt of the carriage 1 ;and another person uho could not get to the edge, ensoonc.ed himself in iha centre of a group with the charitable object —as he afterwards informed me— of falling on top of the others. Another correspondent writes.:— As showing the vagaries of the wind as well as its force the following incident will be of interest. :As p MrLawson on ; Saturday 'afternoon was standing, near; the scene. '.of,- the. wreck, conversing with a medical man, he observed a 'stiff hat suddenly ascend high into.the- air, then it gyrated, and finally shot to the bottom of the gully. A fewmoments- later Mr Lawson was surprised^ to flncWhe same hat shooting again" past tiiin towards^flie clouds, and finally it disappe"aredpver.thetops n o| the huis.° i :^'-'-- ; -- cr-^ -:..k n.. ....^ a.:.'.! g-

odin. There is also to be a conpentratioi where practicable of the work of Resident Magistrates^ in order to lessen the Dumber oJ those employed." ; By practice in working the Colliery Company's inclines (says the Westpdrt Times) the workmen engaged in lowering the coal art rapidly approaching perfection. On Eridaj fourteen trucks were safely landed at the base of the mouDtain. The ss. St. Kilds cleared the shoots on Wednesday evening and since then over 170 tons have been placed in them. A schooner (the name of which has not been telegraphed) is now on the voyage from Dunedin to this port, where she will load with coal. The Port of Saturday has the following telegrams from the Sydney News :— London, Ist September.— -Hanlon is expected to arrive in England on the 19th inßt. Trickett is rapidly improving in condition, and now shows some of his old rowing form. He does capital wtfrk on the river between Putney and Barneri daily, Kelly, his trainer, being io regular attendance .--'•Baron Haymerle, the Austrian Chancellor, has arranged a meeting with Prince Bistnark at Friederichsruhe. It i 3 generally believed that the Austro-Germati understanding will be fully maintained, and that the conference relates to possible difficulties between Prauce and GermaDy.~The recent successes of Cliili have been so important that that Power now proposes tc iucorporate the whole of Bolivia in her terri tory. The Bolivians are unwilling to lose theii nationality, and, though temporarily vanquished, would bo troublesome subjects.— Latest advices from Cuba state that the tobacco crop is estimated by the Agriculural Department of the Provincial Government at 545,000 tone. — General Roberts, on entering Candabar, was received in Btate by the Wall Sbere Ali, and by Generals Primrose and Burrows. There was general rejoicing, ac the Candahar people were alarmed at the possibility of the entry of the Herat and Cabul soldiery of Ayub Khan. — The young Queen of Holland yesterday gave birth to a daughter. There have been great rejoicinga at the Hague and Amsterdam, as it was feared that the line of Orange-Nassau would become extinct on the death of the Iting and Prince of Orange. No intelligence has yet been received as to the movements of our new Governor, Sir Arlhur Gordon, or the probable date of his arrival hore. It is known, however, that H.M.S. Emerald is among the islands of the Fiji group, and it is expected she will bring his Excellency to New Zealand. In thai case the new representative of her Mosl Gracious Majesty may " drop in '' upon us at any moment and we may wake up some flue morning to discover we are no longei Governor-less. So far as we can learn, it is scarcely probable that we shall receive any intimation of the gubernatorial approach until Sir Arthur Gordon annouuees bis arrival iti person. Our late Governor, Sii Hercules Robinson, finally cleared the shores of New Zealand late last night.— Post. The ingenuity of the Chinese is proverbial but .when John appeared in Court yesterday he discovered to his coast that the " Ingiees* had,too much " savey" for bAm. When called upon to answer a charge of driving quickly round a cornet of a street, he with a cunning smile, informed the magistrate, through' his interpreter, that the tram-car had frightened the animal beyond his control, but his handsome countenance became contorted, witt disappointment when Mr. Johnston informed his Worship that the offence occurred in i street where the tram-car was never seen The imposition of a five shilling fine did noi tend to allay .the palpitation of the pooi heathen's heart, as his hand convulsively poked about the bottom of a dirty bag f 0) the necessary " spondulicks" Mount Vesuvius has been lit up by tht electric light, three lamps being placed at the tramway station, nine along the tramway, and three on the cone.