DERAILMENT OF EXPRESS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 8 June 1927, Page 5

DERAILMENT OF EXPRESS

BOARD OF INQUIRY

(United Press Association)

TIMARU,.This Day. A board of inquiry sat in camera on ■ Saturday's express derailment: The evi-' dence of the driver, fireman, and guard of the. train was heard, the inquiry lasting all day. A reporter was informed that the inquiry was lield by railway officials for their own information and guidance. If any further inquiry is held it will bo by the Railway. Board, to which evidence taken will be submitted. The dismantled engine was trucked to Addington yesterday. STONES'ON THE RAIL TTMARU, Tin's Day. .The district engineer of Dunedin, interviewed this morning, stated that, the railway inquiry board had finished its investigations concerning the recent accident to the express train at Timaru and adjourned to Christchurch, where it will make further inquiries. He 'stated that on 14th April an express train was derailed at Caroline Bay and the police discovered a boy who admitted putting stones on the rail ten minutes before the train passed, and who watched the train go over them. On 30th May a railway officer was passing over the line around Caroline Bay on his velocipede, when he discovered eighteen flat stones on the rails lying from ten feet to fifty feet apart. The stones were about three inches across and one inch thick. He stated that the express passed over that part of the line within ten minutes of the stones being removed. After the accident on 4th June marks were found on the top of the rail at the point of derailment of the engine wheels, showing where two stones had j.ieen crushed by the express train.