TERRIFIC CRASH

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXI, 28 March 1938, Page 8

TERRIFIC CRASH

PASSENGERS’ STORIES PEOPLE FLUNG ACROSS CARRIAGES WANGANUI, 26th March. Flung bodily across the third carriage when it plunged into the bank of the cutting, Mr T. J. Calnan, Herald street, Wellington, found himself staring dazedly through splintered debris into the red glow of the locomotive’s fircI “I was not familiar with the district j and was expecting the train to reach l Aramoho, my destination, at any moment,” Mr Calnan said. “I felt the j brakes go on and the train slowing' down. ‘The next thing 1 knew there was a terrific crash and a door fell on me. j Our car had come to rest alongside the j engine, but on the other side of the . track, though I did not know this until' I got out. I found myself staring ■ through the broken window at a rec ' glow. Escaping steam was making a fearful sound and I was afraid of fire. The engine was over on its side and I must have been looking at the fire-box. I managed to free myself from the remains without much difficulty and the men in the car lost no time in getting the women out. An elderly woman near me had her face badly cut. probably by broken glass, and an old man seemed to be in a bad way." When Mr Calnan scrambled out of i the wreckage he found a man with an injured leg lying across the track. He had been flung out' of a carriage and remembered nothing of his experience. Nearby was the body of a woman who : had been hurled from one of the cars and killed instantly. The second, third and fourth coaches had become separated from the car im-! mediately behind the engine and were on the other side of the track. The morning was fine, but cold and foggy, and warm clothing was one of the first considerations for the injured. Mr Calnan paid a tribute to the splen- 1 did spirit of co-operation which existed all round. ‘Nobody shirked," he said. “Every j man helped with the rescue work and | the women behaved splendidly. When I i wanted something warm for one of the j: injured I had no trouble in getting two coats and a blanket. Others had the same experience. The first ambulance was on the scene in less than threequarters of an hour and several trips had to be made before all the injured were removed.” Asked about the speed of the train. Mr Calnan said he would estimate it i ■ at about 20 miles an hour, but certainly not more than 25. ‘lt was a peculiar thing, but just; before the crash I seemed to know that something was about to happen. I in- j stinctively put my hand out to ward* off what was coming and got this,” he! said, showing a cut on his le/t hand. LUCKY DECISION A lucky change of plans which might have saved her sister-in-law. Miss E. j Ramage. from death or serious injury ’

was described by Mrs M. N. Ramage. 14 Devonshire street, Miramar. “I did not intend making the trip, so my sister-in-law decided to go alone, and reserved a seat in the rear compartment of the first carriage,” said Mrs Ramage. “At the last moment I changed my mind and we both obtained seats in the front compartment; this was fortunate, because the second half was badly damaged. Mrs Ramage said her first impression was a slight jar; then there was a great deal of noise and the lights went out. She was flung from her seat halfway up the aisle. There was no panic and everybody kept cool, but the darkness and confusion were most uncanny. Somebody struck a match and a man’s voice called from the front of the carriage telling them to stay where they were. Mrs Ramage. who eventually made her exit through a hole near the roof and crawled over the tender of the wrecked locomotive, found a torch and relieved the situation with some form of light. Men were doing everything possible to extricate the women and children, but to escape from the car they were compelled to walk along the windows because of the acute angle. “One of the most impressive aspects of all was the way people helped to the fullest possible extent,” said Mrs Ramage. “It was nothing to hear a man calling out for the owner of a purse or some other article. Passengers were groping about in the darkness trying to find their belongings, but there was no panic and people were really wonderful. A number of young men who were passengers on the train worked like trojans and could not do enough." Not long after the crash a settler’s wife and daughter brought welcome refreshments, and the women passengers were provided with hot tea. Many were very dazed and suffering from shock, and. in the general confusion, had made their escape without shoes, coats, or hats. Some women passengers who were not injured walked nearly a mile in their stockinged feet over the swingled permanent way to relief cars which had been sent out. Mrs Ramage is visiting her parents. Mr and Mrs E. Ching, 52 Wilson street. Wanganui. PASSENGERS’ FORTITUDE “The fortitude shown by passengers under such a trying ordeal was worthy of the highest praise.” said Mr Mark McMillan. 223 Wellington Terrace. He was in the second compartment of the leading car. and. except for a cut on the back of the hand, escaped injury. The train had been travelling ala: good speed along the straight near Ratana, and. when the engine left the l rails on the first curve, passengers inj the leading car were pitched and bump- 1 ed about in an alarming manner. Mr McMillan was satisfied that, had the remainder of the cars not rushed forward. they would have been badly telescoped. with serious loss of life. “We could in a manner sense it com-1 ing,” he added, when describing the > first impact. "All was pitch dark, and the confusion, together with the loud hissing of steam, produced a weird effect. Nlobody seemed to know what would happen next and some feared that the carriages would take fire before imprisoned passengers could be released. Debris was falling and there

was also a danger of people being crushed. One woman who had occupied a corner seat was tossed probably the full length of the car.” Matters seemed to quiten down and a determined effort was made in the dark to get as many people out as possible. One woman, with a terrible gash on her face and suffering from a leg injury, was placed on the side of the bank and pillows were brought to make her as comfortable as possible. In another car a woman was badly injured and could not be moved until daylight The doctors made her as comfortable a. l possible, and before she could be brought out on a stretcher a portion ol the car had to be cut away. Mr McMillan added that the wait o) two hours and a half in darkness was a time of considerable nervous tension People wandered aimlessly aboul searching for friends whom they knew had been on the train. One woman had her face and clothes covered with blood She was not hurt but had come in contact with a girl who had received seriSCENE OF CONFUSION "I was half asleep and did not actually feel the bump, but woke up when the carriage was going over on its side.” said Mr H. V. Squire, Kataitai, one of the injured passengers, who was in the front compartment of the third car. Mr Squire, interviewed in the hospital. said the side of the car was pushed in and the entire carriage thrown into confusion. “People and chairs were all mixed up and I seemed to be shot from one side of the car to the other. Broken glass was scattered -in all directions, and I seemed to land on top of everything. I did not have my shoes on and that is how I came to get this”—Mr Squire indicated an injured foot. “I helped to get a woman and a little girl from a corner. The child was frightened, but the woman was very calm and kept her head. People came from outside and gave assistance. The lights in the next carriage were still burning, which was a blessing, but I was fearful of the wreckage taking fire. I came off very lightly, really. We were extremely fortunate in the circumstances, the cutting saved the train from toppling over a bank. Had the accident occurred further down the track nothing would have prevented a more serious disaster. “We were going along steadily and it seemed as though our car jumped the rails,” said another of the injured passengers, Mr P. Clark, Shannon. “The train did not seem to be going very fast. It was travelling like an ordinary express.”