BOARD OF INQUIRY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXI, 30 March 1938, Page 11

BOARD OF INQUIRY

EXCURSION TRAIN DISASTER SITTINGS TO START ON 13th APRIL j (By Telegraph Preen Asociali..nl WELLINGTON. This .Day. I j -The Board of Inquiry set up under ! . the Railways Act to investigate the , disaster near Ratana on Saturday . morning will leave Wellington by ; special train on 11th April to inspect the locality of the derailment. The I board will then visit the workshops at i ; Eastown. Wanganui, to examine the’ rolling stock involved in the accident. I On 13th April the Jjoard will commence its sittings in Wanganui, when j evidence of a technical nature from departmental officers will be heard. The ‘board will return to Wellington the 1 ; following day. 14th April, and will then i adjourn until 26th April, when the inquiry will be resumed. The proceedings will be open to the | press. CONDITION OF THE INJURED j WANGANUI. 29th March. j In answer to inquiries at Wanganui Public Hospital to-night, it was stated ‘ that the majority of persons injured in ' ; the railway smash near Ratana early on Saturday morning were improving, though the fireman, Mr K. A. Millar, 1 was still in a critical condition. A list of the injured in hospital# and , the condition of each patient to-night : is as follows: Kenneth Millar, aged 33. married, 43 ; Tarikaka street, Ngaio, fireman on j the train: Extensive burns all over the , body, condition still critical, no notice- i able change since yesterday. Edward Percival, aged 52, married, ; 66 Saar street, Wellington, driver of I the train: Severe burns on the arms i and upper part of the body, condition j i fair, slight improvement to-day. : Miss Mary Ellis, 51 Duncan street, I Wanganui: Compound fracture of the j right leg and wounds to the face, sat- ! isfactory and improving. | John Dickson Gardiner, aged 22. single, Bowen Crescent, Wellington Broken leg and severe cut above the | knee, fairly comfortable. Mrs F. Page. 124 Dixon street, Weij lington: Extensive bruises to the back, J condition fair, no change. Miss Jane Watt, Ballance street, Pahiatua: Injury to the hip and head, fairly comfortable. Mrs Laura McKenzie, 111 Marine Parade, Seatoun, Wellington: Bruises to the face and shock, condition improving. Mrs Elsie Battison, 20 Terrace Gardens, Wellington: Wound on forehead, condition satisfactory, fairly comfortable. Mrs Annie Hanford, 198 Tinakori Road, Wellington: Cuts on the legs and forehead, condition improving. Mrs Eileen Carlyle, 11 Picton Avenue, Newtown, Wellington: Cuts on the head, condition fairly comfortable. Mrs Sissy Dutton, 16 Parliament street, Wellington: Wound on the left forearm, condition fairly comfortable. | Peter Clark, aged 41, single. Shannon: Shock, condition comfortable. j Harold V. Squire, aged 46, Hinau ' road, Hataitai, Wellington: Injured j foot, comfortable. SECOND MISHAP EXPLANATION BY GENERAL MANAGER WANGANUI. 29th March. "My information was that the wagon was derailed 48 feet on the Wanganui side of where the accident happened on Saturday morning,” said the General Manager of Railways, Mr G. H. Mackley. when asked for an official statement of the partial derailment of a petrol wagon. "The derailment on Saturday caused disturbance to the track, necessitating one rail and all i the sleepers being replaced. The clay formation of the line was churned up and made soggy by water from the engine. The line was made safe for traffic, but during the night rain fell ; and affected the new formation, with l the result that the replaced rail sank a j little under the weight of the train, j causing the leading, wheels of the j petrol wagon to leave the rails. "There was no risk of an accident j of greater proportions because there is j a restriction of speed oveV that portion ! of line to six miles an hour. The train | on which the wagon was travelling was \ pulled up within the length of the j ! wagon itself.”