A RAILWAY SMASH AT THE CAPE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11716, 26 July 1901, Page 6

A RAILWAY SMASH AT THE CAPE.

AN AUCKLANDER AMONG THE VICTIMS. MR. HARRY WHITAKER SEVERELY INJURED. The Cape Times of June 15 states: — Norval's Pont, Juno 14.—An extraordinary and as yet inexplicable disaster befell the mail train from Capetown when near Nerval's Pont this afternoon. The mail was due at Norval's Pont at half-past two, being late.- ■ i ■ Through some grave misunderstanding a coal-laden train was allowed to pass south shortly before the time the mail was due, with the result that the coal train and the mail met in the nek between Achtertang and Norval's Pout. The place where the collision took place was a sharp curve, which rendered the drivers of the respective engines'unable to observe each other's approach until too late to avoid a catastrophe. Both drivers slowed down and reversed their engines; notwithstanding these measures, the impact was tremendous, the fronts of both engines being completely smashed in, and the engines firmly interlocked.

Strange to say, the van and the first saloon carriage escaped undamaged materially, though a lady and gentleman, occupants.of tlio. saloon, were both slightly cut, one on the forehead and the other on the cheek, by being thrown against the side of the vehicle by the force of the collision. The second and third saloons suffered severely; the second was much smashed up, and several passengers were wedged in between the broken wood and iron. The two saloons were partially telescoped. It was found that the casualties were five soldiers and one conductor injuredfour seriously injured, and two slightly. Immediately the accident became known, Major Peard, P.M.0., No. 10 General Hospital, Norval's Pont, despatched ambulance stretchers to the scene of the accident to convey the injured men to hospital. Major Sheldrake and Civil-Surgeons Key and Pelly also proceeded to the nek. a-here they lent all possible assistance. The injured men were promptly'brought into hospital, where it was found necessary to perform surgical operations on the more severely injured. The same paper of June 17 has the following:— The names of the seriously injured in the collision near Norval's Pout are Troopers j Clementson, Whitaker, and G. Heslop, of j the Imperial Light Horse, and Military-Con- ! ductor Anpiais; also the lady and. gentleman ! who were in the first saloon, and escaped j with slight cuts on the cheek and forehead. Clementson was the most seriously injured, both legs below the knee being smashed to pulp. Amputation had to be performed immediately on the unfortunate man's arrival at the hospital, where he is doing well. He was formerly in the Imperial Yeomanry, and recently left that corps to join the Imperial Light Horse. Both of Whitaker's legs are fractured: Heslop's ankle was fractured, and Anpiais' leg was also fractured. Whitaker, after the accident, showed great composure : and fortitude. While firmly wedged amongst j the broken wood and iron, and suffering i agonies, he called upon "the relieving party I to attend to the others first, saying it was likely that they were worse than' he, and he was all right. Cape Times of the 18th says: — Trooper Harry Edgar .Whitaker. who was injured in the Norval's Pont railway accident, is a son of the late Sir Frederick Whitaker, of Auckland, New Zealand. In a private letter to Mr. W. S. Laurie, j Mr. Malcolm J. Smith hopes that some of . Mr. H. Whitaker's Auckland friends will | write to him at the Capetown Hospital, to j cheer' him up.