THE LATE ACCIDENT AT NEWMARKET.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12044, 14 August 1902, Page 6

THE LATE ACCIDENT AT NEWMARKET.

In reference to the accident;at, Newmarket on Monday last,' Mr. H. Rogers : writes : — I would respectfully beg to draw the attention ,of the readers of your valuable paper to aai, error that has been made in the reporting of the recent unfortunate accident at Newmarket, in-which I was concerned. I left the Great Northern Brewery, Khyber Pass, at about two p.m. on Monday with goods for a customer in the .Waikato and for the suburbs. When J arrived at the station no trains were in sight, nor did I know of any, nor was I warned. I pulled on to the platform at the usual place and got rid of the consignment, getting signatures, etc. At '.this time poor Fernandez joined me and got into the cart. My work at the station was finished when Mr. Wells, the stationmaster, approached and asked mo if the horso would; be all right, as the uptrain from Auckland was coming along. He had hardly time- to; turn . way before the train came up on the westward side of the station, blocking the only possible way of getting oft" the platform. Now; I knew nothing of the down train cue to arrive in a couple of minutes, and when it came rushing down the eastward side it frightened tho horse, which, swerving towards the centre of the platform, at the same time running back, caused one wheel and the ' tail of the cart to project over the edge. 1 jumped out immediately the horse became restive (wliioh was as soon as the down train neared the platform), and; did my < best to drag him baok, and, the harness and shafts breaking, certainly saved the horse,"- if not myself. The railway platform at, - Newmarket is in the shape of a. triangle, , the stairs to the bridge forming the; base, and the two lines of rails the sides; "■ so : that we were literally shut into a death-trap, from which there was no escape. '* The entire width of the platform is probably between 20ft and 25ft, and at the place where the accident occurred the stairca<se in the middle', takes up fully onethird of this space, leaving.barely width on either .side i for a- ; cart to stand. :f;: To my knowledge, there have been many complaints made about this station, and the general view of all tho carters I know is that a man takes his life into his hands ■: when he goes thero either -to deliver or receive goods. Surely.* something can now be done to improve this, or is it necessary.for a few more of us workers to bo manned and crippled, or to lay down our lives, e'er the required stops be taken? < l • - > ', U-: }