RAILWAY ACCIDENT AT KINGSLAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13450, 1 April 1907, Page 5

RAILWAY ACCIDENT AT KINGSLAND.

TRAIN DASHES INTO VEHICLE

NARROW ESCAPE OF TWO

BOYS.

A DANGEROUS CROSSING.

AsKßiors railway accident occurred at the Onslow Road railway crossing. Kings-land, slurtlv after six o'clock on Saturday afternoon,'when two boys, named Henry Cyril Greenwood, 16 years of age, residing in Church Road, near the K}»om school, and Arthur Bennett. 14 years of age. and son D f the Mayor of Newmarket, and residing in Carlton (lore Road, were thrown out of a ■ vehicle which was dashed into by a train. .Rennet was thrown on to the ground on '■ibis head, receiving concussion of the brain, rwliile Greenwood was thrown across the irails on to the cattle stop, which is erected at all crossings, and received a severe injury to his back. Both were also bad'.y shaken. *' The horses escaped injury. The vehicle was badly damaged, the two front wheels being completely smashed, and a great deal i of the front portion broken. j Ji The train that caused the damage left j $ Auckland about six o'clock. There are a. ij number of places on which the railway crosses the public road between Auckland and Avoudale, and that at Onslow Road is certainly one of the most dangerous. The line, shortly after leaving Mount Eden station, makes a descent, and as it nears Onflow Road there is a sharp curve, and it is only a matter of a few seconds after the engine rounds the :urve that it reaches the crossing. The view of pedestrians, drivers, and the engine-driver is not a clear one for any great distance, for there are houses erected close to the line on one side, i" Onslow Road, while on the other there is a bank overgrown with bush, which obstructs the view until a person is right ! on the line. A gentleman, well-known in the district, •who had crossed the railway just before the accident, and who saw everything, was % seen by a. Hkrai.d reporter, and his statements were verified by others. He stated that just previous to the accident a good number of passengers had alighted from a . tranicar at the corner of Ons. Road, and a number were making towards the crowing. "The train whistled, but it took us all our time to hear it; it was just a bit of ! a puff," said the gentleman. "I crossed the line, but as I knew there were some passengers behind lie turned round to give them warning. An elderly lady, apparently oblivious of the approaching train, was ■ stopped just near the line very suddenly, iThe four-wheeled vehicle, driven by Green- /■' Wood. with Bennett standing in the front near him, was being pulled towards the ' crossing bv two horses. The boys apparently did not hear the train, and as they were near the railway another gentleman 1 and I sang out to them to stop. Ido not 5 know whether they heard us or not, but ? apparently they did not, neither did they I notice (he approaching train until it was ] upon them, for they did not stop, and before 1 we knew where we were the engine had crashed into the vehicle. When the collision came the horses had got right across the lines, and the engine's cowcatcher struck the near wheel (as shown by a dent in the iron band of one axle box), smashing ' both wheels and the front of the vehicle, and throwing it clear of the lines. The impact must have broken the near swingle free and the traces of the other horse, for both animals walked right towards us, and the vehicle was thrown on the other side of the line. One boy (Bennett) was thrown to the right, but Greenwood had a marvellous escape, for he was thrown on to the cattle stop on the opposite side to where the vehicle was. The engine and train were immediately pulled up, and after a delay of five minutes or so proceeded on the journey. The horses, with their harness very little disarranged, were caught before going 10 yards.' ' The boys were taken into Mr. Moorrraft s bakery shop, adjoining, and attended by Dr. Jones, while Constable Annison had them later conveyed to their homes in a cab. On inquiring last evening it was ascertained that the boys were doing as well as could be expected, Bennett having retained consciousness all through. " The engines come down the incline from Auckland past the crossing at a terrij fic rate," stated several of the residents to ' a Herald reporter when seen about the .accident. It is alleged that the whistle of m the engines is not loud enough or sufficiently prolonged to give adequate warning at the crossing, but residents stated that the trains passing on Saturday evening after the accident whistled more loud- ' ly than usual, and were heard a good deal better than formerly.

" Dp you think the engines whistle loud ' (■tough?" a gentleman of standing was asked.

"No, I do not; not for a crossing like !' that," was the reply. "The engine-driver cunnqt see who is on the line any more 4 than you can see him until you are on the rails. People get out ot the tram at Onslow Road in large numbers, and it is used as a. short cut to Mount Roskill. In fact it is one of the main stopping places for the trams. The engine should give a couple of extra long whistles, as it nears the crossing, and especially about or a lit- , V tie after six o'clock, as there are then always large numbers of people. If I had been driving a trap along Onslow Road the noise of the vehicle on the metal would have prevented me from hearing the train on Saturday. When the train is going down hill it does not make any noise by puffing, as it does when ascending.