SCOTTISH TRAIN SMASH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume L, Issue 15398, 5 September 1913, Page 7

SCOTTISH TRAIN SMASH.

LAST SAD OFFICES.'

IDENTIFYING THE DEAD.

MANY STILL UNKNOWN.

SIR ARTHUR DOUGLAS.

IN A CRITICAL CONDITION.

LESSON FROM DISASTER.

By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright.

(Received September 6, 12.5 a.m.)

London, September 4. The work of recovering the bodies of those killed in the collision between the Scottish expresses at Wisgill, in Yorkshire, has been completed, and the charred remains have been removed to Kirkby Stephen. The only means of identification in many cases are remnants of clothing, jewellery, etc.

The bodies of two young ladies and of John Patterson, a London accountant, have been identified. Another, Nurse Fargie, was identified by her charred umbrella handle and her watch.

A ninth body has been identified.

Sir Arthur Douglas, of New Zealand, who is now in hospital at Carlisle, is in a critical condition. He passed a fair night last night. An inquest was opened yesterday, but after a short sitting it was adjourned until September 17. The jurymen during their inspection of the scene df the disaster picked up a steel rule and took it to Kirkby Stephen station, where a wife happened to be inquiring for her husband. She immediately recognised the rule as one belonging to her husband and fainted.

The Trades Union Congress, now sitting at Manchester, has passed a resolution of condolence with the bereaved. Mr. Chandler, the railway clerks' delegate, remarked that the lowest percentage of accidents was in Germany, where the railways were State-owned.

Experts are emphatic that the result of this accident will compel the railways to consider the substitution of steel built carriages.

DOORS REFUSE TO OPEN.

FIRE EXTINGUISHERS FAIL. Times-Sydney Sun Special Cable. (Received September 4, 6.50 p.m.) London, September 3. In one case, the only clue was that the dead man was wearing a gold watch and chain. His spectacles had melted and the gold had become embedded in the roasted flesh. In another case, a girl's necklace was the only means of identification.

The nearest hospital is at Carlisle, over 40 miles away.

One rescuer states that all the carriage doors had jammed, and the efforts of 20 men were unable to open them. Many of the official fire extinguishers failed to work.

The company states that it is willing promptly to meet all reasonable claims.

The president of the Trades Union Congress at Manchester (Mr. in a sympathetic speech to-day, stated that the catastrophe showed the responsibility attaching to all industrial undertakings. CARRIAGE LIGHTING. GAS OR ELECTRICITY? Whether or not it is safe to use gas as an illuminant for railway carriages is a question which has again been raised in view of the disaster mentioned above. The system practically universally used in lighting railway carriages is known as Pintsch's patent incandescent gas. All the railway coach i in New Zealand, with the exception of the. Ministerial car. are illuminated with this gas, which is produced from oil. It is richer than coal gas, gives a better light, and is considered to be no more inflammable than ordinary gas. The railway authorities in New Zealand have not experienced any trouble with it. The advantage of Pintsch's gas for railway services lies in the fact that lesser quantities can be consumed to obtain a good light as compared with other gases. Consequently, it is sufficient to carry a small cylinder under carriages for the storage of the gas, instead of having to utilise several tanks filled with coal or other gases in order to get the same amount of light as is derived from one reservoir of Pintsch's gas. In the event of carriages being telescoped in a railway accident, a light would ignite any gas. It has been suggested that the substitution of electricity would be desirable as a means towards preventing fire. When the New Zealand railways were equipped with Pintsch's gas it was recognised as being the best illuminant available, and to discard the system now used in favour of electricity would mean a very large expense. The cost, upkeep, and equipment of electricity is very nigh. Electricity is not an innovation in carriage lighting. Many railway cars at Home are equipped with it, but the companies which control them have never used any other system of lighting. From time to time the matter of using electric light on the local railways has been before the authorities, but the expense of resorting to the method has always been a barrier militating against its universal introduction. At various times, attempts have been made to introduce other methods of illumination, but none of them < have been regarded as • being as safe or economical as oil gas. In America, where electric lighting of carriages had been extensively tried, Pintsch's system is now adopted.