N.S.W. TRAIN DISASTER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15558, 16 March 1914, Page 7

N.S.W. TRAIN DISASTER.

COLLISION AT EXETER. 14 KILLED. 30 INJURED. FOG OBSCURES SIGNALS. CARRI AG ES T E LESCOP ED. TERRIBLE SCENES WITNESSED. By Telegraph—Press Association Copyright. {Received March 15. a 5 p.m. Stdxf.t. March 15. Tm: most serious disaster on the New South Wales railways for some time past occurred on Friday night, and resulted in the deaths of 14 people. while 30 others were more or less injured. The mail train from Sydney to 'femora, while entering Exeter station, about ninety miles from Sydney, crashed into the rear of a stationary goods train. At the moment of the impact the poods train was being shunted on to a siding to clear the main line, and allow the 'femora mail to pass. A dense fog obscured the signals, and the mail train crashed into the. goods train, telescoping two carriages. Neither engine left the rails. Eye witnesses state that the scene waj one of indescribable horror. The mail van was reduced to matchwood, amid which were ghastly heaps of human beings, while screams and groans from the imprisoned victims came from the debris. The saddest feature was that of four of the members of the Heaver famliy, who were travelling to Cootamundra to bury Mrs. Heaver, sen., whose body was nu the train, the father, a daughter, and a daughter-in-law were killed, while the son was seriously injured. Bray, the guard of the mail train, was about to throw in the mail bag when he was killed, while his mate in the same carriage escaped. Another sad case was th;.t of the father and mother of three young children buried, among the debris. The eldest appealed piteously to her mother for help, and the heart-broken woman replied —" Love ! I cannot help you." The children were ultimately rescued, but the parents were dead when help reached them. ' The list of killed is as follows :— Mr. Heaver, aen. Arthur Heaver. Alice Heaver. Mail Guard Brajv J. C. Minnis. Mrs. Minnie. G. L. Pollard. Mrs. Clarke. Fred. Eurzenhagen. Misses Eglington and Shelley. Mrs, L. A. Parker. i . There are also a youth supposed to be ' named Walker, and a woman believed to be Mrs. Eurzenhagen. ' Ninteen injured people are in hospitaL Several are progressing favourably.