RECENT RAILWAY MISHAP.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17274, 25 September 1919, Page 6

RECENT RAILWAY MISHAP.

DERAILMENT OF CARRIAGES. EXTENSIVE DAMAGE DONE. Travellers by the Auckland -Wellington express which came to grief at Marten on Saturday give some additional details of the mishap. The train, a fairly heavy one, was slowing down entering the station, when, I by some unexplained means, three or four j of the carriages towards the rear became ! derailed and toppled over. The train was j travelling fairly slowly, but as the carriages overturned the front one struck a stationary engine standing on the next line , of rails, The force of the impact was sufficient to rip the sides out of all the derailed carriages, while the standing engine -Baa also very considerably damaged. There was a full load of passengers on the train, but, remarkable to relate, beyond slight contusions, caused chiefly by baggage falling down from the racks, and the natural effects of shock, no one was seriously injured. There was much excitement at the Marton station, it at first being thought that many of the passengers were hurt, but these fears were soon allayed. The railway staff took prompt steps to reorganise the train, and were in a position to despatch the passengers for Palmerstcii, Wellington and Napier with very little delay, the latter being able to catch the afternoon Palmerston-Napier train. The damage to the rolling-stock, it is stated, will run into several thousand pounds.