RUN OVER BY A TRAIN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19209, 24 December 1925, Page 10

RUN OVER BY A TRAIN.

TWO SURFACEMEN KILLED.

THIRD SUSTAINS INJURIES. FATE OF A REPAIR GANG. NEWMARKET SHUNTING TRAGEDY Two railway surfacemen were killed and a third received injuries to liis head through being knocked down by a shunting train at Newmarket at about a quarter past two yesterday afternoon. The accident occurred on what is known as the " back-shunt," the portion of the line along which trains shunt backward from Newmarket station before proceeding along the Kaipara line to Mount Eden station. The names of the men who were killed are:— John William Brown Harland, married, aged 47, of 14, Koraha Street, Remuera. He leaves three daughters, the eldest being about 20 years of age. Eichard George Dilworth, married, aged, 59, of Kingsland Avenue, Kingsland. lie leaves six children whose ages range from two to twenty-two years. The injured man is Arthur Skeen, married, aged 43, who lives in one of the railway cottages beside the line on (he city side of Mount Eden Road. His injuries arc not regarded as serious. He has a family of two sons and a daughter. Warning Shouts Not Heard.

The three men were members of a gang which was employed in weeding and repairing the track of the " back-shunt. They were working under the supervision of a ganger, K. T. Dore, who was absent for a few moments to inspect some sleepers about 100 yds. away. He was returning and was about 50yds. from the men when he noticed the train, which consisted of about 10 trucks and an engine, with no van, shunting backward toward them. It. was travelling comparatively slowly. He shouted to the men, but it is doubtful whether he was heard. At the same time he signalled to the driver of the train, but was not noticed. The men appeared to straighten up just as the train was upon them, but whether they heard the ganger's shouts or the train is not known. Skeen is the only one who managed to save his life, but it is not clear why he was more fortunate than the others. Several Distracting Noises. A goods train from Auckland was passing on the main line at the moment, and as it was travelling uphill it was making a considerable noise. Other distracting sounds were coming from a timber mill on the other side. In addition at the time of the accident a strong wind was blowing. This probably explains how the men failed to hear the approaching train. As the surfacemen were working in the centre of the track the driver of the train had little chance of seeing them, particularly as there were several high-covered waggons next to the engine. The driver states he was keeping a sharp look-out. He did not know there was anything wrong until almost the whole train had passed over the unfortunate men. A shunter, who was travelling on the step of the engine to change the points when required, saw the guard of the train from Auckland pointing, and the enginedriver noticed someone waving on the other side almost simultaneously. The driver applied the brakes at once and stopped the train within an engine length. The bodies of Harland and Dilworth were terribly mutilated. Death must have been mstantanoous in each case. Victims' Long Experience. When the ganger left the men Skeen and Dilworth were working face to face " packing " the line, while Harland was further from the train loosening up the surface with a pick. The train by which the men were knocked down was a regular daily shunting train from Newmarket to Mount Eden. All the men were supplied with time-tables showing the times at which trains were to be expected.

There was no one on the back of the train at the time, as it was regarded as being engaged in purely shunting operations within the yards. When the " backshunt, " was completed and the train commenced to run forward again it would bo outside the yards and tlie shunter would then change his position from the engine to the last waggon. Other gangs of men were employed on the other two sides of the " triangle," of which the " back-shunt " forms the base. The three men were all experienced in the class of work in which they were engaged. Harland and Dilworth were casual surfacemen, but bad previously been permanently employed by the Railway Department and had had experience extending over about 20 years. Skeen was a permanent surfaceman and also had long experience