FRENCH TRAIN WRECK.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19372, 6 July 1926, Page 11

FRENCH TRAIN WRECK.

HIGH SPEED THE; CAUSE.

A COURAGEOUS ABBE. CASUALTY LIST HEAVY. SOME VICTIMS SCALDED. By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright. (Received 6.5 p.m.) A. and N.Z.-Sun PABIS. July I. The enginedriver, Soodach, was killed in the wreck of the Havre to Paris express between Acheres and Toissy. The director of State Railways, M. Leroux,. escaped. Abbe Duval, of Havre, crawled out from the wreckage unhurt and rescued many of the injured and gave absolution to the dying amid torrents of rain. The total casualties are now estimated at 17 killed and 97 injured. It is officially stated that the accident was due to the express taking too quickly a bend on to the branch line to which it was diverted owing to a subsidence in the ground. The latter was the result of a rainstorm. It is considered that the speed of the train at the bend may havo prevented the driver from-seeing the slow-up, signal. Among those who were killed was an English jockey, Wilcocks, who was returning home after having ridden at the Rouen meeting. The train was travelling at a rate of £5 miles an hour. The belching steam from the engine terribly scalded many of the people who were imprisoned in the wreckage.

ANOTHER MISFORTUNE.

FIRE AT GOODS STATION. DISORGANISATION CF TRAFFIC. A. and N.Z. PARIS. July 4. There was a huge blaze at Dijon goods station. Twenty waggons were destroyed. The damage is estimated at 4,000,000 francs. Traffic on th« lines from Dijon to Lille and Nancy has been suspended.