FATALITY ON RAILWAY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20504, 4 March 1930, Page 10

FATALITY ON RAILWAY.

DEATH OF. A GANGER.

EXPRESS STRIKES A JIGGER.

Racing along in an effort to mako up lost time, the Auckland express crashed into a railway jigger carrying two men, in a deep cutting on tlio Wellington side of To lioio, four miles from Otaki, on Saturday afternoon. Willaim Herbert Russell, surfaceman, of To Horo, sprang clear, but John Fitzgerald, ganger, aged 61, of To Horo, received injuries to which ho later succumbed. Tho spot where the accident occurred is a deep, twenty-chain, curved block cutting, two miles south of To . Horo.

Mr. Fitzgerald and his mate were returning to To Horo after work. They were riding on a hand jigger, and as they approached the cutting Mr. Fitzgerald, who was facing up the line, ,asked liis -mate, "Is sho coming?" referring to tho up Auckland express, which was running twenty minutes late. Mr. Russell could not see : tho train coming behind them, so tho two men determined to plunge through the cutting to tho noxt stopping place. Half-way through tho cutting, however, tho crigino of tho express suddenly roared round the curve. Mr. Russell -saw tho train coming and jumped clear, but Mr. Fitzgerald", who had his back to it, was less' fortunate. His body was mangled, but in spite of a broken spine, head injuries, a broken arm and terrible flesh wounds, ho still lived. Mr. Fitzgerald was picked up and placad on the train, which carried him on to Otaki, where ho received medical attention. Ho was hurried on to Palmerston North to tho hospital, lxit died half an hour after admittance. 110 leaves, a widow and a son and daughter, both married. Mr. Russell was only slightly injured and was taken to his home.