WILD CONFUSION

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 8682, 16 March 1914, Page 5

WILD CONFUSION

SENSATIONAL DISASTER

MOST TERRIBLE IN NEW SOUTH WALES HISTORY, MANY PERSONS KILLED AND INJURED. SCENE OF INDESCRIBABLE HORROR. Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright SYDNEY, March 14. There has been a sensational train smash at Exeter, on the southern line, ninety-three miles from Sydney. The Tcmora mail from Sydney crashed into a stationary goods train, telescoping a passenger car and a sleeping car, and derailing the engine. The wildest confusion resulted. Relief trains, conveying officials and doctors, have been dispatched. Rain and mist, obscuring the signals, is believed .to have caused the collision. Among the killed were the following : / Fred. Keezengogan, of Mittagong. Alice Eva, Cootamundrn. Jama, Eva, Parramatta. Two women and one man, whose names are unknown, also the guard of the mail train. OFFICIAL CASUALTY LIST. SYDNEY, March 14. It is officially stated that fourteen persons were killed and six seriously injured. LIST OF KILLED. CONFUSION AS TO IDENTIFICATTON. DENSE FOG OBSCURES SIGNALS. (Received March 15, 5.5 p.m.) SYDNEY, March 15. In connection with the collision, late advices state that fourteen persons were killed and thirty injured. Among the killed are : Albert Bray. Mr Henner. Mrs Eglington. Mrs White. Alice Heaver. G. L. Pollard. J. C. Alinnis. Airs Minnis. Mr and Airs Kurzenbagon. Airs Clarke. Later advices state that confusion still exists as to the identification of those killed and injured in the disaster, latest advices giving a corrected list of the killed as follows; Heaver, senior. Arthur Heaver. Alice Heaver. Alail Guard Bray. J. C. Minnis. Mrs Alinnis. G. L. Pollard. Mrs Clarke. • ; Fred. Kurzenhagen. Alins Eglington. Aliss Shelley. Mrs L. A. Parker. A youth supposed to bo named Walkor. A woman believed to be Mrs Kurzenhagen. . . - Nineteen of the injured, who were sent to hospital at Bowral, are progressing favourably. ■ The disaster Was the most terrible in the hietory of the New South Wales railways. Reports state that at the moment of tile impact the goods train was being shunted on to a siding clear of the main line, to allow the Tetnora mail to pass. . A dense fog obscured the signals, and the mail trahq crashed into the goods train, telescoping two carriages. Neither engine left the rails. The first arrivals state that the scene was one of indescribable horror. The mail van was reduced to matchwood, and there were ghastly heaps of human beings, screams and groans of the imprisoned victims coming from the mass of the debris. The saddest feature was that of the Heaver family who wefe travelling to Coqtamundra to bury Mrs Heaver, senior, whoso body was on the train. The widower, his daughter, and daughter-in-law were killed, and the son seriously injured. Bray, the guard of the mail van, wan about to throw a mail hag_ when ho was killed, while his mate, in the same carriage, escaped.

Another said case was that of a father, mother and three young children who were buried in the debris. The eldest child appealed piteously to its mother for help, and she replied:— “Love, I cannot help.’’ The children were ultimately rescued, but the parent® are dead.