RAILWAY TRAGEDY

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12251, 24 September 1925, Page 6

RAILWAY TRAGEDY

ANOTHER VICTIM DIES ROUGH SURGERY TO SAVE LIFE GRAPHIC ACCOUNT BY PASSENGER Per Press Association. HASTINGS, September 23. Mr E. V. Iggulden, of Wairoa, has succumbed to the injuries he sustained in the railway wreck yesterday afternoon. When the ambulance train returned to Hastings at 6.30 o’clock last night, the platform was crowded with excited and anxious people, whotu the

police controlled with difficulty. Exaggerated stories were in circulation, making anxious relatives and friends more than ever apprehensive. Seven serious cases, including Miss Begley, who died soon after admission to Royston Hospital, were carried across on stretchers to the institution, under the supervision of doctors and nurses.: Four serious cases,'with several who were slightly injured, were taken on to Napier.

Mr Ernest Knowles, of Wellington, who was a passenger, gives the following account: “I occupied a seat in a first-class Smoking carriage at the rear of tho train. We were rather late leaving Waipawa, and as we started to descend the Te Ante hill, the train 6eemed to te gaining sliced. Rounding the first bend, the carriages swayed heavily, and twenty seconds after this the train was running at practically thirty miles an hour. I thought something was going to happen, and as I glanced out of the window I saw a cloud of dust at the front of the train, and she pulled up with a ■ grinding noise. I immediately dashed to the door, saying, ‘Come on, boys, she’s over.’

_ “As I leaped from the train the first sight_ I saw was the second-class smoking carriage on its side, thrown up on the bank. I immediately organised a small hand of helpers, and we tore out the wreckage of seats and got the passengers out in good order. “They behaved like heroes, not a murmur being heard from any man, although many of them were knocked about and were suffering from scalp wounds.

“It took fifteen'minutes to clear that carriage,. the patients being placed on cushions or improvised stretchers. “Just after we cleared the carriage the wreckage broke into flafiies, and I suggested that the injured should be moved down a grassy hank into safety. At this stage the engine fireman came forward, and rendered good service with an axe in cutting away the fence to allow us to get through. Soon after this a. number of willing helpers arrived in cars from Waipawa. “Just at this moment I discovered the engine-driver buried undSr soft soil, with his head just out of one of the cab portholes; but he did not seem to be badly hurt. The helpers soon released him from his position.” HIGH SPEED ALLEGED

A statement that those in the rear of the train were unaware the accident had happened was made by an occupant of one of them. He said that beyond feeling a jolting sensation it was not until they finally pulled up that they knew what had taken place. However, even those in the end of the train, whoso views would be most unlikely to be distorted by any cause of personal injury, concurred in the general expression of disapproval of the speed of the train. It was alleged bygone passenger that iho pace at which the train was travelling was far greater and far more alarming than that of the “Limited.” “Anyway,” he concluded, “the train was going ridiculously fast, and most certainly too fast at sucli a dangerous point.” The fireman, Mr G. A. Donovan, told his story in a few concise words: “I f®lfc her tremble and said - to myself ‘This is the end.*, I got to the side of the cab and leaned out. When she struck I was thrown clear. I got up and found my mate buried to his thighs, and I pulled him out.” Asked at 6 o’clock t to share a seat in a motorcar, he replied, “I’ll stay here. I never felt better in my life.” The marks on the permanent way show that the engine left the rails a little more than its own length before turning sideways, and partially burying its forepart into the north bank of the narrow cutting, leaving enough room for the carriages to pass. The wrench broke the coupling of the first carriage, which, followed by

the two succeeding carriages, continu eel well past the derailed locomotive. The second carriage halted level with the front of the engine. The fourth carriage left the rails and was badly splintered, and lying on side. The fifth had not left the rails, but its rear platform had lifted on to the front platform of the sixth carriage. If the derailed engine had not left a clear passage for the first four carriages, all would have telescoped and piled up, and probably the greatest railway tragedy south of the Line would have been recorded. - A LITTLE HERO With bloodstained face, and covered with wet mud from head to foot. Fireman Donovan won the admiration of all bv his cheerfulness and energy. “I want you to put something in the paper about that fireman,” saia a passenger who himself had not escaped injury. “When she struck he was thrown violently out, but he picked himself up, pulled out his mate, who was buried to the hips, and he was then among the first to get out the injured passengers, and kept

going until,, all the carriages were cleared.” ;The guard of the wrecked train, speaking to the same reporter, said; “Oh, Donovan? He’s a little hero.” SCENE OF SUFFERING A Havelock North resident, who was in. the first carriage, stated that everything went well until after leaving Waipawa, when the speed increased; in fact, several persons in his compartment were thrown from one side to the other by the lurches. When tlsejr reached the Te Aute cutting there were two big lurches, then, a crash, when a hank seemed to smash against the carriage. He climbed out of the window and helped to get the ladies out. He then assisted the injured, and with his pocket knife, under the supervision of a nuipe,. amputated the arm of a fellow-passenger. The soene of suffering was terrible, and help to them seemed a long time in coming. All the while the engine was spurting steam and hot water. The guard and firemen were heroes, working hard for the relief of the sufferers. The Havelock passenger escaped with two bad cuts on his right arm and bruises on the legs. Miss Kathleen Begley, the lady who was killed in the accident, was returning to her home in 1 Hastings after having with her mother attended the marriage of her brother, Mr E. Begley, at Waipukurau, to Miss Olive Ryder, of Petone. The newly-married - couple were not on the train; they oame to Wellington.

Seek not to learn the wind at whirling vanes. Nor grasp at shadows whilst the substance wanes; The so-called wise let argue and debate, “Tho Riddle of The Universe" can wait. Know what you know—'tie little at its ' best— And leave to vast Eternity the rest. Coughs and colds know ono treatment sure— Woods' Great Peppermint Cure.

INQUIRYBOARD

STATEMENT BY MINISTER QUESTION OF SPEED RAISED IN HOUSE. The question of the speed at which the train was travelling was raised in the House by Mr Mcllvride, M.P., for Napier, who asked whether, in view of the statements of .passengers that “a terrifio. speed was attained,’/ he would inquire if instructions were issued to engine-drivers to increase speed: and whether in the interests of public safety he would have any such instructions countermanded. The Hon. J. G. Coates, Minister , for Railways, said the traffic branch very carefully went into the question of speeds as they affected grades and curves, and the locomotive branch also went carefully into the matter. In addition, the engine drivers might raise a question, and it otU-n happened that when a service was being redesigned, the secretary of the association expressed the opinion of the drivers. At

whether the train was travelling, at an excessive speed. Passengers had made statements, hut whether they - were right he was unable to say. The definite instructions were that time was' not to be made up except on certain parts of the line, and in no circumstances was an {engineer taken to task for losing time. The speed took certain curves in. A board ivould be set up to inquire into the accident, and probably the personnel of the hoard would be announced later that day. The inquiry would cover the question of speed and everything else. Mr. G. McKay, M.P. for Hawke’s Bay, asked if in view of the fact that this was the second serious accident at about the same place, the Minister would have a searching public inquiry made into all the circumstances by disinterested experts, and if he would give immediate instructions to have all materials preserved in their present conditions until thoroughly investigated, with a view to ascertaining the true cause of the abcident. Mr McKay also wished to know if the Minister would issue instructions to reduce the speed of trains over this portion of the line.

Mr Coates said the board he proposed to set up would consist of a magistrate (presiding), an engineer, who was not a member of the department, and an independent, non-expert ipember,.who might he termed the representative of the man in the street. Previously, 6uch inquiries had been conducted by the president and two civil

engineers, hut he thought they would widen it on this occasion, if they could get the man, by having a lionexpert member on the board. As to preserving the material, he thought that was always done, except that the line had to he cleared. The speed question would be a matter for careful inquiry and investigation. He was quite agreeable to reduce speed, if speed was a factor. He did not know yet if speed was the cause.