RAILWAY COLLISION.

Oamaru Mail, Volume III, Issue 766, 25 September 1878, Page 2

RAILWAY COLLISION.

About half-past nine o'clock this morning a telegram received by Mr. Loring, from the Station-master at Hillgrove, conveyed the unwelcome intelligence that a collision had occurred between the night goods train and the No. 1 train from the South leaving Palmerston at 6.10 a.m., at Pukeiviti, and that some of the passengers had been injured, and applied for assistance. The goods train is supposed to leave Oamaru at about half-past three o'clock in the morning, and reach Palmerston at 10 minutes past six, passing tho train from that place for Oamaru. There are genei'al instructions to keep a look-out for the passenger train. On this occasion the goods train was considerably after time both in arriving and departing from Oamaru. Ic was half-past 4 when the goods train left Oamaru. It did not pass Otepopo until 5.30, or five minutes too late to reach Palmerston in time to pass the passenger train at that place. The goods train was driven by M'Moran, the guard being William Mearns, and these with tho stoker formed, we believe, the whole of those on the train. James White was the driver of the passenger train, and Arthur Dansey the guard. Immediately oil the receipt of the news of the accident, a special train was got ready and proceeded to the scene of the disaster conveying a quantity of material and implements for repairing the line. The train left Oamaru at ten minutes to ten o'clock, and had on board Mr. S. Loring (District Station-master) and Mr. Burnett (Railway Engineer), accompanied by a gang of workmen. It proceeded at a rapid rate, but at Otepopo a stoppage was made in order to ascertain whether or not the line was open, or -whether or not an engine had been sent on with the passengers of the disabled train. At Otepopo Dr. Smith, the local surgeon for the Railway Benefit Society, joined the party. The train left again at 11.15 a.m., having been detained, pending the receipt of telegraphic news as to the state of the line for nearly an hour. The accident occurred at half-past six close to Rowley's crossing, about a mile north of Pukeviti. The goods train had passed Hampden at three minutes past six, and after going some distance one of the centre trucks got oft' the line, and ran j along in the manner for a considerable I distance before tho train pulled up. To I the fact of the troods train having to stop i may be attributed the pleasing fact that . rho accident was not of a more serious nature, for the place where the collision occurred is one of the worst, on the line, curves being both numerous and short, rendering it impossible for those on trains to see far a-iiead The first object to meet our view on Hearing the scene of the accident was a large oit-.ntity of grain and j some debris from one of the colliding eni yines. J&.tshV these lay the unfortunate I driver oi tlie passenger train, .Tames White, ! whose left leg was found to be broken in two places below tho knee, both simple fractures. His leg had been bandaged up by some of those on the ground, but the poor fellow in use have suffered tremendously, having lain in the open air from half-past (i o'clock until nearly 1 o'clock. He was attended to by Dr. Smith, and having been placed in a carriage oil some mattra-sses, was brought on to Oamaru by the return special. He was at once removed by express to the Hospital, Mr. Loring having telegraphed to have everything in readiness. It was almost impossible to obtain anvthing like reliable information as to what took place when the engines met. So far as can be ascertained the goods train had been brought to a standstill, owing to a truck being off the line. Before thsre was time to send a man ahead i© warn the passenger train from Palmerston that the line was blocked, the up-train came up. The driver nt oace put on the brake and shut off sveam, but it was impossible to avoid tho collision. The stoker jumped ' oS;" the engine without any injury, but ; White, the driver, in getting off, missed i the lower step, and in coming to the | ground, broke his left leg. No. other i persoiiri were injured to any e.M.te&t wort'i j noticing, though there were, "some j braised. The telef'Tani received by Mr ; Loring statod of tho passengers were injured, bui this was altogether wrong, i and gave a more serious appearance to j the accident than was. actually the case. j Fortunately there were no passengers on j the train, while the fact that the goods irain was not in motion tended greatly to lessen rho effect:, of the collision. Still. both en<jUie.s appear to have suffered I to so;:ie extent, more particularly that of the goods train, large pieces of nor,, bolts, etc., belonging to it, lying about in all directions. When we arrived at the scene of the accidens the line was again clear, both tr«i:;a having proceeded to ao that there will: be no sioppago ri traffic. As one result of the ' aoriident the express train froir* in,e South ' was a lone; way behind time, having been detained in consequence of she line having been blocked, while the time-tables of all other trains have interfered with. The special train reached Oamaru at a quartev past if o'clock.