COLLISION ON THE ST. KILDA AND BRIGHTON RAILWAY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 171, 3 June 1862, Page 5

COLLISION ON THE ST. KILDA AND BRIGHTON RAILWAY.

( From the Argus, May 22. ) Close tipon the heels of the late disastrous accident on the Melbourne Railway, which took place on the Bth inst., another catastrophe has occurred. At about twelve minutes to one o'clock yesterday afternoon, two trains ran into each other in the middle of a deep cutting, which is spanned by the Hotham-strect Bridge, about a c;tn:tcr of a mile on the Melbourne side of the Eistemwick Station. Differing from the last accident in results, insomuch that the injuries to passengers were generally considerably less in extent, yet the very nature of yesterday's affair is of a character far more alarming, for while the carelessness which produced the first collision was of a comparatively slight kind, the cause of this appears to be of much greater importance.

The accidentjhappened in this wise. The ordinary Brighton train which usually leaves the Melbourne llailway Station at a quarter to ten a.m., and arrives at Brighton at twenty minutes past ten, was a little behind time. On its arrival at the Beach terminus, however, the engine ran her leading wheels off the line, the rails being out of gauge. Mattinson, the engineer, forthwith sent a message to the Bay-street Station for a screw-jack, and got the engine back to its place again. Oiling the gear and fixing everything right, occupied some little time; so that, though the engine was on the line again by twenty-five minutes past 12 p.m.—the hour at which the train should have left Brighton (the five minutes past 11 a.m. train from Brighton being missed) —it did not start till twenty minutes to 1 o'clock. Stopping at each station in the ordinary way, this uptiain. arrived at Elsternwick Station, just beyond which is a deep cutting, curving under llotham'street, at a quarter to 1 o'clock. Suddenly Mattinson became aware of the fact that a train was meeting him. Both engines were whistling luudly; but the curve shut them from the view of each other till too late, and a collision was unavoidable. Tucker, the stoker, and Billing, the guard, jumped off. Mattinson reversed his entjino and then jumped, but so unfortunately that he broke his leg in the fall. The force of the collision was tremendous, and its efFect extraordinary. Those acquainted with the rationale of these accidents know that on a collision something must give way, and upon the whereabouts in the trains that will so give way depeuds the danger to passengers. In the last accident, it wi 1 be i emembered, it was the passenger carriages that did this, and hence the great number of injuries. In the present instance, the guard's van of the up-train suffered. The downtrain was the heaviest, and had the most impetus ; a.id not content with smashing into the coal bunkers of the up-train eiigine, it absolutely drove the guard's van out of the train, by forcing the wheels and cross pieces under the long carriage adjoining it, and smashing the upper part into splinters ; in fact, at first sight, after the accident, the train appeared to have been without a guard's van at all. Half of the up-train engine was thus driven through the guard van into the long ladies' carriage, one end of which was raised on the back of the engine some five or six feet higher than the other end. This carriage, which was a late invention, and described some time ago in the Argus, amply vindicated its reputation by firmly holding together under those circumstances. Strongly bound by iron ties, it remained rigid under very nearly the same circuinsLances which smashed the guard's van. The consequences of the collision to the passengers were various. The shock was, of course, terrific, and this, the fright, and the suddenness of the affair made matters appear terrible. There were women shrieking on every side, and everybody in the carriages were upset one against the other. The inmates were soon released ; but everybody had received a severe shaking, and a large number of persons even worse injuries. Tongues bitten through, faces and limbs severely bruised and wounded, clothes torn, and feet and ancles sprained, were common, but, with one exception, lew of the injuries went much farther. The Hon. 11. Thomson, M.L.C., was in the downtrain, and the shook of the collision broke his right leg just below the knee. This was serious, especially as Mr. Thomson is somewhat of a full habit of body. He was conveyed to his residence in town as soon as possible, ami his leg has been set, but there was a coirmound fracture, and though it is to he hoped nothing worse will ensue, there is no certainty on the point. The driver (Mattinson) was taken to the Hospital, where he is doing well. Dr. Patterson, of St. Kilda, was on the spot shortly after the accident, and actively attended to tiie wounded. The causes assigned for the accident arc various, nor, at a somewhat late hour last night, were the railway authorities themselves quite aware of them. Information that the Brighton engine hail, got oft* the line was certainly received in Melbourne, and Mr. Sacre, the inspecting engineer of the line, was in the down train; but it does not exactly appear what message was given at the Chapel-street Station respecting the nature of the accident by which the engine had got off the line at Brighton, On that is supposed to depend the cause of the accident. Craug, the engine-driver of the down train, was arrested by Inspector Taylor (who was on the scene of the accident, with a body of. police, shortly after the affair), but he has since been bailed out. The engine of the up train is thesamo that drew the up train on the occasion of the previous accident. Its repairs had only been finished tac day before. All last night gangs of men were' employed removing the debris of the accident from the line. They worked by the light of torches and a fire compjsed of the splinters of the smashed guard's va-. Save the damage done to the wheelwork of the long carriage, the passenger carriages were little hurt, except in the matter of the disarrangement of the seats. The line was nearly clear at a late hour last night. The company have suspended their connexion with the Melbourne Comp my, and their passengers will now be carried, as before, by the Melbourne and St. Kilda Company, from the Hobson's Bay Railway station. Trains will run to Brighton this morning.as usual, only at different hours and from^diilerent station.