SERIOUS RAILWAY ACCIDENT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 8254, 6 August 1888, Page 3

SERIOUS RAILWAY ACCIDENT.

The express train from Adelaide to Melbourne met with a serious accident at Middle Creek, near Ararat on the 20th ult., and how it was without fatal results i. almost miraculous. The train contained about 70 passengers. It oonMstcd of -a . boudoir car and several lirst and second class o"ie carriages. The train arrived at Middle Oreek at 10 "minutes too in the morning, and slowed in order to change staffs, ihe stationmaster, W. J. Morrison got out of bed hastily, and having portly dressed himself, he rushed out and gave Ihe staff. Entering tho signal box, he pulled he wrong lever, and the tram was shunted on to a blind siding about 300 yards long with a massive wooden buffer at the end. What is known as the Beaufort bank is the bete nolr of drivers en the line, having to be taken at a run or not at all After receiving the staff the driver, John lallow vsitU he recollection of the Beaufort bank cult^ before him, began to get up more steam and the engine was rapidly gathering headway The moon was just setting and there was but a dim misty light at the time, Mt not enough for the driver to discover the to nble danger ahead till close on the " &*&<** « tho siding, when Fallow saw the posts alout 30yd. awfy. Realising the danger, he instantly applied the Westinghouse brake at full pressure. The mechanism acung install ly, checked the speed of the tram before the impact took place. The engine ran fairly over the buffer heads and tore up the ground about an engine's length beyond the end of the siding. It then stopped. Fortunately the ground was very level and soft, causing the engino to settle down very low at the back, and the tender was forced up on to the footplate. The pressure of the brakes on the wheels of each prevented the carnages telescoping, and the shock to the passengers was very much reduced. The complication of tho tender with tbe engine was so involved that the driver and firemanwero hemmed in olose up to the face of the boiler, and narrowly escaped a dreadful death. When the engine stopped they climbed out through the window and returned to the footplate and shovelled out the fire through the window, thus saving the engine from further injury. Meanwhile tho guard had gone along the carriages to see to the passengers, but fortunately no one was seriously hurt. Many passengers were asleep at the time, and they were rudely awakened by the shock, which created great alarm, causing a rush to the doors. One passenger jumped out of the window, but fell lightly, and was not hurt. Several passengers we*e slightly hurt by packages falling from the racks. Fortunately no one suffered any serious injury -the escapes being miraculous. Onepas-sens-er in the second class compartment of of the carriage next the tender had a narrow escaoe The buffer bursting, the wookwork passed' between his legs. Another passenger I was thrown from a top sleeping berth on to i the floor. A lady had a portmanteau thrown jon her lap. A horseman was sent to BeauI fort for assistance.