FATAL RAILWAY ACCIDENT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11808, 10 August 1900, Page 5

FATAL RAILWAY ACCIDENT.

THREE MEN KILLED AND

MANY INJURED.

Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. MELBOURNE, August 9. (Received August 9, at 4 p.m.) .;A ballast train was derailed on the outer circle railway between Clifton Hill and Fanfield. Six employees were killed and one injured. (Received August 10, at 0.45 a.m.) The train consisted of a'-guard's van and 16 trucks, conveying 54 navvies to work at obtaining ballast from a disused portion of the outer circle line. The engine at the rear was running -at a good speed in a deep cutting, when the van left the rails and toppled over on the line. . The four nearest trucks were driven into a pile on top of the van, one turning a com-' plete somersault. The train was immediately stopped. The remainder of the trucks kept the rails, though they were twisted' and' smashed by the terrible impact.

The occupants were thrown out with great force in all direct-ions. They lay huddled in heaps, stunned, but they soon came to, and assisted in rescuing their comrades pinned amongst the debris.

Later reports reduce the list of killed to three—namely, Patrick Glennon, Edward Hanney, and John James Macgregor. The following were severely injured : —James Watson, W. Wobb, John Surridge, John Smith, Sylvester Smith, John Parsons, and Richard Clarke.

It is not expected that any' more will succumb.

Many others received slight injuries, Two guards managed to jump clear.

The bodies of the. dead were fearfully mangled:' '■■ ' ■ '• ' . . .

The cause of the accident is not explained. A much more serious disaster was averted by the presence of mind of a navvy named Brophy shouting to the driver when he saw the van toppling. The driver immediately stopped. Numbers were injured p by-striking the rocks at the side of. the cutting in jumping from the trucks.