THE OTAGO CENTRAL RAILWAY COLLISION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12334, 23 April 1902, Page 5

THE OTAGO CENTRAL RAILWAY COLLISION.

THfi STATE OP THE LINE.

There is little further to. report in regard to the collision on the'Otago Contral railway. The injured passengers, as far as can v bo ascertained* aTo on a fair way to recovery, the chief sufforer being Sergeantmajor Cardalc, who will probably be confined .to the. house for a few days. Hie fireman (Ewart) is not so 60riously injured as was at first supposed, and examination revoalod the fact that his hip was not dislocated, but tho joint had sustained "severe contusion, which win necessarily compel him to bo laid up for some days. The work of clearing the Kno was hurried on With/dispatch, and at 1 p.m. the wrecking' gang had cleared tho lino sufficiently to allow the up trajn to get through. Tim wrecked! material was drawn back on to tho line, and some carriages and trucks were taken. back; to Hindon, while fho shattered wood-. work was simply thrown dear of tlw track. ...

Though the line is clear now above Hindon tho interruptions to trnffio havb.byi : no means ceased, and the etato of the per-'' manent way in tho W«lderbum district ig" so serious ns to necessitate an entire etoppage of goods traffic and the cessation of ' any traflio over tho portion of the line ' affected. At this particular part tho line' cuts through a great lignite bank .which rests ou ti pipeclay foundation, and as the" strata liss a very steep slope, tho whole of the formation above the clay is sliding down hill, causing the permanent way to , subside. The upper formation has slipped as much as 10ft within a littlo over a week, and consequently tho task sot'tho railway ■'. gangs is an extensive and costly onb. dings ' of men, with a ballast, train, are working there night and day. but it will bo some- : time before the line is fit to carry even the lightest engines, while further subsidences and slips are feared daily. Aβ far as land slips from abovo tho track are concerned, the lino is now clear. The damage to'tha' line has also created a great amount of extra-work in the local traffic- office, an,d ■ ■ several of the officers aro working night anfl day to overtake the extra, pressure. There is no telegraph system to the district, bull communication ie carried on by telephone, and much delay is caused in this way. The train from the Otago Central- ljne that should have reached Duhedin shortly ' ■after.4 p.m. yesterday, did not arrive till . 9.30 p.m.; having been delayed by the : work» m progress and tno clearing of tho Jine at Hindon. The traffic ma-uager hbs decided ; to boob no Roods or livo stock for stations beyond Eanfurly tuitil further notice, or ; from_ those stations to Dunodin, and -the • train leaving Dunedin at 2.10 p.m. daily will not book passengers for stations beyond Eanfurly. The- 8.15 a.m. train will, however, book passengers through, as a special service has been arranged whereby a train, from Ida Valley and Wcddorburn will run ; as far as the break and the up train will fun •■ up to this side of tbe broken sections,'and passengers will thus be transhipped. Strenuous efforts are being mtide to complete the repairs, but some time must necessarily \ elapse before tho normal traffic is resumed.;' i