AUCKLAND TRAMWAY ACCIDENT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13208, 15 February 1905, Page 5

AUCKLAND TRAMWAY ACCIDENT.

<3> AUCKLAND, February 14. Thoso injured in tlia collision between a tramcar and a 'bus last night wcro Miss Pearl Foster, aged three; Miss Gladys Foster, aged nine; Mrs H. Ilill; Miss Marion llill, aged nine; Miss Jossio Hill, aged seven; Miss Anna Anderson; Mr William Young; and Driver Peter Uanlcy. Mrs Lily "Foster, who resided in. Picton street, l'onsonby, was hurled under the oar, and was shockingly mangled. Miss Anna Anderson, a young lady passenger, was- irt the 'bus seated in front of tho ill-fated) Mrs Foster, who aIEO "had with her her two little daughters—Gladys (aged nine) and Pearl (aged three). In front of Miss Anderson sat Mrs Hill, wifo of Herbert Hill, Norfolk street,'Pousnnby. With her were her two little girls—Marion (agounine) and Jctsio (aged seven). All except Miss j®tlcrson and Mr 'William Young (who was on tho box swvt) appeared to have been thrown clear of the train lilies. Mrs Ilill sustained slight 7 injuries to one of her legs and the side of her head. No bones were broken. She was very Badly shaken, and suffered noutoly from nervous shock. Her daughter Marion escaped with nothing worse than' a severe shaking. Miss Jessie Hili was less fortunate. She was badly injured in tho right side of the head, the wound bleeding profusely, and was also bruised about ilio knees, in one of which was a deep cut. Little Pearl Foster had one knee broken, and the bona? so' badly fractured that, an extremely difficult operation was necessary. The surgeons regard * her _ caso with fome misgivings. Her elder sister Gladys had one of the legs ininretl and was badly knooked about. Tlia children vl'oro in dreadful distress when their pitiful cries for their mother brought no response. Young awLiho driver were carried along with Uie wreckage of tho 'bus. . Tlio former was injured about the head and legs, which ■wore' seriously cut aboiit. TKe 'bus driver, Gariley, it is feared, sustained internal injuries,- besides: having several ribs broken, and wii badly lacerated about the face. Tho prccife extent of his internal injuries are not definitely ascertained. Mrs Foster and her two children had been spending tho holiday.,at their residence, St. Helier's Bay. "Mr Foster went down on Saturday for the week-end, and. returned to town yesterday morning, his. wife and | tho little ones following by the 'bus iii the 1 afternoon. ' '• TITS MOTOBItAS'S YBItSIOX.

"■ Tlie story of the accident told bv Motorman Partridge is. that ■ when lie left t*he corner of Symon& street. and Kyber Pass road ho noticed a 'bus travelling towards town on its proper side of the road directly in front of the car. . Aliout two chnihs off Eart street the driver of the 'bus was obliged, owing to cwavations bsitig inado on the west, side of'ihe street* to cross tq the right-hand side .of the rdad. This,ho accomplished safely, and then drove flown the. right-hand side of the toad. " The. car ptilled tin at its stopping-place at East street. When the car resumed its journey 'the 'bin was still in front of. it on the righthand side of the road. Aboiit four cliains on the city side "of Eilst street the .'bus driver started, to cross over again in front of tlio car to the left'side, of the road, which this~poiht available.for traffic. The 'bus. started to" <-ross over ihe line".without any warning ; He iriuriediately applied the emergency brctko arid ratchet brake.; The. motors answered ..to the emergency brake;

but owing to- tho short warning the ruotormaa was unable to pull up tlio car in time to avoid a collision with the 'bus; "

Those injured in tho' train itccidelit dro progressing us favourably 'as cdn ' be expected. ,

Air. William .Young had a teriiarkablo experichce, arid the wonder is that he escaped with his life. Mr Young telU his own story as follows: —" I was sitting on thei front seat, in'company with the driver, leter Ganley, rind had in warning bf tho impending accident. I had hot lieaid tho gong) or anything in, the shape of warding,, from the tramcar, and iny first intimation was a bump oil tie back- of the htad. For a moment X thought that somo of tho front gear of the 'bus had given way, and then . heard tho screaming- of the inside passengers, whioh gavo the. impression that something moie serious had happened; but I was still unaware of what had really happened, aiid was given no time to tliink, as I was swept along some distance, with tho 'bus goiiig to pieces all.round me. Wllon I came to a standstill I saw that Ganley wns still in, the wreckage. I Eaid, 'What's up, Peter?' I received' no.reply, ami, creeping out in a half-dazed condition, crawled across tho roadway to tho footwalk; where I sat on the kerbstone for a few moments to collect my scattered senses, From tho appcaranee of my clothing and knees I canlc to. tlio conclusion that I had been dragged along the roadway at tho bottom of tlio wreckage, but tlio whole thing was so sudden that it is impossible for me to give anything iiko a proper idea of what happened" Miss -Viina Anderson was li passenger by the 'bus. Sho had been spending tho weekend at St. Heliers, and was returning to town. Sho was eeated ill front of Mrs Foster,, wiio was killed, mid behind a latly with two children whoso 'lliincs sho did not know, but who were, she believed, among tho'6eriously injured. . Miss Anderson, who was very badly bruised about the body, "and suffering from soveio nervous prostration, said sho did not remember much about what occurred after tho c«r smashed into tho 'bus. "I saw tho car coming," she said, "and .realised that there was no help for lis, "I cried oiit, but immediately afterward the collision took pluco.- I was dazed for a moment, and felt that it wa's immaterial to mo whether I was killed or alive. I believe I was tho only 9110 left in'the 'bus and that the others were thrown out. At imyrato, I was found in tlio 'bus, It was a dreadful experience, but I rcmembor very little about it." Miss Anderson is a sistor of Miss Cora Anderson, who was a passenger by tho ill-fated steamer Elingamito, which was wrecked on Tlireo Kings on Now.niber 9, 1902. Dr J. Ilanlio Neil states that at tho time of tlio aeoldcnt Ira was driving down Symonri street, on tlio left sido of the road, some distance ahead of tlio cm* and tho 'bus. When about opposite the cemetery gates ho heard tlio crash of the collision, ami Oil looking round saw tho 'bus being pushed along tho lino by tho car amidst a oloud of dust, a shower of flying fragments of wood and glass, accompanied bv tlio screams of women and children. Ho at once drove baok. and 011 irottimr to tho Bceno of tho accident saw tho unfortunate woman Mrs Paster lyinor under tho enr on the insula of the rail. Dr Neil immediately had hor removed, and after making » hasty examination, which disclosed slitrlit signs of life, ho had hor removed to 'ilio footpath, when 110 again examined her. - Ho found that, sho was in a vorv serious condition, and os soon as possible ho had her removed In a vehicle to tho hospital. Br Neil, who also joined in rendering wlmt assistance was possible to other persons who wcro injured, states that tho sceno was a very pitiable one—wohien screaming in terror and children oi'viug for their mothers, from whom tlipv had booonie senarated in tho collision, Mrs Foster's two 'littlo girls woro found on tlio sido of the road. They ww» not told what ImA haDpnncd to their mother, and wcro removed to tho hou«e of Mr BoiisWU, in F.'ist street, ■"'here Dr Noil examined their injuries, Th<?v were afterwards removed 1 to Jtawlingetonfs Private Hospital. Ornfton rond, where they were attended by Dr Purchns.