ALARMING ACCIDENT TO THE. NORTH EXPRESS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1912, 13 July 1888, Page 22

ALARMING ACCIDENT TO THE. NORTH EXPRESS.

A SLIP AT PURAKANUI CLIFFS

An accident occurred to the express train from \ hristchurch on Tuesday evening which, although by wonderful good fortune was not; attended by any serious results, was startling in the extreme, owing to the perilous spot at which ifc occurred. The line that winds along Purakanui Cliffs at a dizzy height is regarded as safe because of the special watch that is kept upon it and the extreme caution exercised by guards aud drivers at this point. But the danger of landslips from the cliff above is one not easily guarded against by auy precautions, as the mci- ' eit of on Tuesday evening showed. The line m.iy bo perfectly clear immediately before the pipage of a train, but the vibration of the approaching engine may supply the slight impetus needed to dislodge some portion of l.h« ovurhauging cliff loosened by heavy rains and heid in suspense. This, evidently, is the most serious danger to be apprehended at Purakanui. There was heavy rain all clay Tuesday, and as the express loaded with passengers was about the centre of the cliffs, a short; distance the other Hide of the caretaker's house, this very thing occurred. It was shortly after (7 o'clock, a dark night with heavy rain, and the train according to regulations was travelling very slowly. The watchman stationed at this section of the line had just signalled the train all clear and turned his back, when, without auy warning, a large rock with its accompanying debris fell fairly upon the engine. It struck the locomotive low down about the wheels, canting it over iuwards and breaking up the line where it fell. The engine left the rails immediately and fell over against the cliff on the landward side, two waggons also following ifc off the line before the train was brought to a standstill. Neither driver nor fireman were hurt, fortunately, but the engine was considerably damaged, and the steam that escaped in clouds prevented people approaching for a time to ascertain the position of affairs. At this particular spot there is a low outer bank of rock, but; had tho accident occurred a few yards further on, the engine would have been running on the very brink of the precipice, and a fall outwards instead of inwards might have entailed consequences too terrible to think about. As it whs, there was considerable uneasiness felt among the passengers, of course, .but no symptoms of anything like a scare. The sudden stoppage was unaccompanied by much jolting, and many of those on board did not know till so'netimt) afterwards what had occurred. After tbj nature of the accident was ascertained, most of the passengers kept their seats for a considerable time, but small quantities of earth and stones continued to fall upon the carriage roofs, and eventually all were glad to alight, despite the rain, and take shelter in the signalman's house or where else they could. Communication was of course made with Dunedin at once, and by a quarter-past 8 a train, with Mr Ashcroft (s'-ationmaster) on board, left the terminus in oHer to bring on the passengers. The run out to Purakanui was made in 40min, and no tirno w;is lost in transferring the pas'jpngers, with the exception of seme few who preferred to go back to Waitati, and the mails, &o. Th'^ special train reached Dunlin at v quarter to 11, the passengt rs thus naving suffered a delay of some three h< urs. All was done by the railway officials th it could be done for their comfort, and safety, bufc nothing can bo done to clear the line until this morning.

Mr Ashcroft, the staliontnafiter, who went out to Parakanni by the train which was despatched rmm the Dunedin station about 8 o'clock to bring the passengers, in reply to inquiries made of him said that on his arrival at the scene of tb - accident he superintended the transference of the passengers from one train to the other. Tl.ore were a large number of persons in the express train, most of whom were brought on to Dunedin, as also were the passengers from the Palnaerston train, which was unable to proceed be.yond Purakanui, owing to the accident. A fey/ of the passengers from the express, how*vit, went back to Waitati by the train from Palmerston. In addition to the passengers about 25 greyhounds were transferred from the ox press train to the one which went from Dunedin to meet it. The passengers' luggage, wi h the exception of hand bags and small parceH had, however, to be left behind. The accident, Mr Asbcroffc said, occurred through a rock abnut the size of a chair falling from the cliffs and striking the lower part of the engine, causing it to fall over against the bank on the inner side of the line. The engine was seriously damaged, and one of the rails of the permanent wry was also dislodged from its place. About a miaute and a half prior to the accident the wi tchman on the line passed the spot whpre the rock Ml. and signalled to the train that thi line was all clear. After signalling the train he walked up the line a short distance, and as he sti od aside for a moment to allow the train to pass, he saw the rook fall from the cliffs. It w: s very improbable that such an accident would occur again. A man was always kept on th<* look out for slips in the vicinity of the cliffs, ar.'l every possible precaution was taken topre.vent accidents.

The schooner Awarna, Captain Giles, has arrived at Invereargill from tjie Macquarie Islands. She Ic'b InvercatgiU on the 24th March, and has enconn' ered very boisterous weather, which retarded operations, There are no harbours at all at the Macquariea. The bays, which are merely indents in this land, are named after the various vessels which have been lost theie years a^o, such as Lusitania, Lord Nelion, Countess of Minto, Caroline, and Bencleugh. The Janet Kamsay's party had just been over to the Awarua's party for provisions and to make arrangements for the Awarua to come to South End to take that party and their oil to the mainland, fearing the former vessel had met with some disaster. The Awavua had to return after more than a three months' trip with a large portion of her oil casks, building timber, &c, which were intended for Lusitania Bay and South End, unlanded. The shore party were left in the best of health.— Southland Times.

A very old resident of Port Chalmers informs our shipping reporter that he has two sons on the Macqtnrie islands '«*a elophant hunting. Our informant, states they iear the party are put, to great straits for want of sufficient food. Wp notice that the Awarna ha 3 arrive! at, 1 m pTargill fnm the Macquarie l-;roui). and irii>t tlu.f our informant's fears are zromvHess, v Mnnv <>t ilia younjt fellows who comprise the scaling pnrtv at r.he Maequaries are Poil Chalmers mine-, and we trust th«fc '>>c Awarua's a"rival at liivci"a'C;il] willbrlnqr tin welcome news tn their p.i'cuts and connections that, they »re doing well and ampl^ su-wlied wil.h fcod— a very n^c< j ssiry tiling in so iu'-kment a climate as that of the islands.

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