THE SECOND ACCIDENT. NINE PASSENGERS KILLED.

Otago Witness, Issue 1994, 12 May 1892, Page 32

THE SECOND ACCIDENT. NINE PASSENGERS KILLED.

Ihe next morning, Wednesday, April 27, witnessed a second and more appalling disaster, which led to the loss of nine lives and caused injuries more or less severe to 11 others. The train was the mail train leaving Sydney for Bourke at 8 o'clock in the evening. It was drawn by one of the new Baldwin engines. When the train was entering a deep, rocky cutting about three miles from the Tarana station the enginedriver felt a bump, as if some mishap had occurred to the air brake and caused it to be involuntarily applied to the wheels. Looking back he saw the latter portion of the train swaying in a fashion that at unce suggested a serious mishap, and he immediately reversed his engine. The train, however, travelled 60 or 70 yards before it could be pulled up, and the scene for this short period will never be forgotten by those who saw itThe wheels of the carriages which had left the rails, whirling over the blue metal forming the ballast, generated sparks, which fell in all directions, and created a fusilade reminiscent of volley firing, This noise was speedily

drowned by the crashing and smashing of the woodwork and glass in the carriages, which were being torn to pieces against the rocky siding, as well as the screams of the passengers, who were being mangled in a most shocking manner. As soon as the train was brought to a standstill there was a hurried exodus of officials and uninjured passengers from; the carriages, and prompt assistance was at once rendered to the less fortunate. As an examination showed, the sleeping-car, mail van, and luggage van had got off the rails about 100 yards from where they were then standing, and tilting over against the side of the rocky cutting they .had been smashed past all repair. The last two carriages were torn almost i to pieces, and through the debris the bodies of the wounded and dead could be discerned. By good • luck Dr Kirkland, of Bathurst, chanced to be a passenger in one of the foremost carriages which .escaped without damage, and under his directions the injured were released from their perilous positions, and whateyer could be done to UHeviate their sufferings with the meagre appliances at hand was accomplished. The side of the damaged carriage was torn out, and the bodies of the wounded and dead were strewn about the place. Some of the killed were jammed between the carriages and the side of the cutting, from which were projecting huge boulders. The 'official information shows that all the persons killed were in one compartment of the mail van. The compartment held 10 persons. Only one of them, a man it is said, escaped alive, and he was not seriously hurt. When the carriage left the line it must have be,en travelling at a high rate of speed, and flymg off at' a tangent, struck the granite wall with tremendous force. The side of the carriage was stove in, and the passengers who by the impetus would be crowded to that side must have been hurled against the rocks and dashed to death. ! ' The following is a list of those who were killed :— Millie Ashwell, of George street, Marrickville, who had her head smashed and limbs terribly mutilated. W. Ware, who w.as proceeding from Sydney to Bourke. He had his skull fractured, and was ' breathing when first founds H. Doig, of Dunedin, a passenger from Sydney to Nyngan, whose right arm tfas broken, his skull fractured, and his face battered. Mrs M 'Donald, a resident [of Spicer's Creek,, and a passenger from Rookwood to Wellington; injuries, j a fractured skull and contused knees. George Dishington, passenger from Sydney ,to Nyngan,, a fractured jaw, injuries to the head, right leg broken. Carl Kcrsten, engine-driver, left thigh fractured, and fractured arm and skull. ' Charles Tailby, passenger from Rylstone to Dubbo, fractured skull and limbs toVn off. Mrs Cowell, of Ben Bullen, ribs of right side driven in and skull fractured. Mrs M'Donald, of Kiama, terribly mutilated.

Three of the killed were found under the brake-van, and in order to. extricate the bodies a screwjack had to be brought into play to raise the carriage. Most of the others who lost their lives" were found in sitting postures in the " grip*" or waterway. The bodies found ;in the waterway were all badly cut, and the limbs were' horribly mutilated. p I Several miraculous escapes were discovered. Both guards, though they had manfully stubk to their posts, and tried their utmost [to attract, the attention of the driver by forcing down the brakes, escaped almost uninjured. Mann, who was .in the guard's van at the extreme end of the train, was three times hurled violently from the brake, but managed to regain hiß position, and renew his efforts. He was badly, bruised, but his injuries were not severe enough to prevent him from rendering most useful- service. An infant about sk months -,old, named M'Donald, was thrown out of its mother's arms, and escaped with a most trifling abrasion, while the mother was killed. Side by side with the many miraculous escapes there was one case of very sad ill luck. An 'enginedriver named Charles Kerston, who had been stationed at Penrith, had received notice from, the Railway department, by whoni he was employed, that he had been removed to Nyngan. Accompanied by his wife and three children, he was on his way to their new honie from Penrith to Wallerawang. He and bjs family had occupied one of the compartments in the foremost part of the. train, but at that ■station he, vacated his seat in favour of a laqy who could not find accommodation in any other carriage except those occupied by men, and he took his seat in the last carriage of the train. He was killed, but his wife and family escaped. Tom Bates* a guard, who recently lost [a finger and was returning to his work kt Bathurat, was sitting in the guard's van, and though the seat he was sitting on was literally torn from under him he escaped uninjured. ' Guard Wilbrow had almost as miraculous an escape. He. was standing in the open doorway of the brake van, and when tha oscillation reached its height, just before the carriages tilted on to the granite rocks, he was throw,n out, and landing on top of the cutting, escaped without serious injury. i

When Mrs M'Donagh's body was found after the accident, a novel entitled " The Day Has Come," which she had been reading in the train, was discovered open at her side. The accident was occasioned by the breaking of a rail, but whether this fracture was caused by the Baldwin engine or by the heavy sleeping car is a matter which must be decided, if it is ever decided, by the expert evidence which will be forthcoming at the departmental inquiry that is certain to be held into the matter. j The suggestion is not only hinted, but openly expressed, that this rail had beep deliberately tampered with in order to rebut the favourable evidence adduced on behalf of the Baldwin engines. . It is not supposed for ;a moment that if anyone did such a .dastardly thing, he for a single instant realised the possibilities of his work or hoped to wreck a train. His. idea is surmised to have been that the train would get over in safety, but the damaging testimony of the broken rail would materially assist those who for .protectionist reasons object to the American engines. The suggestion is, of course, far-fetched, but it has been made, and it has been so widely circulated in Sydney that it must be mentioned. A more probable explanation is that the rail, which had been in use for 21 years,' broke from .sheer wearing out. ' , ' j THE TWO NEW ZEALANDERS KILLEJD. , At the inquest evidence was given by Arthur Cassidy, who was a passenger by the train, cotycerniiig the .two New Zealandcrs who weije killed, and of whom he was an acquaintance. These were George Dishington and Henry Doig._ He said : — George Uishington's relations reside in Chicago. Witness had known the deceased for about five years. He was 26 years of age, and was originally a clerk in Glasgow. Since he came to the colonies- he had been engaged as clerk and general station hand on the Earnscleugh station, in the province of Otago, New Zealand. Witness had known, Henri Doig since childhood. He was about 28 years of age, and was born at Green; Island, a suburb of Dunedin. He was employed as a draper by Messrs Sargoocl and Co.. of Dunedin. He recognised the bodies of Henry Doig «nd George Dishiugton, and also

that of his other fellow passenger. Both Doig and Dishington were single men.