SERIOUS RAILWAY ACCIDENT.

Otago Witness, Issue 2676, 28 June 1905, Page 30

SERIOUS RAILWAY ACCIDENT.

TWO MEN KILLED.

i FARMER HAS TWO LEGS BROKEN.

(Peb United Pees* Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, June 24. 'A serious railway fatality occurred to th© midday train for Kaiapoi, whereby R. J. Alexander, schoolmaster, Kaiapoi, and John Richards, a farmer of the same place, lost their lives, and George Clothier, farmer, ■Kaiapoi, had both legs broken. The acci- ' dent* occurred about three-quarters of a miLe from Chaney's station, before reactions; Kaiapoi. The country was flooded in the" locality. The train had previously '«rone over a place jyhere there was a little 'water on the rails, and the driver was 'advancing very carefully. The track ahead appeared safe; but suddenly the engine iphinged into water, and sank half-way up ifco the boiler, the flood waters having loosened the soft, sandy soil. The brake and feeder next the* engine were tur.ned nn their ends, and the first passenger carriage ran into them. Alexander anil (Richards were standing on the rear platform of this carriage, and . Clothier on front of the next carriage. The first two mentioned were jammed between the two carriages and killed, and Clothier was caught in the wreck, and had both legs smashed. No one else was injured, though bbc passengers received a severe shock when the engine plunged into the water, md a second shock when the carriages struck the vans, which was sufficient xo bhrow people off their seats, and cause great oonsternation. Two doctors were sent from Kaiapoi, and a similar number from "here. The Minister for Railways first' heard of the accident at Rakaia, and was greatly concerned when he learned of the casualties. June 25. The scene of yesterday's railway accident Is a short distance beyond Chaney's, a flag station 10 miles fom Christchurch, one from Belfast, and four from Kaiapoi. There js a curve- in the line just beyond Chaneys, and a thick plantation of pines. It was in the midst of this plantation that the accident occurred. The overflow waters from the Waimakariri began to spread over practically level country between the river and the Belfast railway line, the line acting as a kind of dam. The soil at the scene of the accident is light and sandy, and the flood . water gardually worked ' its way through the railway embankment, undermining its foundations and consequently withdrawing the necessary support from the permanent way. Outwardly there was nothing to show that the track was defective, and the engine driver approached the fatal spot apparently without misgivings. The weight *£ the engine proved too much for the

weakened track, and the engine suddenly cupped into the depression caused by its own weight, and forced its way almost to the other side of it. But the rails gave way, one at the joint, and the other snapped cleanly off, arid the engine was thrown on its side on the left of the permanent way. The driver and fireman jumped from the engine into the water, and landed without , injury, and the guard escaped with a slight cut on the face.

The train consisted of eight vehicles — a road-sider van and the brake van being immediately behind the engine tender, and then five passenger carriages and a van. On the rear platform of the first caniago were standing Messrs Alexander and Richards — though some accounts state that they had just rushed out of the carriage on to the platform when the accident occurred. The road-sider van was smashed, and the brake van thrown at an angle from the line, the sudden stoppage forcing the first carriage into the second one. When this happened, Messrs Alexander and Richards's heads were caught between the ends of the roof of the second and first oarriages. Their heads were almost severed from the trunks, and dgath was, instantaneous. Glothier was standing on the front platform of the second carriage, and when tho impact occurred his legs were caught in the wreckage of the carriages, and both limbs were broken.

The bodies were taken on by train to Kaiapoi, and Clothier was removed to the bospital by train, which also conveyed the remainder of the passengers to Chrisfcchurch. The falling of the engine into the depression caused a breach in the railway embankment, through which flood waters poured with the force of a mill race, and the engine was quickly submerged. So strong was the flow that the cushions of the seats and portions of the wrecked vans were carried some distance from* the actual scene of the accident.

One of the medical men sent fiom Christohurch informed the railway authorities that with the other doctor he had searched for other injured passengers, but could find none. The passengers for Kaiapoi and Rangiora were conveyed later in the day via Rolleston, Malvern, Sheffield, "West Oxford, and West Oxford-Rangiora branches to their destinations, the Rangiora passengers being carried a distance of 72 miles in place of 20 miles, and those for Kaiapoi 78 miles instead of 14.

Ganga of men were immediately got to work on the line yesterday; but owing to continuance of the floods, were unable to do much. At 8 o'clock this morning large gangs were conveyed from the city, - and were soon hard at work repairing the damage. After the accident occurred an extensive washout took place about a quarter of a mile beyond Belfast; another nofe so extensive at the road crossing just before Chaney's, and a third, slight in character, a little beyond that station, the fourth being the one at which the accident occurred. This morning the flood waters had subsided considerably, but many of the paddocks and roads near the railway were

I still partially submerged. The engine was | half out of the water, with the two vans piled up on the left, the smaller van being practically smashed into tinder wood. The first carriage was still on the rails, but tilted, with its front near the level of the water. The front of the second carriage was jammed closely into the rear of the first, and it was just possible to gain access into the first by means of the rear platform. Clots of blood and brain matter on the end of the roof of the se.cond carriage and on the floor of the platform of the first were a gruesome sight. The hat of one of the victims was found by the side of the line. It also was spattered with brain matter. The repairing of the washouts between Belfast and Chaney's will probably j be finished to-day. A slight temporary j deviation of line is to be put in at the scene of the accident, to permit of the re- ; sumption of traffic as early as possible. A [ crane was taken to the spot to-day to assist in the removal of the wrecked vans and carriages; but the work of removing the engine promises to be rather difficult. The inquest on those killed opens to'•morrow afternoon at Kaiapoi. A large number of residents of the city and dis- | trict availed themselves of the fine weather t I to-day to visit the scene. R. J. Alexander has been headmaster of the Kaiapoi School since 1880. He was a native of Saxmuntham, Suffolk, England, ; and 61 yeare of age. He was a melnber of , i the Educational Institute, vice-president of the Kaiapoi Football Club, and was for 10 years captain of the Kaiapoi Cadet Corps. Ho was married. Richards is a well-known farmer, and was '

married.