Terrible Railway Collision.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 7131, 13 November 1894, Page 4

Terrible Railway Collision.

THE REDFERN CASUALTY. FULL PARTICULARS OF THE DISASTER. For a long time New South Wales has been exempt from railway accidents of a serious nature, saya the Australian Star of October 31, and seldom has there been ! any grave mishap at the crowded city terminus, Redfern station. This morning, however, a fearful collision occurred between two passenger trains, and the ! result was of an appalling nature. ' The accident occurred at 9.30 a.m. I exactly. The first car of the incoming train (Burwood suburban), which was a first-class smoking car, was telescoped from both ends. The engine broke away the front woodwork and crashed into the interior of the carriage some 10ft or 12ft, j and the carriages following were forced through it from the rear. The, steam tubing and pipes ot the engine were snapped, and the end of the lire box was completely torn away. At the other side the heavy engine broke through the ironwork of the smaller locomotive, crushed the compartment used for carrying coal, tore away the buffers, smashed the cranks and other parts of the machinery, and forced its way completely under the boiler. THE SCESE OF THE WRECK ■was enveloped in escaping steam from the broken pipes, and the damaged cars were filled with the scalding vapour, and by this means several of thef passengers whn were fortunate enough to escape injury I by breaking timbers were terribly dis figured. Those on the station describe j the cries of agony as heartrending, and as some of the injured passengers dragged themselves from among the debris, bleeding or scalded, the sight was a terrible one. One gentleman, who seems to have come in direct contact with the steam pipe, got out and blindly groped his way about, complaining of his agony. The steam had scalded him fearfully about the head, face and hand. He presented a terrible spectacle. The whitened skin hung from his face in great wreaths, and dangled from his hands like a pair of gloves only partially pulled on. Others who were unable, owing to their injuries, to release themselves, were taken out by willing hands who had gathered to rendei assistance. BRUISED AND COVERED WITH BLOOD, and in some cases with injured limbs, their friends did not recognise them. Without delay conveyances were procured, and the ambulance was brought round for those more seriously injured. and the whole of them were taken off to the hospital. A geatletnan who happened to be on the Redfern platform at the time s«*y» that THE SCENE WAS A TERRIBLE ONE. His attention was attracted by a rattling noise, and looking in the direction of the departing train he saw a milk-can on the platform. For a moment he thought this had been thrown out of the train, but a moment later he discovered what was really the cause of the noise. He rushed at once to the spot where the wreckage lay, the broken cars being almost hidden by the hissing steam which was escaping in great volumes from the broken pipes. The cries of agony from the injured passengers were heartrending, and frantic efforts were made to release the imprisoned passengers, and willing hands worked hard towards this end. He described the shocking spectacle of some of the passengers with the skin hanging from their hauds and face in great loose shreds, and the horror of the blood covered persons who had been crushed or struck and injured by the broken timbers. Some of them walked about helplessly in a dazed fashion, unable to understand what had happened. The work of taking them off to the hospital was gone on with as rapidly as possible, and our informant took charge of one gentleman and had him removed to the hospital. THE DAMAGE. The whole of the damage to the railWay property was that caused by the telescoping oi the carriages. Parts of the two engines were curled and twisted just as if they had been made of paper instead of iron. No injury was done to the permanent way. Some of the passengers •were so badly injured, and were so over come by the shock and rendered more or less incapable or unconscious, that they left some of their belongings, such as parcels, bags, etc., in the train. These articles were taken possession of by the railway employees. The incoming train ■was badly smashed about, but in the other train only a part of one car and portions of the locomotive were damaged. The suburbau train, comprising seven American cars (four first and three second-class), left Paramatta at 8.50 a.m., and was due al 9 .0 a.m. It was running to time, and speed was slackened at the Wells-street bridge. It was proceeding at about the usual rate of speed, viz., six miles an hour, when the outward train ran into it. The latter had only traversed about eighty yards, and it had not attained a speed of above three miles an hour. The collision occurred right under the signal box. There was a considerable iiu.ount of telescoping The cars went • .ring 'nt<> one another. The seats woe .lppoc up. windows the whole ot (he glabtf iw S"i))B of the carriages being broken — and tiie walls and floors were destroyed as if they had been constructed of only matchwood. Then the large quantity of eteam which escaped from the engines 6oon filled the car spaces. Nearly three minutes elapsed, so some of the passengers state, from the moment the collision occurred until the cars were steadied. Cars were telescoped from both ends. The confusion and excitement amongst the passengers of the suburban train was indescribable. Their plight was made much worse by the steam, which was at boiling point, as it left the locomotives. Most of the injuries were those from scalds. Everyone hurt was more or less a sufferer by the hot steam. The driver and fireman of the suburban train were very much scalded. In the struggle to get out of the cars the unfortunate pas-