THE RAILWAY COLLISION.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 13394, 30 May 1914, Page 6

THE RAILWAY COLLISION.

(Per Press Association.)

AUCKLAND, last night.. .No permanent physical injury is likely to be suffered- by any of the passengers who survived the destruction of the sleeper car in the disaster at Whoiiganiarino on Wednesday morning. Reports of satisfactory progress were given this • evening in regard to all of them by their medical attendants. The .doctors consider that in no case is there any fear of nervous shock having any sustained effect.

The condition of Ma- F. S. Goldingham, of Pahnerston North, was so muoh improved to-day that he will be able to leave Ms bed to-morrow. H© is rapidly recovering from shock, and from the injuries wihich *he received .through being driven through a partition^ wall.

The eitensive bruising received by Mr.H. A. Fox, of Wellington, is still very painfui. The dislocation of his toe was reduced oh Thursday, and he is now making good progress, though he will probably be incapacitated for some weeks.

Some of the other passengers who escaped physical injury are still suffering from shock, and are under medical v care. ' Complaints made regarding lack of tools available when the work of extricating the' injured passengers was undertaken were criticised by Mr R. W. MoVilly*, chief clerk of the Department, in an interview reported yesterday. To a statement t!hat only two axes and two crowbars were procurable, Mr McVilly replied that in the, guard's van of each train then© should have been the usual equipment of tools. , Attention was drawn by one of the passengers to-day to the fact that the van of the goods train in which Mr McVilly stated,, one set of tools could have been found was smashed with the other vehicles by the collision., so that it wag highly probable that the tools were either buried in th© debris or scattered, so! that a search for them in. the darkness would, have been fruitless. Even had the full equipment of tools from the vans of both . trains been secured, there t would have been only two crowbars and two. axed, which would not have been of any effective value in breaking asunder the wrecked portions of the two cars. The "sprags," "scotches," and other things mentioned by Mr McVilly were of no value for the work that had to be done.