EXPRESS COLLISION.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 13394, 30 May 1914, Page 9

EXPRESS COLLISION.

TRAIN OVER PARAPET AT 40 MILES

AN HOUK

LONDON, April IS. • Two persons were lulled and twelve injured at dikwn yesterday through an express colliding with the engine, of a goods train at Jiurntisland, Fifash'ire. The express, on tho North British railway, left Edinburgh, at 3.50 a.m. for Aberdeen, and about 5 o'clock passed through Buxutisland station. Here the railway line runs near the coast. After rounding a curve, the express was travelling at 40 miles an hour just past the station, when, with a glancing impact, it struck the engine of a goods train that was being shunted into a siding. At the point where the collision occurred the lin© is carried on a low viaduct, with the Burntisland public golf-links on one side and the seashore on the other.

So great was the- force of the impact that the engine of the express, of the Atlantic tyjje and Iknown as "Auld 'Reekie,"" left the metals and plunged over the parapet of the viaduct into the golf links 10 feet below. The engine, which embedded itself "several feet in the sandy soil, was wrecked. It emitted clouds of steam with, aHerrifying noise. The driver and fireman were killed in the fall, and buried in the wreckage. A third-class carriage and four luggage- vans were also carried over the parapet. The crash aroused many of the inhabitants of Burntisland, who hastened to the spot. The injured passengers were travelling in 'the carriage that plunged over the parapet. This carriage was partly telescoped. Guard Trotter went over the parapet in one of the vans, Which turned a somersault. He crawled out of the window with his hand slightly injured, and then promptly, put out flames that had broken out in the wreckage. He used a fire extinguisher provided by the -company after trie Aisgill disaster. One of his, hands was burned.

Several passengers had narrow escapes. Some freed themselves from the wreckage. Those . who were pinned down were rescued by other passengers. \,»n« was caught by the foot.- A companion who had escaped > through a hole in. the roof of the carriage returned and cut away his boot to release him. Three of the passengers in the- wrecked carria-ge 'had been spending Easter in Edinburgh, and had missed the last train for Dundee on Monday night.