TRAIN OFF LINE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19107, 31 August 1936, Page 6

TRAIN OFF LINE

RUNS INTO SLIP FIVE PASSENGERS HURT WRECK OF CARRIAGE ESCAPE OF ENGINE GREW CRASH ON EMBANKMENT (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, last night. Striking a slip a quarter of a mile on the Wellington side of Parnparaumu railway station, the Auekland-Welling-ton Main Trunk express was derailed at 6.25 o’clock this morning. The locomotive crashed down the embankment to within a few yards of the main road running parallel with the line. A second-class carriage immediately behind the engine was smashed to matchwood, and the four following carriages left ttie rails. Passengers in the front carriage had a miraculous escape. Although many of them suffered from abrasions, only three were injured sufficiently seriously to necessitate their retention in hospital. The engine-driver was Mr. G. A. Wilsher, and the fireman Mr. G. Cooke, both of Taihape. Their escape was even more remarkable. The locomotive came to rest on its side buried in earth to the floor of the engine cab, out of which they crawled without a scratch or scald from the escaping steam. LIST OF INJURED The injured taken to hospital were:— l A. Bush, retired, aged about 80 years, of Taumarunui, fractured both legs, condition serious. J. Bush, his son, a carpenter, of Taumarunui, .abrasions to face. V. Vilev, a farm worker, of Taumarunui, injured pelvis; condition satisfactory. C. J. Rogers, school teacher, Taneatua, head injuries, lacerated-right foot and cuts to hands;, condition satisfactory. C. W. Reeves, commercial traveller, 46 Naseby street, Christchurch, injury to left leg .and abrasions to face. The Wellington Free Ambulance received a call by telephone at 'about 7.30 a.nt., and two ambulances were dispatched. They reached the scene of the accident after an hour and aquarter’s run, and were back in Wellington -by 10.45 with the five victims, who were all admitted to the Wellington Hospital. After treatment at the casualty department, Messrs. J. Bush and Reeves were able to leave the hospital.

PREVENTIVE EFFORT FAILS An eye-witness of the accident was Mr. W. Howell, whose dairy farm is directly opposite the spot where the slip occurred. , Just after daylight, Mr. Howell went out into his paddocks to bring in hi,s cows for their morning milking, when his attention was attracted by the exposed clayey soil of the sloping hillside. Realising that there must be a slip on the line and that the Main Trunk train whs due to pass through Paraparaumu in a few minutes, he made valiant but unsuccessful efforts to intercept the southbound express.

1 ‘ I was out getting in my eows when I saw the slip in the hillside,” said Mr. Howell, “and, although I could not actually see if it were across the line, 1 knew it must be over the track. I looked at my watch and -found it was (5.23 a.m. The train was due in a few minutes, and I immediately ran towards the station, close on half a mile away, PLAN TO BREAK WIRE “It was my intention to break the signal wire so that the arm of the signal would go up to the danger position, for I knew there was no one on duty at the station at that hour. I was about 40 yards off the station when the engine whistled, and a moment or so later it passed through. “I waved frantically and called as loud as I could, but with the noise of the train and the poor visibility, it was impossible for the engine crew to hear or see me. Rain was pouring in torrents and I should think the visibility of the driver would not be more than 50 yards.” Steps were immediately taken by Mr. Howell to call assistance. He sent one of his boys to call the tablet master and Dr. Paterson, and with another he went to his lorry to the place of the accident.

“Just as I arrived there,” he said, “the driver and stoker were crawling up out of the engine -cab. The driver worked like a Briton and did everything he could for the distressed passengers.”