ON A BRIDGE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVI, Issue 20, 28 May 1913, Page 5

ON A BRIDGE.

TWO TRAINS COLLIDE, CARRIAGES TELESCOPED. ENGINES BADLY DAMAGED. ACCIDENT DUE TO HEAVY FOG. [Per Press Association.] Auckland, May 28. A passenger train from Henderson and the train from Auckland collided on the railway bridge at New Lynn at .30 this morning. Two carriages were telescoped and both engines were badly damaged.

The facts, so far as have been ascertained, indicate that the signals were obscured by a heavy fog and were not visible until the Henderson tri in was right upon them. The driver of the train, on observing the danger signal, promptly applied the brakes, with the result that passengers were thrown out of their seats. The rails wore very greasy on the steep grade, being covered with frost, and the train kept on at a good speed until it crashed into the train from Auckland. The latter had gone up the line to a side track, and before it could return the collision occurred on themiddle of the New Lynn bridge.

The Force of ihe impact

The engines collided head on, and both were badly broken up. The first carriage of the Henderson train was not damaged, but the next two were completely telescoped and crumpled up like a concertina. Both carriages left the railway line, and were hanging over the side ol the bridge. . The next two carriages had the windows broken. The rearmost carriages escaped. On the other train showing the force of the impact, the buffers for almost the whole length of the train were driven into one another. How ihe Passengers Fared. Several Badly Injured. Nearly 200 hundred passengers were on the Henderson train, but there were only a few workmen 'on the other. About nine passengers sustained slight injuries by cuts and bruises, but several were badly hurt. Stone, a resident of Gratia, was very badly injured, and was conveyed to the hospital. A railway employee named Thomas, and a fireman,.on one engine were, very badly -j, .) LATER PARTICULARS. MARVELLOUS ESCAPES. Only seventy passengers were on the trains at the time of the collision. Tw(Pitt*Svthe in thfi first carriage of the Henderson train, and were, with brm'fexception, severely cut and bruised.' *it (!■ * The second and third carriages which telescoped had only two passengers. One named Stone was extricated from the wreckage of the third carriage with difficulty.i The second passenger, Farrell, had a marvellous escape. The third carriage crumpled up into space. Four feet of the side, bursting out, went ovei the bridge and fell into the water 5( foot below. The bridge on which the trains collided, is 50 feet long.

Account of the Accident. One train had been taking in watei at New Lynn, and was backing on td a side track to let the other (passenger) train past, when the latter appeared coming down a hill and round a curve. Both engine drivers jambed on the brakes, but it was impossible to avert a serious end-on collision.

The two 45-ton engines met with terrific impact, and every one of the eight cars in the passenger train bears evidence of the force of the collision. A Scene of Excitement. Immediately there was a scene of wild excitement. Half a dozen men and women were carried out unconscious. One doctor in the vicinity was promptly in attendance, and another soon came on the scene. As one indication to show the force of the impact, it may bo stated that two sleepers on the bridge were cut through, and the railway line was badly dented.