Serious Railway Disaster.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 30, 27 May 1914, Page 5

Serious Railway Disaster.

MAJM TRUNK COLLISION' j NORTH-BOUND EXPRESS AND OOODS TRAIN. TWO KILLED—SEVERAL INJURED [Per Press Association.] Wellington, May 26. The secretary of the General Post j Office has received information that a collision occurred in Whangaraarino between the north-bound express train which left here at midday yesterday and a goods train. The collision occurred at 5 o’clock this morning.

It is reported that two passengers were killed and several injured.

| Whangamarino is a small station, ! seven miles south of Mercer and fifty miles south of Auckland. The settlement of the same name is two miles away from the railway, and the nearest telegraph office is at'Mercer, and the nearest doctor at Huntly, fifteen miles away. INFORMATION FROM ANOTHER SOURCE. THE CARRIAGES TELESCOPED. LINE BLOCKED FOR TRAFFIC. Auckland, May 27. A railway disaster happened to the Main Trunk express at Whangamarino, near Mercer, this morning. Several passengers were injured, some seriously. As far as can be gleaned, the express was running at full speed when it crashed into a goods train which left Auckland at midnight. Several of the carriages were telescoped. The line is now blocked for traffic. MR ORTON STEVEHS KILLED. One of the passengers killed is Orton Stevens, general manager for New Zealand of the National Mutual Life Assurance. MR PETERSEN KILLED. The second passenger killed was Mr Peterson, of J. F. McKenzie and Co. LIST OF THE INJURED. Those seriously Injured are:— Crimshaw (Wellington). Spinson (Wellington), who was taken to the Hamilton HospitaL . Others Injured are:— Ooldingham (Palmerston North). H. A. Fox, McKay, and Howard (all of Wellington). Peter Donaldson (railway porter at Whangamarino station) had his arm broken.

CONCERNING THE INJURED. Mr H. G. Mackay, of Melbourne, inspector of the Commercial Bank, who had been stationed at Wellington for the past six weeks, was one of those less seriously injured. The passengers are due in Auckland at 11.30 a.in.

Mr G. N. Grimshaw, who was among the seriously injured, is registrar of the Tokerau Maori Land Board, and J was formerly private secretary to Judge Palmer. He recently left for Wellington, intending to return with his wife and family. Mr C. Peterson belongs to Melbourne. He carried introductions to a commercial firm in Auckland.

Mr Stevens was one of Wellington’s best-known citizens. He had been in the service of the National Mutual Life Association for a great many years. He came from Australia about 15 years ago and assumed .he position of general manager for New Zealand. He was formerly mayor of Lower Hutt, chairman of the Hutt River Board, president of the Hutt Bowling Club, and it is understood he was to be the “Reform” candidate for Hutt. Mr Stevens was a native of Australia, and was nearly 50 year sof age. STORIES OF EYE WITNESSES , Auckland, Mav 27. An eye-witness stated that be was sleeping in a berth and was awakened by hearing the collision. “I sat up in my birth, 77 he said, “and a moment later I was thrown to the ground. The car seemed to t;p up It threw me several feet away. The side of the car was entirely smashed in. Several men were lying on the floor struggling under a mass of wreckage. Apparently the sleeping berths had tumbled down. The car was so strewn with wreckage that it was almost impossible to tell exactly what happened. I saw Peterson lying on the ground in great pain. Somebody came along and tried to restore him. He seemed to revive for a few moments and then became unconscious. I don't know whether he was dead then. Exactly how the accident happened it is impossible to say. Most of us we-e asleep. It came so suddenly.”

Another occupant of the sleeper, George Paco, said: “Our car was smashed completely in two and the sides of the train as well as the sleeping berths were all jumbled up. We were all thrown from one side of the car to the other. Some of those asleep

in the berths were knocked to the ground and pinned under wood.”