COACH WRECKED BY A TRAIN.

Colonist, Volume L, Issue 12156, 3 February 1908, Page 2

COACH WRECKED BY A TRAIN.

A WOMAN KILLED. THREE OTHERS INJURED. The niost serious accidoiit tbat has ever occurred on the Nelson-. Tadmor section of railway happened about 12. :40 p.m. on Saturday, when the 1.10 p.m. train for town, whicb was running earlier tban Usual on account of the holiday, crashed into Messrs Newman Eros.' MotuekaNelsonjcoach at the Appleby.crossing, a short distance Above the flag station at that place. The coach contained three passengers, all ladies, and the driver. One of the ladieß, Mrs Lydia Tilbury, of Lower Hutt, Wellington, was killed instantly, aiid all the others wero more or less seriously injured. The casualties were as follows: — KILLED. Mrs Lvdia Tilbury* aged 2H; wife of Air J." A. Tilbury, Lower Hutt. SERIOUSLY INJURED. Charles Briekland, coach-driver, contusions and severe internal injuries: Miss Fittall, aged 9 years, daughter of Mr Alfred Fittall, of Richmond, fractured thigh. INJURED SLIGHTLY. . Miss Susan Walters, sister of Mrs Tilbury — bruises and shaking. How the accident occurred is inexplicable at present. The driver of the coach, Briekland, has the reputation of .being a careful and capable coachman, and the engine-driver un the train — Stephens— seems to have taken the precaution- usual at the approach to a crossing. The train was travelling at a low rate of speed, as it was just entering the Appleby station. . t

The Alotuekd coach is in the habi of crossing tlie line at this point at a time when trains are not usually tb be expected, but on Saturday, as has been stated, the ordinary arrangements were altered on account of the holiday. >

The driver of tbe coach s_eros to have reached the line befdre he J became aware that- the train was approaching. He is as yet unfit to give any account of the matter, but an eye-witness of the occurrence states that the engine bad approached to within a few fe9t of tne coach, when the driver of the latter realising the hopelessness of attempting to get back, urged his horses forward. - Tdey bad just cleared the rails when the engine crashed into the side of the coach, reducing it to matchwood. Mrs Tilbury was apparently thrown under the'engine, as she sustained terrible ! injuries. Her skull was crushed in, her right arm broken, arid the left foot Was Severed from the leg, tbe toes of tbe rigbt foot beng crushed. She was quite dead when picked up by the train otticialsi Briekland was picked out of the ruins of tne coach, and it was at once apparent that he was badly hurt, though there were Ho external injuries. He remained conscious for sime time. Aliss Fittall seemed to fall clear of the wreckage, and sustained a fractured thigh. Miss Walters escaped lightly, her injuries being confined to bruises arid a severe shaking. It fortunately happened that Nurse Warnock, of the Obnstcburch Hospital, who was spending a holiday in the vicinity, and Nurse Fairball, of the Nelson Hospital staff, were waiting for the coach near the spot where the accident happened, and they at once rendered first aid to the injured. The body of Mrs Tilbury was placed in an empty carnage, and the injured persons were removed on stretchers to the guard's van, where they were attended by the Indies mentioned, and were brought on to Nelson. Mr Tilbury, with a friend, Mr Kingsland, of Appleby, were cycling to Richmond, where, with Mrs Tilbury and her sister, they intended to board the train. They knew nothing of the accident until they reached Richmond. On arrival at Nelson, the injured were placed in ambulances and conveyed to the Hospital, and Airs Tilbury's body was removed to the Morgue by the police. On enquiry at tbe Hospital yesterday, it was reported that Alissea Fittall and Walters were making very favorable progress, but Brickland was in a serious condition. Late last evening the report was that Briekland was holding his own.