BEAUFORT RAILWAY DISASTER.

Colonist, Volume LII, Issue 12767, 8 February 1910, Page 2

BEAUFORT RAILWAY DISASTER.

FURTHER PARTICULARS. DRIVER'S TERRIBLE INJURIES. AWFUL SUFFERING OF A VICTIM. INSUFFICIENT BRAKE POWER. LPuess Association — Copyright.]

Melbourne, Feb 7. The surviving driver of the engines which collided at Beaufort on Saturday, Gronn, was scalded from his h j.to the back. His loins wore also crashed and a hand was broken.

Ho states that there was a Scottish mist at the time, with slippery lails. As hfi came down Beaufort Bank tho first thing he knew was that there v. as a train on No 2 line.

He called out, "Good God, Charlie, we are on No 2.' There is the dead «* nd. Jump I" But before either could jump a crash came and tlie two engines, with a heavy wheat train behind, wero piled up. He was jammed between the lever ira.me and the injector pipe by his foot. The. gauge glass burst and began to scald him. It was awful, but the steam made his boot s.-ppavy, and he was able to wrench out his i-iot and get on to th© permanent way.

The driver of the second engine v as noarly cut in two, while Russell's head was almost severed.

Gillard had awful suffering. He w&s pinned under wreckage in an upright position, .enduring terrible agony 'fron the heat of the boiler, while a hook 3d pieco of metal penetrated his back. 'Je lived for four and a half hours. c*.«.perhuman7 efforts were made to release him. Once or twice he encouraged tho rescuers who wera doing their best f. ihim, and' occasionally a cry " was wrung from him by the pain cau&ed by tlio scalding water from the be tier. Daylight found him in the same stale. A doctor was standing by administering morphia, but Gillard died before he was extricated.

Gronn complained before leaving Staivell that his engine was not lioperly braked. It appears that thoengino was practically without brake power on the fatal journey. Railway officials admit that the • econd engine was of low brake power. Thq signalman's story shows that the stationary engine had nothing to do with the disaster. Th© line lud been made clear for the goods tiain. He went down the platform with ihe staff when the train was within CO yards of the station, and miw that (-be was travelling too fast. He ran bajk to the signal box to turn her off th© loop on to the main line, but he was too late. She was over "the intersection, making straight for the dead end. He heard Gillard cry out: "For God's sake hit me on the head and out me out of this." The signalman then ran for the doctor.