AFTER THE WRECK.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 July 1923, Page 5

AFTER THE WRECK.

THE LINE NOW CLEAR. DEBRIS QUICKLY REMOVED. ANOTHER DANGER SPOT. SLIP NEAR TE KUITI. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Taumarunui, Last Night. The huge crane from Auckland did wonderful work in clearing the line at the scene of the railway disaster, removing the debris, the engine and the broken carriages. The work was continued in shifts all Saturday and Sunday, and the last shovelful of ballast was spread on the new portion of the line about 5.30 p.m. on Sunday. The first train to pass through was a “goods” from Taumarunui at 6 p.m. on Sunday. The scene of the disaster was visited by numbers of settlers and residents of Ongarue, and the clearing operations were watched with interest. The damaged engine and the partly damaged car “D” were drawn up to the Ongarue railway station, and .the debris was burned in heaps on the bank. Among the debris could be seen the 'broken iron frames of the wrecked second-class carriages. There were so badly broken that one could readily imagine the force of the impact and the reason for so many mangled bodies among the victims. LOCALITY DESCRIBED. On the side of the track were also to be seen a gas cylinder intact and another one which had been either smashed or exploded. Further along was the cowcatcher of the derailed engine. It was severely twisted and bent up, providing evidence of the rough handling it had received in the collision with a three-ton boulder. The hillside from which the boulder and other material fell shows a fair gap, such as is seen in hillside slips. It is not a dangerous looking overhanging cliff, but an ordinary looking hillside on a grade, and overgrown with fern and scrub. There are far more dangerous looking spots on the Main Trunk line than this one, but local experts say it is nevertheless a bad spot. Some consider that the whole of the face at this bend is on the slide towards the river, and that some time in the pass there has been a huge slip thwe, which narrowed the river into a small, fastrunning torrent such as it !s Just below Ongarue township.

FINE SPIRIT OF WORKERS. The railway officers are exceedingly grateful for the fine spirit shWn by the men of the Public Works Department. Immediately the accident was notified to them at Okahukura, Mr. A. C. Pascand (assistant engineer) and Mr. S. Holmes (foreman) discontinued the day’s work on the Matiere section of the railway and jumped into the emergency, organising all hands and placing them at the disposal of the Railway Department. Thia band of willing workers set off at once for the scene of the accident, and under the able leadership of Mr, Holmes did splendid work until lelieved by the railway workers. Mr. Sketlor (resident engineer) did not hear of the catastrophe till 8 a.m., and he was more than gratified to hear that his men at Okahukura had responded to duty’s call without waiting for orders. It was one of those occasions which called for prompt action and initiative without appealing for formal instructions, and the officers and men are to be commended for their foresight.

A DANGEROUS LOCALITY. The Te Kuiti portion of the line, between Puketutu and Te Kuiti, which has been causing the Railway Department a good deal of anxiety of late, was inspected yesterday, the inspection revealing the fact that the department has good reason for its anxiety for the safety of passengers traversing this route. Above the line there is a eloping bank, and below a fairly steep drop of two or three hundred feet. A slip started a week ago below the line, and is forty-eight feet wide. A fence below the rails hangd in mid-air. The line is being watched day and night. After the passing of a train the line subsides. It is then lifted bodily with jacks and metal is poured under the tails. Twenty-eight truck loads of metal have been placed under the rails in this manner under the sixteen yard stretch in the last few days, but the yielding earth seems to swallow it almost as fast as it can be put In.

MISELAP TO GOODS TRAIN. A goods train that went over this portion last week had seven wagons derailed as a result of a jolt after passing the sunken rails. A quarry gang was requisitioned, and the wagons were back on the line in a few hours, not much damage resulting. The slipping land immediately below the rails is full of cracks and fissures, and may give way at any time. It is thought to be safe enough in fine weather, but at present it looks dangerous. The landslip is said to have been caused by the recent continuous rains. Sunday and to-day were fine, and the rainy season appears to b? over. Tn sixty-one days in May and June rain fell on fifty-five days, the total fall being 15.47 inches.

POLICEMAN A VICTIM. Christchurch, Last Night. Police Constable Grant, one of the victims of the railway disaster, was associated with Police*'inspector Cassels, of Christchurch, in the work of arresting Rua. the Maori- prophet, in the wilds of the Urewera country some years ago. Inspector Cassels says Constable Grant was a Maori linguist above the average ability, and had considerable mana among the Maoris of the Urewera. CONDITION OF INJURED. A GOOD REPORT. Taumarunui, July 9. The latest bulletin from the hospital regarding the railway injured states that of the serious cases Collins had a good night and his condition has improved, Campbell is doing very well, MacFarlane shows improvement and Neale is doing well. There has been some anxiety over Mrs. Smith, but she is now also doing well. The following are making good progress: Dignan, Tyler, Brownlie, Walker, Fley, Wheeler, Shepherd, Billing, Hughes, Morgan, Mirs Morgan. Miss Gordon. Mrs. Hendevson.