TEMPORARY SERVICE A FAILURE

Taranaki Herald, Volume L, Issue 12252, 11 May 1903, Page 6

TEMPORARY SERVICE A FAILURE

RUSH FOR TRAMS AND BUSSES. THE TRAINS UNSAFE. . ACCIDENTS ON THE LINES. United Press v Association.— By E3ee* trie Telegraph.— Copyright. / Melbourne, May 9. Early to-day it was fo^ond iadpos-? - < sdble . to carry out e,ven the partial '•• timertdble . arranged for yester^ayi owing to there mot being' enough drivers an,d liremen. AJA J number ' of those who were expected failed to. turn up... „,'■• , :.,j Large crowds gathered,, at Spencer- v street and other stations to watch the despatch of trains', iiiclmdixig' many . strikers, who. used their efforts to induce those who, had ta.keai their places! to join them. Beyoivii this and" a ! little hooting the proceedingst. were" quiet and orderly. ■ •" It was close on 8 o'clock before the*'"' first suburban train got away, aoft .7 ery lew were despatched up to noon. 1 -The coutotry sersvitee was' cancelled,anid tihe sale of iidkets was stppjpeVl, • early in the morning. \ ' \ ■ .. Thejfsiual mwl tirai n > to ' Sydney waft amongst those stolppejcL ' ' _ The scqne in ihe bit- t.his morning;':, was . extraordinary. The travelling ptoblic, early realising that, "tihe tem-^ porary' service was a failure, riuslbeii the trams and /busses wihidh put fortih. all their available resmifrces, wWleall ; descriptions of .vehicles were eagerly pressed." into; the "serviced Bicycles turned o*ut in great force, but many thousands had perforce to be content with walking. From Prince's bridge Station only a' service to Camber well was attempted, but even that was. too great a strain. Three trains were seirt "out in the morning-. The first went througli all right ; tW second had "not moived \ ten yards when it broke down.-, On^y, , one 3iad returned ixp to ten Wcloclc. 1 ; " , A similar state of affairs prevailed! at Flinders-street. - . _.' '* - •M^ogether up to ten ? o'clock only six trains were tlespatcheii^ Jiust "as oife was starting an. adcideti'thaipjpened" to the giu-age.' "--Tfoe .vorun— teer driver and fireman jumped off,, anid lucidly nothing serious resulted}, , but* they were relieved of further d"uty. ' The Westinghouge brakes were' not used.-; \.. - ■\ >; ' lm , The majority of the trains are con- , . sidered unsafe. ' , " The ,voTunteer driver of one of the • .early trains was jfist reedy to " start from Spencer-street ancl the gjuawi blew his whistle, but the cTpver took' •up" his coat and stepped off tlhe board- . _"' p Two. accidents are reported sV> far. • A train was bein^ talceii out by a re- . tired- driver at Por^, Melbourne, when it ran off the line owing, ix, is'alfeged, to the -iSigiials not operating properl^. iThe traffic' was blocked -all the morning. . ' . . *: . •A seconjcl accident, of a tnore ser>iosus nature, occurred to tfce goods,lorain ,from" Benalla io MelboSurne, /it behig- derailed at A'venei.. Several tracks aivd t^he enp-ine< are .lying across 1 the track. Great damaprp was done to 1 tie polling- stofck and' permanent wayOwincr; to the conditicai,^of affairs con.••equeni . on i"be : s*^i^e H. has been foluncl impossible 'to clear the Kne. , Crowds of symh:»ai/hiser?' and .strflc— era grathereH a+ pH the st-ations. ■Tt is reported that i^l»e engineers in the tramway power houses have de— ciHpct'.to join t^e strr'--fi. The exp(re<ss from S^'cl.hey was an hour lale. It is> alfesvii the (M&y\wa» caTi'sed by the- oil tiire steejp being 1 pTeaswd. xTiaiinß are ssi^e-'trrtcT-nH all along the country linps. tS*n two stoinV 'beii^g taken .put. Hal thip jrodds left untouched.