THE RAILWAY ACCIDENTS IN VICTORIA.

Timaru Herald, Volume 2990, Issue XL, 24 April 1884, Page 7

THE RAILWAY ACCIDENTS IN VICTORIA.

[By TBIBQBArH.] (Per ».s. Wairarapa at Bluff.) MB.LBODBN'i, April 9.

Information reached this city on Wr:l:eeday night last, April 2nd, that, a tl;ockin t ! accident had happened on tho Goolung lii>e, by which several persons worn killed and v number injured, and great damage done to rolling stock. Tho jdelails sboweil that « collision took place betweon (m up passenger train due at Melbourne at ID. -16 p.m. and n down train consisting of about thirty-fiveempty sbeep-truefca. On receipt of the intelligence a relief train, conveying laborais to clear the line and doctors for the wounded, with surgical appliances and stimulants, etc., likely to be required, was immediately sent down. On arrival at tho locality of the accident, which was between Littlo River and Werribee, a terrible scene met the eyes of Iho party. Both engines were eml'rd'led m each other, and hopelessly shtvttarcd. The ironwork was thoroughly flattened, and they f.ppeared to merge into eaoh other as f»r as the funneli. The goods train appeared to hove suffered tho greatest damage. The tende was thrown off the wheels, and stood ngainst the engine at an an(;lo of forty-fire degrees. Trucks wore irokon to matchwood, and tbfir ironwork bent into extraordinary contortions. The passenger train tender was thrown off tho line. A second-doss carriage next it was demolished, and others much injured. An ambulance van was attacied to tho relief train, and Dr Charles Ryin and Dr Eccles attended to the hurts oi fcrm passengers. Kitchen, driver of the goods train, who was injured m the Hawthorne iccideut m 1882, was found jammed between thii engine and tender, having been pinned by falling eenl. He was removed to the bunk, whore he died shortly after. Tho classified slsfl", authorising him to proceed with the train, wus found. Sirs Johnson, of South Melbourne, also diod directly. She was m tho »e<ion:l-eiI»B3 carriage r eil tho engine. Craik, driver of the passenger train, sustained fraoture of the thigh and Other injuries, and died after hia admission to tho hospital. ]rires wpre lighted from wood debris, and tho doctors c'id all m their power to alleviate the suffering! of the injured. The scene was one eTer to be remembered, Tim falling rain, the mud undor foot, tho lurid light of fires lighting up the wreck or tho two trains, formed v picture of devolution. The doctors having attended to the worst cases, the wounded wero conveyed to the relief train, which returned to Melbourne, when the suffering were taken to the Hospital. Hie list of injured i» o» follows:-- -Samuel Best, guard of tho goods train, eevurely sbnken and burned ; Chas. Proctor Quest, fireman of the passenger train, severely injured ; Walter, 6reman of the goods train, internal injuries, symptoms unfoToroble: Urn Phoebe Hart, badly bruised ; Mrs J. O. Cummins, wouuded m the kreo and back, terribly shaken ; Mrs Milne, much shaken and bruised ; Mr Bieharde, cut on knee, shaken and bruised ; Mrs Catherino Geetty, fractured thigh, bruised body ; Mrs Aun Pill, aeturs injuries on chest and several scalp woundii ; Miss A. O. Moore, furehend seriously cut ; Mins Dick, esriously shaken ; David McMartuo, guard of tbe paisengpr traiD, collar bone broken, nasty scalp wound, bruised severely nil over body ; Misß Adams, shock j Mr Davis, drop wound on back of the head, injured neck and foot j Mies Davies, severe shock, and bruises ; R. B. Thompson, severe injury to kneo joint, severe shaking; P. W. Donnelly, head badly cut ; Mrs Woodburn, noae fractured, and other ipjurios j Mr Tcaton, badly braised, severe shock ; John Piiel, contusionf. and shock ; David Bird, culb and bruises j W. Davies and Mr Brach, slight injuries.

Xbe cause of tbe accident baa been ascertained to rest with Tho9. Biddle, the Werribeo stationmaetf r, who was ab-ent from h'u poet. He delegated his duties to his daughter, who made a mistako. Biddlo is organist at tho church, and went to choir practice as usual, without leave. Hie daughter ?ave tho staff to Kitchen, driver of the good* truin, authorising him to proceed, and at tie same time tel 'graphed to Little River, the next station, where the patsengor train was, that tho line was clear, and accordingly the pastcnger train was sent on the single line, while the goods train was speeding on m tbe d3^k m the opposite direction on lha same line. When Diddle returned to the station he enqiiirid from Little River where the mail train wae, and the answer came — "Gone. Scut 'line ejenr.' Train on way." Almost immediattly after he I got news of the accident. Hit' daughter is unable to explain why she sent the meaeago "Line clear," when she knew ths (,'ocds train was between the two stations. Soreral wpUknown persona were m Ihe train, including Major Smith, M.L.A , Hon. B. Thornley, M.L.0.,H0n. T. Gumming, M.L.0., who wont down the line with a red lamp, io order to protect the train. Mr Moss, adjuster of claims for the Ruilwiy Department, was alsj a passenger. Two hours after the news of tho Little Hiver collision reached Melbourne, news was received from Bonhury that a disastrous explosion involving loss of life had occurred there. Details show tbat whet* Hie e-rly morning goods train reached Sunbnry the boiler of the engine exploded, ki'ling the firensan Hutchinson, and seriously iiiju ing the driver, Harris. Thi* acoider.t hspprned oppo»ito tho residence of Sir W. J. Clarke. whoi« servants hurried to tho rcono. 'Che guard Cotterill, who was injurud by tho shock, proceeded back on the lino to stop trains coming on, and to obtain Biii<i«ta>iae. The upper portion of the onuino, neighing 12cwi, was hurled 300 yards by the force of the explosion, and thn line waa lorn up. The place where the accident happened was on tho bridge over Jackson's creek. At the inquest at Qeeloiig on ths bodies of Thomas Cole Kitchen ond Ellen Johnston, two victims of the Wernbee disaster, Bift, thn guard of the golds train, depoßeil that it whs not at all unusual for the station musters to bo obicnt when the goods train* paused through. In tho case of early morning trains guards frequently hud (o pick up the Staff from the platform, there being no pnrron it the ftition. Tho Coroner, m summing up, told tlio jury to consider Biddle's nonduct m leaving his post and intrusting his work to his daughter, instead of to a porter or other paid servant of the department. Strcse hud been laid on Biddle's long hours, — from a quartor to sovrn m the morning to ten at night, — but he had received assistance when he appliud for it. The jury returned «. verdict which tho Coroner waa of opinion amounted to one of manslaughter, and be committed IBicMle for trial at the July assize.!, bail being allowed.