SMASH IN FOG.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11027, 16 March 1914, Page 6

SMASH IN FOG.

DRIVER SAW NO SIGNALS. MAIL CRASHED INTO GOODS TRAIN GHASTLY HEAPS ON THE LINE. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright SYDNEY, March 15. Advices stnte that fourteen persons were killed and thirty injured. Confusion still exists regarding the identification of those killed or injured in the disaster. Latest advices giving a corrected list of those killed are as follows : Heaver, sen. Arthur Hearer. Alice Heaver. Bray (mail guard). J. C. Minnis. Mrs Minnis. G. L. Pollard. Mrs Clarke. Fred Kurzenhagen. Miss Eglington. Miss Shelley. Mrs L. Parker. A youth supposed to be named Walker. A woman believed to be Mrs Kurzenhagen. Nineteen injured., who were taken to the hospital at Bowrol, are progressing favourably.

CAUSE OF THE DISASTER. A SCENE OF HORROR. PATHETIC INCIDENTS. The disaster is the most, terrible in the history of New South Wales railways. .•.'•• Reports state that at tho moment of the impact the goods train was being shunted on to a siding to clear . the main line to allow the Temora mail to pass. A dense fog obscured the sig-, nals, and the mail train crashed into the goods train, telescoping two carriages. Neither engine left the rails.

The first arrivals state that the scene was one of indescribable horror. The mail van was reduced to matchwood. There were ghastly heaps of" human .beings, and .screams, and groans from imprisoned victims were coming from the mass of debris.

Tho saddest feature was that the Heaver family was travelling to Cootamundra to bury Mrs Heaver, sen., whose body was on the train. The widower, his ■ daughter and daughter-in-law were killed, and a son was seriously injured.

Bray, the guard. in the mail van, was about to throw out a mail bag when ho was killed. His mate'in the same carriage escaped. Another sad case was that a father, a mother and three young children were buried in the debris. The eldest child appealed piteously to the, mother for help, and. sho'replied,. " Love, I cannot help you." The children ultimately were rescued, but the parents were dead.

APPLIANCES IN PROPER ORDER. STATEMENT BY DRIVER. Tho Acting Chief Commissioner of Railways, referring to yesterday's disaster, states that signals, brakes and everything else were in'proper working order. The drivers and firemen of both engines escaped with .slight injuries. Driver Irwin, who had charge of the Temora mail train, states that the distant signal showed a. green light, showing that tho home signal was up, but owing to the. thick mist he was unable to see it and reduced speed. .As soon as he caught sight of the home signal at danger the fireman shouted, "Hold her for God's sake!" He applied the brakes, but too late to avoid a collision. ESCAPES FROM DEATH. EXTRAORDINARY CASES. (Received March 16, 10.40 a.m.) SYDNEY, March 16. Extraordinary escapes characterised the railway disaster. One man and his wife escaped with a .slight shock, while Minnis and his wife on the opposite seat were killed. Another passenger sitting had two dead bodies thrust upon him. Several children in the fatal carriages who had been thrown on the racks were lifted out littlo the worse for their startling experiences.

So completely were the four compartments wrecked that it is marvellous that any escaped.