GYMPIE DISASTER.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17569, 20 June 1925, Page 1

GYMPIE DISASTER.

GHASTLY STORIES. SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS. SYDNEY, June 12. The Gympi© railway disaster of Tuesday was iho worst in the- history of t lie Queensland railways. The official list shows that nino people were killed and fifty-five were injured. The only New Zealand name appearing ia the casualty list was that of C. Corbett, of Marlborough, who sustained an injured At present the cause of the smash is unknown. Serious allegations, that tlio accident was due to defective rolling stock or permanent way, hare been made by Mr Moroney, secretary of the Queensland branch of the A.lt-.U., but Mr Davidson, the Queensland Railways Commissioner, denies the allegations, stating the road was in good order, and it was clearly an accident. The train which met with disaster, consisted of two engines, three firstclass sleepers, one second-class sleeper, two first-class carriages, two secondclass carriages, a composite carriage, a goods waggon, a brake van, and a travelling post office. The three scc-ontl-olass carriages were derailed, the is thought that «ne of them became derailed just 'before reaching the bridge, and that after tearing over the sleepers it struck a post with the result that the couplings of the third carriage from the guard’s van broke. The coupling on the last, of the throe carriages also broke with the result that the three carriages toppled ov«?r, one tailing on the level ground, and the other two over the bridge, about thirty feet, into the river bed. The accident occurred at two o'clock in the morning on the bridge crossing at Travcston Creek, thirteen miles on the Brisbane side of Gympie. 'I he chief injury and loss of life occurred in the composite coach, whicn was pulled from the bridge by the lug--Ba£e van. Both coach and van were smashed practically to matchwood. There were terrible scenes in the darkness, and ghastly stories are related -* survivors. In one case a laxly passenger was killed in a lavatory, and rescu>© workers bad to cut a passage o remove her body. I„ another case ihc rescue parly had to chop away the woodwork- which surrounded a nirm. 1 His head was wedged between two i large beams, and both ears were cu-. off. Apparently his skull was fractured also, and he died before reaching i hospital. Another man had one eye] torn out, nncl the right side of his face was fearfully mutilated. The 1 lodies oi a woman and infant were ' iound clasped together, about thiriv ! yards away from the train. Piesuni- I ably they were hurled out when the ! carriages toppled. The woman’s neck to*haTo°J?od Uua th “ cb . iid “BPeare-ij