RAIL-CAR UPSET.

Wairarapa Age, 9 October 1936, Page 5

RAIL-CAR UPSET.

ACCIDENT AT PIGEON BUSH. VEHICLE THROWN OFF LINE BY HEAVY GUST SEVERAL PASSENGERS INJURED. The Mamari, one of the rail-ears running on the Wairarapa line, encountered such a severe north-west gale yesterday morning when proceeding southward between Featherston and Pigeon Bush that it was blown off the line, fortunately, however, without any very serious results. Three of the twenty-six passengers aboard suffered broken arms or ribs or both and were admitted to Kelvin Private Hospital, Featherston. Five of the other occupants of the car received medical attention and were conveyed to their homes, their injuries being nostly cuts. One of the most remarkable features of the accident was the comparatively alight damage done to the rail car, a -testimony to its sturdy construction. Those injured were:— In Hospital. Featherston. Mrs W. Hulme, Short Street, Masterton, fractured right arm and ribs. Miss G. Knott, 26 Knripuni Street. Masterton, fractured right arm and ribs. Mr. K. Corlett, New Zealand Railways, fractured ribs. Conveyed Home. Mrs M. Moss, 20 Walton's Avenue, Masterton, euts on neck and scalp. Mrs A. H. Bull, Greytown, cuts on face. Miss B. Phillips, 103 Bentley Street, Masterton, injury to finger. Miss Hedley, Gordon Street, Lansdowne cut nose. Mrs A. 8. Humber, South Road, Masterton, cut on left leg. AN EXTRAORDINARY GALE. Residents of long standing in the vicinity of the accident agree that the gale that raged yesterday morning was the most severe experienced there for many years. The locality in question is widely known as a very windy one, the north-west winds at this point sweeping down the gullies from the Rimutaka ranges at times with gusts of terrific force. A short distance from the scene of yesterday’s mishap, many years ago, several carriages of a steam train were blown off the line and forthat reason a massive wooden breakwind was erected alongside the line over what was considered the worst portion affected *hy the wind. It was somewhat unfortunate that the Tail-ear had net negotiated another fifty yards or so, as it would then have reached the shelter of a breakwind. It appeared to have left the rails about half a chain from the northern end of the breakwind, but the permanent way was not damaged. An eyewitness who was working a short distance away thus described the mishap: “The rail-car waa going along very comfortably when it passed me. Just short of the breakwind I saw it leave the rails and fall over on its side, but it seemed to go over very gently. I was soon on the scene and the wind was so heavy that it was rocking the ear about. Others arrived and we were afraid that the wind would roll it over again, so we propped it with some wood to keep it stMty. We had to break some of the I widhows to assist the passengers out. The wind was the most severe that I have experienced here for many years. It was quite an exceptional blow.” A roadman related that three years ago he was blown off the road in his car at a spot not half a mile away, while another motorist had a similar experience nearer the. Pigeon Bush railway station. CAR LITTLE DAMAGED.

Ab the rail-car left the line it struck an iron telegraph pole, which became wedged in the front left-hand side of the car and was carried with it until the car enme to a standstill. Some of the windows on the side on which the car fell were not broken and although the passengers were thrown about as the car lurched over they bore their experience with great fortitude. The interior of the car suffered very little damage. The drivei, Mr. V. Schroder, sustained one or two cuts from glass. The guard, Mr. Seager, at once rendered assistance to the injured and summoned medical aid, which was quickly forthcoming. Several of the passengers returned to Masterton by the morning train from Wellington, but others who were fortunate enough to escape with a shaking continued the journey by steam train. PASSENGERS’ STORIES. One Masterton resident said she had a strong conviction that something was going to happen. “Some little time before the car went off,” she said, “I decided to hold on to a rail across the window and’l was actually holding on to it when the car turned over. I was just about on the point of asking the driver to stop when the accident happened. As I had a secure hold on the fail I escaped injury but an elderly woman two seats behind me was thrown forward in front of me.” She added that the driver had slowed down before the accident on account of the wind. • Describing the wind as terrible, Mrs •Moes, who was making her first trip in a rail-car, said the gale was still blowing when she left Pigeon Bush to return home. She did not feel inclined to go on to Wellington with her head in bandages. Mrs Moss received injur ies to her head, necessitating several at itches, and after the shaking she had received decided to return home. “The driver had wonderful control over the car," said Mrs Moss. “The car was going very fast just before it was struck by the wind, but the driver pulled the car practically up, and it slowly turned over on its side. If the carriage had been built of wood there ould have been many more casualties. The wind was really terrible.’* SERVICE ADJUSTMENT. Good time was made by the Mamari, which left Masterton at 7.50 a.m., until the mishap occurred. A second railcar from Woodville, which left Masteriton at 9.30 was detained at Carterton and the passenger;} were conveyed to Featherston by ’bus, where they continued their journey by steam train. Passengers from Wellington last night were conveyed by rail-car to the Summit and thence by steam train to Masterton, arriving here at 6.35 p.m. Those for stations north of Masterton were despatched by a rail-car which left here at 6.50 for Palmerston North. As no passengers were offering in Wellington the second evening rail-car did not run and a taxi conveved the four

passengers awaiting a rail connection between Cross Creek and Masterton to their destinations. As no rail-car is available at Masterton this morning a steam train will be despatched to Cross Creek, where the passengers will be transferred to a rail-car for the completion of the journey. The rail-car leaving Masterton for Wellington at about 9.30 ajn. will run as usual as far as is known. REPAIR GANG BUSY. Immediately on receipt of the news of the mishap the Bailways Department organised a repair gang, the members of which were quickly on the scene and at once made preparations for restoring the car to the rails. As the land in the vicinity is almost level this work presents no great difficulties. There is only a small bank of three or four feet at the side of the track, over which the car slid as it came off the lines, to come to rest partially over a fence along the roadway. The work of laying a spur line alongside the car to facilitate its replacement was started at once, though at times the wind was so severe that the men had to cease their labours to maintain their positions. Others were engaged in putting in temporary stays in the interior of the car and in other adjustments in readiness for replacing it.

POSSIBLE SAFEGUARD.

EXTENSION OF BREAKWIND. OBSERVATIONS BY GENERAL MANAGER. WELLINGTON, October 8. Interviewed this afternoon, Mr. G. H. Mackley, General Manager of Railways, said that the passengers were all surprised at the x strength of the constructional work of the rail-car. It was due to that, he added, that a more serious accident did not occur. Questioned about future precautionary measures, Mr. Mackley said that the extension of the breakwind at this particular spot would be considered so as to prevent further mishaps. The rail-cars wefe so constructed that they would stand up to a great force of wind, and the only other precautionary measure that could be adopted was having the drivers, as at present, travel at a reasonable speed at danger spots such as this. The driver of the Mamari had been running between Cross Creek and Masterton for about nine years, and therefore was well aware of the wind in this locality. It was not a steady blow, however, that caused the car to capsize, but a sudden gust of unusual velocity. The car was designed to withstand a wind pressure of 80 miles an hour;, therefore the gust that caused the mishap must have been stronger than that. In addition the car was more balanced than the ordinary carriage, because its centre of gravity was much lower. “I travelled on the rail-car from Woodville to Wellington on the day the service was inaugurated,” said Mr. Mackley, “and we had a gale of exceptional severity on that occasion. We took particular notice to see the effect of the wind on the car, but the car never showed the slightest signs of movement. At that particular time a warning was issued to road traffic to be careful on account of the wind.” Workmen were on the job with a view to re-railing The car within a short time of the mishap, and Mr. Mackley stated that this work would be proceeded with as soon as the wind abated. It would not be a very difficult job. Some of the removable parts of the car will be dismantled and it will be towed to the railway workshops for repairs. The accident occurred at about 8.35 a.m., said Mr. Mackley, and a special train with ambulance equipment left Cross Creek for the scene of the accident at 8.59. Some pf the injured passengers were taken to Wellington from Featherston by a special steam train which left at 10.45.

INJURED DOING WELL. MORE COMMENTS BY GENERAL MANAGER. WELLINGTON, October 8. In a further statement to-night, Mr. Mackley said he called at the hospital at Featherston at 8 p.m. and found the three women passengers who were injured to be in the brightest possible spirits. The doctor informed him that it was quite likely they would be able to leave for their homes to-morrow or very shortly afterwards. “The gale,” said Mr. Mackley, not unlike that experienced in the Manawatu last February, excepting that it was much more localised. During the Manawatu gale two carriages on an excursion train travelling from Palmerston North to Wellington were blown over at Makerua, as a result of which precautions were taken to erect an anemometer so that in the event of the anemometer showing a

wind force of a certain velocity, steps would be taken to cancel the running of trains for the time being. Whether such an experiment would be useful in places in the Wairarapa will be c-onsid-'ered by the Department, but because of the localised nature of the wind forces and the erratic manner in which they make themselves felt, it is questionable whether such an instrument would serve any practically useful purpose. The whole position,.will have to be considered in light of to-day’s experience and the travelling public can rest assured that no atdne will be left unturned to make the ( passage of trains and rail-cars as saffe as human experience and knowledge can make it.” f ‘The rail-car*has been placed upright,” Mr. Rackley added, “but as the wind at 7 p.m. was almost as severe as at 7 a.m., the placing of the car on the line has not yet been attempted and will be delayed until the wind abates.”—(P.A.)