Railway Disaster.

Waipawa Mail, Volume XLVII, Issue 4, 23 September 1925, Page 3

Railway Disaster.

MAIL TRAIN JUMPS THE LINE: T\venty=one Passengers Injured. TWO SUCCUMB TO THEIR INJURIES. Was the Speed Dangerous? MATTER FOR EXHAUSTIVE INVESTIGATION. To Ante cutting was yesterday afternoon the scene of the most serious railway smash yet recorded in connection with the Hawke’s Bay line, the engine of the express train jumping the rails at exactly the same spot where a few years ago a mishap occurred to a goods train. The flrst carriage followed the engine, hut most fortunately the coupling attaching the other carriages broke and the second and third carriages shot past the engine, to come to grief on the opposite bank. Had the coupling not broken the first and second coaches must have been telescoped, and one shudders to think what would have happened. As it was twenty-one passengers were injured more or less seriously, and two have died from the injuries received. Many other passengers sustained slight abrasions and severe shock. The injured were removed from the wreckage with all possible speed, expeditious work being rendered necessary owing to the carriages having caught fire from the escaping gas, which intensified the gruesome situation. THE CASUALTIES. Following is a list of the casualties so far as can he ascertained: —■ Passengers taken to the Royston Hospital at Hastings are as under: — BEGLEY, Miss Kathleen, Hastings.—Both legs severed. Died in hospital. IGGULDEN, E. V., Wairoa.—Arm torn off, leg probably broken, head injuries and shock. Died of injuries. CAMPBELL, Murdoch, Hastings.—Broken leg and severe cuts on head. Condition serious. CRAIG, travelling from Auckland to Wairoa, address unknown. —Severe injuries to head, teeth knocked out, injury to eye. Condition serious. CRAIG, Mrs, wife of the above.—Scalp wound; dressed out of hospital. HOOK, Alfred, Havelock North.—Cuts on face. Not serious. BEGLEY, Mrs, mother of Miss Begley, who was killed.—Severe shock, broken collar-bone. Condition not serious. McKENZIE, Harold, son of William McKenzie, Havelock North.—Broken thigh, wound in leg. Condition serious. JACKSON, Pacific Hotel, Hastings.—Both wrists injured. Received attention and went home. A number of children slightly injured were not taken to the hospital. Patients in the Napier Hospital are as under. Those whose injuries are not described are suffering from shock and minor abrasions : MARSHALL, Samuel, Oneliunga.—Bad burns and in serious condition. KERRIGAN, Mrs F., Railway Hotel, Palmerston North.—Fractured ribs, shock and cuts. PATERSON, A. M., 9 Wellesley street, Gisborne. MOORT, Alfred George, 31 Maori Hill, Dunedin. KNIGHT, Richard, c/o 11. E. Crosse, Patoka. JONES, David, Castlecliff, Wanganui. CROSS, Mrs Sarah, Constable street, Wellington. RUTTER, Mrs Susan, 25 Lower Tory street, Wellington. WALKER, W., Wellington. In addition to those meutionedjibove the following people were treated at the Napier Hospital, but their condition was not serious enough for them to be kept at the institution: — ALMAO, G., Wellesley road, Napier. BIRCH, G. M., 42 Taonui street, Palmerston North. LAVIN, F., Hastings street, Napier, driver of the engine.—Sustained scalds. CORLESS, Terence, Napier. DONOVAN, T. t Napier, fireman op the train. —Slightly injured.

DETAILS OF THE SMASH. MAGNIFICENT RELIEF WORK. “11l news travels fast.” It seemed hut a few minutes after the express train had pulled out of the Waipawa station just before four o’clock yesterday afternoon that information was received that disaster had overtaken it at Te Aute cutting. Details were meagre, but sufficient information of ail authoritative nature came through to indicate the seriousness of the position, and an urgent call was sent for medical assistance. Drs. Fisher, Maddison, Jarvis and Raymond responded promptly and rushed to the scene of the smash. Arrived there it was found that passengers on the train who were not injured had removed the less fortunate to the paddock alongside, where they had received temporary assistance. The doctors lost no time in ministering to the wounded, and by the time the Hastings contingent of doctors and nurses arrived the heaviest of the distressing duty had been performed. A SHAMBLES. The scene of the accident was a veritable shambles. The engine, after jumping the rails, had ploughed ,ts way into the cutting, and the carriage immediately in its rear was smashed to matchwood. It is a marvel that the whole of the passengers were not killed. Mr W. E. Yates, manager of the Waipawa Trading Co., was in this carriage and had a wonderful escape, sustaining only a slight cut on the back of the left hand. The second and third carriages, after the coupling had broken, scraped along the opposite bank, coming to rest a good length ahead of the engine. Curiously enough, the passengers in the rear part of the train scarcely felt the impact, nothing more serious than a jolt such as one receives when the brakes are applied rather suddenly. Amongst the fortunate ones in these carriages were Messrs A. E. Jull and S. W. Strang, who were on their way to Napier to assist in the Savage Club’s visit. They, with the others, immediately went to. the assistance of those in the front part of the train, and rendered yeoman service in extricating the injured from the wreckage. Shortly after the accident _ the wreckage hurst into flame, and in a ve’rv little time the whole of the damaged cars were a blazing mass, but fortunately all the injured had by this time been removed. The Department sent up a break-down gang, and they were working all night, blit the line had not been cleared this morning and passengers up and down had to transfer themselves and their luggage to a waiting train on the opposite side of the smash.

FIREMAN’S STORY. Mr Donovan, the fireman of the train, in the course of an interview subsequently, stated that his whole impression of tlie accident was that as the first bend was being negotiated, the engine swayed dangerously and, refusing to answer to attempts to right her, crashed into the side of the cutting ou the left of the rails, the fireman being thrown out through the window. The engine took the first carriage with it and threw it on its side where the top of the cutting fulls away to a comparatively low bank. A PASSENGER’S EXPERIENCE. Mr W. E. Yates, who was in the carriage nearest to the engine, states that lie was sitting' facing the engine. He did not feel, the impact until lie saw the tender climbing over the engine. Then the whole of the occupants of the carriage were thrown from one end to the other and in a trice the interior of the coach was a struggling mass of humanity. Those passengers who were not seriously injured climbed out of the windows, whilst the less fortunate ones were removed as expeditiously as possible. Mr Yates was lucky in escaping with a slight cut and severe bruising. THE SPEED. It is, of course, easy to be wise after the event, and to-day one heard stories on all sides of the terrific speed at which the train was travelling when the accident occurred. Pending the inquiry which must he held it would be unfair to those in charge of the train to dwell on this, but sufficient lias been made public to warrant the closest investigation. THE HELPERS. Too much praise cannot be given to the many from Waipawa and district who motored to the scene of the accident with all speed to render what assistance they could. Amongst the first to arrive were Mr J. Blundell and Mr T. Dunti, the latter with a stretcher. Shortly afterwards the ambulance from Waipukurau arrived. The boys in the telephone exchange are also entitled to a word of commendation for the manner . in which they handled the plugs during a very busy hour. At one time practically every telephone on the board was working, calls coming from all parts of the district. STRAY NOTES. An emergency operation was performed at the scene of the accident by Nurse Badger, of the Napier Hospital, who completed the amputation of tlie arm of Mr Iggulden with a pocket knife. Splendid work was done by the .natives in the vicinity of the smash.

They supplied hot coffee to the workers and it was highly appreciated. The first news of the mishap came from the Opapa railway station. It was witnessed by the stationmaster. Following the crash he saw the carriages rise up over the top of the cutting and disappear from view. Without waiting for further information he at once got into telephonic communication with Waipawa and Hastings, and he deserves great praise for the promptitude with which he acted.

Miss Begley, one of the victims of the accident, was a sister of Mr F. J. Begley, of Waipawa. Members of the Savage Club were just about to leave on their visit to Napier when the news of the smash came through. It was decided to abandon the visit, and the cars were pressed into service for conveying helpers to the scene of the accident. Some idea of the speed with which the news of the accident travelled may be gathered from the fact that within half an hour upwards of two hundred cars were drawn up on the road near to the scene. STATEMENT BY THE PRIME MINISTER. SPEED NOT EXCESSIVE. (Per Press Association). WELLINGTON, This day. Shortly after midnight the Prime Minister made a statement about the railway accident. The information he had received was that the engine and the six leading carriages were derailed at a Ti chain curve one mile off Opapa. One passenger was killed and 12 people, including the driver, seriously injured. Others had minor cuts and bruises. Five cars were destroyed by fire. The train was running to time and the speed was not excessive. The engine had evidently come off on tlie high side of the curve. The two leading cars broke off from the engine and rail past it before pulling np. Owing to the burning mass, it was impossible to get close to the ears and examine the track. The staff had made complete arrangements for medical attention, and the injured had been removed to hospital. Mr Coates detailed the nature of the injuries received by tlie passengers. Mr T. K. Sidey, acting leader of the Opposition, said that fortunately in New Zealand such accidents were rare. He hoped that a thorough investigation would be made into the cause of the accident. Mr H. E. Holland joined with the Prime Minister in expressing regret at the accident that had happened. It was a matter of congratulation that it was not more serious than was reported.