TRAIN IN WANGAEHU RIVER

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 85, Issue 231, 1 October 1941, Page 6

TRAIN IN WANGAEHU RIVER

DRIVER SUFFERS HEAD INJURY MASSING DOCTOR ATTENDED TO HIM IN THE ENGINE ( - I-- H ain u iliflt left Wangatiui this imiriiing al I 1., tor Marion, jumped flic rails on the Waugaehti bridge and the •iigim and all but two of the trucks and the guards van were hurled into the river. The driver, Mr. .1. McLachlan, of Wanganui, received head injuries. Dr. li. A. Church, of Marton, happened Io be passing at the time, and when the “Chronicb ” went Io press was attending the injured man in the bed of the liver in the engine. The fireman (seaped injury.

Theie are 1(1 or 11 trucks over the side of the bridge in a badly battered condition. The engine is in the bed of the river, on its wheels, facing Wanganui. The doctor was apparently lowered over the bridge by ropes and is still with the driver. The Wanganui Free Ambulance went to the scene, but at the time this report is being written could not get out to the engine.

The engine is on the north side of the bridge and most of the trucks on the south side. Later, ropes were procured and the driver, with scalp wounds, was hauled on to the bridge and taken to hospital. The engine, fortunately, landed on a sandbank, which prevented her from tipping over in the stream. The water rose to nearly halfway up the boiler.