THE MOSGIEL RAILWAY ACCIDENT.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XI, Issue 2936, 18 May 1877, Page 2

THE MOSGIEL RAILWAY ACCIDENT.

The following are the full particulars of the railway accident at Mosgiel as forwarded to the Post by its special correspondent :—": — " Early on Saturday afternoon a Government ballast engine was harnessed" to about a dozen trucks loaded with material for ballasting the line, and despatched from the quarry with about twenty men, who were to unload and spread the contents of the wagons. After proceeding four miles, the engine, which is said by some to be unsteady in consequence of the after part projecting too far behind, the wheels ran off the rails and plunged down a small embankment about a foot in height, across which it had been travelling, dragging with it the trucks. A most painful scene immediately ensued. Two or thrpe of the wagons tumbled pellruell over each other, and those of the men who were not forate enough to escape by jumping from them, were either crushed under the wheels or so entangled in the debris as to be severely injured. Most of the workmen had been travelling on the tops of the trucks, but some half dozen had inadvisedly preferred to ride on the engine which is fitted with a hand-rail and footboard. These men were the greatest suffers. One of them was killed outright, and another was so terribly mutilated that his left lee had to be amputated as as soon as medical assistance was procured. A third escaped death only by a miracle, and had to be dug out of the ground. The names of the injured are, Alexander Clarke, aged 27, a native of Ireland, married, killed ; "William Jones, compound fracture of the left leg ; David Henderson, left foot almost severed at the ankle, left leg subsequently amputated below the knee ; John Fleming, compound fracture of the leg ; John Hoscroft, compound fracture of the right leg, dislocation of the left hip, and several toes smashed ; Frederick Dodd, dislocation of the right shoulder and considerably bruised; Chailes I'aulkner, right leg broken. At a late hourthis afternoon they were all doing as well as could be expected, considering the serious na'ure of their injuries. The principal facts that came out at the inquest were that the contractor's instructions were that no men should ride on the engine, which was generally considered unsafe, on account of its jumpiug proclivities. The Government railway inspector considered that .the engine was highly dangerous, and should never have been allowed to run without trailing wheels. While running at three miles an hour it had gone off the rails on one occasion,