Serious Railway Smash.

Woodville Examiner, Volume XXII, Issue 38219, 3 January 1906, Page 2

Serious Railway Smash.

A FATAL BLUNDER

NO CASUALTIES,

A wild rumor flew round Woodvil'e On Saturday evening regarding a railway smash which was said to have taken place near Mntaman that night, and enquiry elicidateil the information that the special train which left Woodville at 5.55 p.m. had co'lided with the down train from Napier in the steep cutting between Matainan and Piripiri. As many Woodville people were expecting friends by the Napier train much anxiety was felt until it was learnt that no one had been injured. It appears that the Napier-Woodvil e train should have crossed the special to Waipukuran at Matamnu, but through an frror of judgment or an oversight the former came on and met the up-train at a spot three miles this side of Matamau. The place where the accident occurred was on a steep grade and in a deep cutting, so that it was impossible for the enginemen to see that anything wua wrong until the trains were togi tiier. in fact not untd it was too late to do anything. The result of the collision was that both engines were deraih d, also several waggons from each train, but fortunately only one pissenger car was damaged, and that only sightly, ihe trucks on ea h train acting as buffers for the cars.

The down train was in charge of Guard Vickers, Driver Marshall being on the engine. The followingl description of the accident is taken from the Advocate : —One can belter imagine thin describe the feelings of the two drivers when they realised that a collision was inevitable. But to their credit be it said ihat neither lost their presence of mind. Driver Blackmore, who was on the Dannevirke train, at once shut off steam, applied the brakes, and then considering that he could do no more, jumped off on to the bank and let his engine take her chance. Driver Marshall, on the down train, clapped on the Westinghouse brake, seized the reversing lever, gave her fall steam astern, and then grimly waited the impact. When it came the shock was considerable, and had the effect of shooting the contents of the furnace right'np on|the coal tender, thus adding the danger of lire to that of the collision. The fireman was also considerably knocked about and thrown off the engine, but considering the force with which the trains met the engines were not damaged to any great extent. The cow-catchers were crumpled up, and the buffers crushed out of existence, while the fore carriages and the front of the engines were also considerably knocked about. The trucks between the engines and the carriages fared a good deal worse for several of them were smashed beyond recognition and thrown off the line. They however served the useful purpose of acting as a buffer for the carriages and thus broke the force of the impact, so that the shock experienced by the passengers was not so great as if they had been directly behind the engines. But as it was there was no little surprise and excitement among the travellers when the climax came and they found themselves ail thrown hither and thither about the compartments. Driver Marshall was one of the most experienced men in the service, haying a 29 years' record. Guard Vickers is also an old servant of the Department. Both men reside in Woodville, and are highly popular. It is impo-siblo to say whnt punishment will be meted out to them fur their unfortunate error, but w> are sure the deepest sympathy of the whole community will bo felt for them in their misfortune.

Ar. enquiry was hell at Dtnnevirkc on Monday, but was not open to the press.