FATAL RAILWAY ACCIDENT.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume V, Issue 433, 14 September 1880, Page 3

FATAL RAILWAY ACCIDENT.

TJIEEK LIVES LOST,

Wellington, Sept. 11

Information was received in town •shortly before noon to-day of a most dreadful railway accident on the Wellingt ton Grey town line. * Sept. 12. It appears that t'no train left Feathcr■ston as usual, yufterday morning, there being two carriages and a van in front of the engine, and two loaded goods wnefgons and a brake van behind it. The train reached halfway up the Rirnutaka incline in safety, but immediately after emerging from the deep cutting a terrific gust caught the first carriage, * with the first and second class passengers, and threw it over the embankment. The second carriage followed, and the weight of the two drew the van * over. Fortunately the couplings of the carriages and van held, and thus prevented the train from going to the bottom of the embankment, which is stated to be nearly 200 feet in depth Immediately the accident was noticed the brake van in rear of the train ran down the incline, and across the creek for assistance. Almost instantaneously nfter the first carriage left the line the body was carried away from the bed and literally .smashed, the passengers being thrown to the bottom among the debris. It was at first feared that the whole of the passengers —about fifteen in number were killed, Assistance being at hand the work of rescuing passengers was commenced. In the second carriage, which had been thrown over on its side, it was found that out of 12 occupants, one lad named Quinn, aged three years, son of a publican at Greytown, wae killed, it is supposed through suffocation The other passengers, some of whom were rather severely injured, were got out of the wrecked carriage as soon as possible and placed in safety. Among those who were thrown from the first carriage was Miss Pharazyn, aged 11 years, daughter of Captain Pharazyn, a well known station holder at Featherston. She was killed instantaneously, and it is thought, as she bore no marks of injury, that her neck was broken. A lad named Nicholas, aged seven years was also killed. The pasflt eengers were all more or less injured, those not seriously injured doing all in their power to alleviate the sufferings of others. The injured passengers weie removed on to the line, where a train was waiting to bring them on to Kaitoki. About an hour after this medical assistance from Wellington arrived, and the wounded were attended to. Hare and Jackson, and a man, name unknown, were sent to the Greytowu Hospital, their injuries being very serious. The others came on to Wellington. The force of the wind may bo imagined when it is said that two loaded waggons in the rear of the engine were, subsequently to the carriages, capsized, but fortunately not thrown over the embankment. The line was cleared at a late hour lust night.