ACCOUNTS BY EYEWITNESSES

Press, Volume L, Issue 14979, 28 May 1914, Page 7

ACCOUNTS BY EYEWITNESSES

HOW THB SLEEPER WAS

WRECKED

OCCUPANTS PINNED DOWN BY

THE WRECKAGE

(SPECIAL TO "THE TRESS.")

AUCKLAND, May 27

An interesting account 'of their experiences was 'tolct by Meesrs D. M. Sutherland and James Borrio. two farmers, from "Waimate, South Canterbury, who were among tho three uninjured occupants of tho sleeper, and took a, I prominent part in tho extraction ofthoir companions."

"Wo woro jn tho, last compartment of the sleeper," said Mr Sutherland "nest to tho smoking carriage, and we were awakoned by the crash of tho collision. This was followed by a series of. bumps which we afterwards altribnted to tho smashing of the woodwork as the sleeper* telescoped. You coula hear the bumps cominc nearer, and before be could *move my friend was koocked out of his berth by something which crashed into tho partition wall. The'next thing we knew was thai we U£ro being sufiocatod by gas,, and 1

got up aud put a Boot through the glass of the window. We managed to get oat Fotnobcm* <.n4 then we saw that ths postal van had ploughed right through tho sleeper and that the end of it ha 1 just stopper! short of our compartmecf. If it a yard further we ebould certainly havo been injured like tho rest.

"I ran along the ttro carriages smashing all tbo windows I could see »» order to let *he k&s out. Tin? steam from tbo beatmg waa escaping with a 'oud z.au>e, but someone cut oil the supply almost, immediately, «»'.j could hoar cri*=s for help coming from amor;g the wreckage, and a party of ys started in at once to pet. tho iujured oni. It was quite dark and owing to the escaping gas we could ios bring lamps near tbo wreck for somo time."

"Wo got a 'tomahawk from some workmen's huts near the line," continued Mr Sutherland, "and we started to.chop tho woodwork away. Tho guard's lamp and a bicycle lamp wero brought along, and wo saw that the postal van had pushed tno occupants of all the compartments into a space of about nine feet, where they lay among a twisted mass ot woodwork. It was a difficult matter to get at them, as only six or eight of us'could work together. There was always a danger of hurting one man while getting anothor out, and it was over two hours before wo removed the last of them. Mr Orton Stevens was not removed for an hour and a half, w> found Mr Petersen lying on a seat with tho coiling lamp crushed into his chetst. Tho woodwork had also como down upon his head, but ho was alivo. Wβ got as many bunk beds as possible- out on to the sido of tho lino, together wk.» blankets, and tho injured men wero laid on those as they wero removed. There was a Maori nurso on the train, and sho worked like a Trojan." "It ih a wonder to mc," observed Mr Borrie, "tuat everybody in , u e sleeper waa not killed. The postal van bored rignt into it between the roof and the floor, smashing all tne woodwork to matchwood, ine sleeping car porter had a marvellous escape, for he was found between tho doors of tbo van and the sleeper, uninjured." "You can trust mc never to travel in a sleepor at the front of a train after this," said Mr outherland, in conclusion. "In an ordinary carriage one has a chance of getting out, but there is none in a sleeping car." Another passenger stated that ho was sleeping in his berth. Ho was awakened by hearing tho collision. "I sat up in my berth," he said, "and a moment later was thrown to tho ground. The car 6eemed to tip up, and it throw mc several feet away. The side of the oar was entirely smashed. Several men were lying on the floor, struggling under the mass of wreckage. Apparently, tho sleeping berths had tumbled down. The ear was so strewn with wreckage that it was almost impossible to tell exactly v/hat had happened. I saw Petersen lying on the ground in great pain. Somebody came along and tried to restore him. He seemed to revive for a few moments, then he became unconscious and died."