A PRESSMAN'S GRAPHIC ACCOUNT.

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

A PRESSMAN'S GRAPHIC ACCOUNT.

THE WORK OF RESCUE.

(PBBBS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.)

AUCKLAND, May 27,

A graphio account of the disaster as it was observed from tho sleeper car was given by Mr W. J. Hill, a member of the "Herald" etaff, who was returning from tho south: —

"I was only dozing, when the express ran across the Whangamarino swamp," said Mr Hill.- "Tho first warning of the disaster was a grinding crash, followed by the splintering of glass. During an appreciable interval nothing further was heard, and them came <a succession of erash o?, apparently caused by the shattering of the wooden partitions as tho postal van ploughed through the"' sleeper. The' train bumped and jolted severely, and then came to a standstill. As it stopped it seemed as if tho whole cartriage 'had oolJapsed upon us. The lights were extinguished by the shock, and we were left in darkness, ignorant of what had happened and confounded by ignorance of "what might happen. I tried to move, but found that my shoulder was pinned by part of the carriage wall and other wreckage. Someone called out 'Strike a match, , but others shouted a. warning, as the gas was escaping and filling the 'I have been in a. smash before, and if anyone strikes a light there's no hope for us, , someone exclaimed.

"For a long time evoryono lay still until at last tho silence was broken by groans, and ono of the injured passengers called out, "My God, lift this up." Then 1 inanagod to got out of my bunk and found Mr Borrio already' standing up. in every direction our hands encountered woodwork. 1 found a boot and ono of the other men tooK it from mc and smashed tho only window that was a± ail clear. Then wo cleared away most of the broken glass and crawled out. By this time, other passengers had como to the iront of tho train, but the only light was a lamp carried by the guard; and tho full extent of tho disaster could not bo appreciated in tho darkness. "Only two men wero groaning, and Wβ could not imagine that any others had escaped alive. Then an acetylene lamp was brought, and those who had already started to release tho imprisoned pasengers wero able to ccc a. little better, though lack ot light, owing to tbo £ ar ,. ot using matches severely handicapped their offorte. Tho Jew who had SclpS injury had forced their way out of the wreckage, and, with tho assistance of some othep passengers, wore hard at work endeavouring to break their way in to tho injured men. The car steward had been imprisoned between the floors of the telescoped caie and his first enquiry on crawling out was for the safety of the passengers. A load was given in rescue work by Mr Borrie, and after labouring tor half an hour, Mr-Stevens was brought out. He was already dead. "Tho wreck was so complete that the debris had to bo cut away in pieces until the nion wero tound in turn. Mr Petersen was tho last reached. Owing io the want of proper tools, the work had progressed so slowly that it was nearly eight o'clock before he wae found. Throughout nearly three hours he had lain with an iron rail across his throat, forcing his nead back, and with ono of the cciliug lamps crushing his chest. Ho was freed at last, only by cutting away the wreckage below. "Fortunately for tho, relief of we injured men one of the passengers on the train was a nuree, -Mrs .Neville White, of Temawhai, near To Kuiti, and she worked heroically in directing measures for alleviation of their pain.

"Mr Grimslonc was found to have been very severely injured. He stated that ho had no pensation in the lower part of his body. Mrs White did all she could to relieve his suffering. She also temporarily set the porter's broken arm when he wasfound ,unconscious alongside the> track. "Whpn the care telescoped, Mr Goldingham.was driven through the partition into the last compartment, and we found him. thrown on one of the berths, bleeding from a cot on his forehead and unconscious. We were au.e to pull him out through, a. broken window, and his injuries were attended to* ,, -