BODY OF ENGINE DRIVER FOUND

Chronicle (Levin), 4 December 1946, Page 6

BODY OF ENGINE DRIVER FOUND

GORGE RAILWAY TKAGEDY The body oi Mr. B. M.' Craighead who lost his life when the IvA locomotive he was driving, plunged into the river in-t-he Manawatu Gorge on August 20, was recovered yesterday uiorniug by the Palmerston North L'olice. It was diseovered the previous day by Mr. .W. Holloway, suspended in a groyne opposite Ihe end of Albert Street. He first noticed it in the mornmg but it was. not till tlie evening vvlien he was able to mahe use of a pair of binoculars, that he was able to conlinu his suspicions that it was the body of a man. The ,1'olice visited the loeality and Sergeant J. Jackson proceeded across the river in a boat for a close inspection. He found tliat the body was hanging from the groyiie by one foot which. had become caught in the gap between two railings, and was well out of the water. Yesterday morning Sergeajit Jackson with Constables M. O 'Connell, Chapnian and McKinnon returned to the scene and by nieans of a large net suspended uuderneath the body, were able to release the foot whicli had become caught. At the inquest wliich was opened and adjourned, identilication evidence was given by Mr. W. G. S. Nortlieott, farmer, of Bunnythorpe, brother-in-law of deceased, and Mr. A. E. Johnson, assistant locomotive foreman, Palmerston North. Mr. Craighead was 43 ,years of age, married, with a young daughter. A fairly lieavy flood came down the Manawatu Kiver at the time of the misliap and this apparently carried the body down streaui till it becaine lodged m the grovne wliich is 14 to 15 miles from the point where* the engine plunged over.