RAILWAY COLLISION AT MARTON.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 422, 3 February 1909, Page 7

RAILWAY COLLISION AT MARTON.

TWO ENGINES DAMAGED. DRIVER HURT. (BY TELEGEAPH—SMCIAL COBKESrONDENT.) . ~ . Marlon, February 2. A railway collision ocourred at Martoa station to-day, tho mail train from Wanganui running into an engine being used for shunfc mg in tho yard. Two engines were drawing tho mail train, and the front one and tho shunting ongine were considerably damaged, the fore© of the impact being so great that all the front ironwork and cowcatchers were smashed. One of tho carriages was slightly damaged, but, fortunately, none of the passengers were seriously hurt. Several ladies fainted from tho shook, and one child was knocked through the window, but escaped unhurt. The crockery in tho dining car was ,badly smashed. s?he fireman on the front engine of tho mail train had his hand out rather severoly, and his ribs and shoulder were bruised, but tho drivers luckily escaped. The accident occurred just raaido the yard at tho north side of tho station. The shunting engine was proceeding northwards to be looped on another line, and, as far as can be ascertained,, it was thought that tho engine was off the through lino, and tho signal was given to the mail train that the lino was clear. Thero is a nasty bond at this place, and recent buildings erected prevented tho drivers from seeing tho danger until too lato. Tho express train was running about twenty miles an hour at the time, but tho Wcstinghouso brako being promptly put on averted a serious accident. Tho driver of the shunting engine, when ho saw the mail train approaching, rovcrsed his engine, but could not get going- quickly enough to avoid collision. However, ho minimised tho forco of tho impact. Tho permanent way was torn up for some distance, but tho line was cleared up in loss than two hours for through traffic. Whilo assisting in getting tho engines into position, M'Gurko who had escaped injury in the collision, mot with a painful accident, having his foot smashed by the fall of an iron rail.