RAILWAY DISASTER.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 742, 15 February 1910, Page 6

RAILWAY DISASTER.

j,;:Ai'i. iCrV.::<■;£; | ENGINE'S SHOCKING DISREPAIR. j;/:-,- BxTelegrflDhf-I'rcssA'ssociatio'n^-CoDyricHL'^ • i ( I i M,c|bourno, rcbfuary 14 S'Ojßcihk<inyfesligation' into tlio Beaufort r xoc[ Vkilwiiy ; ; ;'iicciden't:.;*"s^ws'iitjte^niidispufo'S; • ' ; .: ; .'fact<. - ;■ -inva; shipck^£^;^g.stiitei(of >d j srapai tOy. ■,{'■' ■:'.;: ,'v'..:V(-' THE ACCIDENT DESCRIBED > , SltrNAtJf \S'£ STATEMENT ©■aft :.T^teli>qurne> ? advices* Ste3\"-SuttUiayr-reV' rtkry!'. (£■ giye.jthevfol lowing; clttail s'.. ol ;•' the ~.•": . accicl'eilt at-tfeaufoit:—'' ; "SxVi'v^'ithiii'.'.'a^ disastei--vofaitratiii. at; vi ;',ir 'i'rawaHa, olid •within-20> miles- of the f^ l A ;:Epot,-ah'otlyer-.w)ieat/traiii was" wrqckecl ; at r-; : >; of; :ori~ the ;:hvo ;"overturned;Vciifgineg Tifere;, liilletl /' "aha*; tli6.;' fourth ;i sViii 'i a Vcondi'tiiai : #Vy^;'d!sa^r/:6ccMiTeU, : ijs4hirty.mi]es v west:of i Ballarat. ,-,...Th0 ,train,* which 'camo,, to -.grief,/was;-the ';n.3fi.iip: train. from StafSMsi? vtwo'vponretf ill'engines; ; of. the-'"Y". type: 'Ithail-'abbut.fOO tons " oh bOUr-l.XApprpaohihg'ilJeau-about KS#;; grade iii <some wasVwhileS'der; Bcending' the; ihclifie. 'hatithe;, liain ■ got S;':^:WrPnd^the!;rorittbl£bf;^ ; ; '■t , be' l bol_tm'g 'vtraiu;; struck- ;tho dea'd\end foi^;^T/;iZrJib'^respltf^wiis"'tap ; - : SiSsSWMing-rvFhe andthrown;intoVslopiiiS;positioii'.alorii;-, fsi/ifS- th.y lino, while jts:.: tendetl'was "left 'alrao_st;perpei)dicnlarpbsiti6zi..'Xhe !'MiS { ; 'e^nd l ienyne.;atfd'-ats'itend.eii;,wero tjain'-'-1' * ••' "led; together in, the'; form of'a'"V,' J "and - ! ; engine : wa.s , ' jammed into th'o .-, fif' .tho seoond. eEgin.e'. Tho" noise' :P; c by'tho. cht.<*hot tho tram'into tlio a:-?,; Jnffer-headr of: the,: dead end: was heard 'a. ay' ofi;; and-people' living l . near<: the' wakened--by": it. : ;:;V fl Gat:of.bed'a n d;rushed:to the.6tation.V ; J- | Endeavours to Release Gillard ft i 'Pocti'li tint ihi>i them wis a horrifying onf. ItYiris at..once seen that , . ijnvcr Coward, of the hr.st engine, and v;«?reman -. Russell,', .of. the .sccond; engine, s -^?™jlying;'ambng:-thp ;debris,;.ahd: £■„, .- ,*ney .were both , dead.- DriYT Coward fcsSS>iS?¥ ; ?'l n s®£iWL.the.. driving. wheel,- arid i- ,-, ■ . Jj. 1 " 6111 an. Russell .to brake lever, as S'V!V;*; W e -®P".. 1° m ate the brakes .act v/hen the imaoh-up occurred. firepan :.Gillard;;of. .the v second 'engiiie, ' Md Driver Groon, of the first engine, •:: w ?r® ipnnd-.to,be seriously injured. Groon I 1 * as quickly got out of the wreckage, and i received prompt attention" Gillard, howf ever,> was in an awfnl plight He \as p^il;^-;,PlMed?^».neathJhls. ; ] engihe, : 'an'd ! it%as ; 'at , [- ' resc «mg him for a considerable time te. man■•was' conscious; andr- was ljx groat pain His cries for help • I^; ! :" >^^f,-^er^7l sible.froin'-Tuider'tho .enginej { but none of tho rest of him could be fr:;: m ?' :is pinned," 1 :ho and one,is free, but two arms b'f-.-W u Sht • He was. given, a drink; and' • fe£k..j£3. seemed, tly ; roliere <a f v s . c ore.vof,-people made-vain efforts i to te^o:V f cv Jt- ; i;Railway -:_men"; sedured • cutv ai •' ..Passage-to. Gillard,,but it-was useless- "If: I its God's will I'll get out of this, boys/' : .- comwd^iand^pthefs-. f.-hard-with object of-securing. • \ his 'release Word sent to the sur^ . fe-'v-^'weU^atv^the. .locals fire" was v rung;' Ballarat ! 'fof-a', casaaltr.. van,, and another, to 'Trawalla, ■ : miJes away, for-; a • steam- crane,. mth< J Wonderful Fortitude, i J i.houK' Gillard' re-- \ d' v .-.'He'uWas/suffering;'in-! t/v , sought': cheor- his i^brfc i! ■ l-.-"was- lashcd .to the:derailed'engine - and to ; • I v^?y r v.thjs^m^ns/;!^ /'strain; atid snapped. • f.'A-m doctorsr Jackson -and. : Eadie,.- had;- been ' r called, and they did what they could to ithe : . sufierings-; of: the; unfortunate' "' - administered - c W;fe^ d^{ll^^^timulant v giveij;;wbut;veven' • ir- IN an d; 1 agaip>;< as v • his 1 ' be-; Vffreat;,tb Gillard'! cnedr out heartrending- fashipUj: and (implored v his: piit liim : biit ofjhiS'misery,-but < Hfv:i-vi;Bj^^'\crano: ; ,an , 5 however, too late Death had put <■ ju end to Gillard's sufferings Even, wnen diffi : v.siuft'■>. -.the,;., engine. Meanwhile t in. the quarters Drs .^2;^'¥^:^i^^ S:^c^W s ; toVcuti , '.the clotheV'oChis - ; f oody He -was found to bo suffering Bsyerely;. arid"; braises','i aiid^ trained" i n ' ]-®i : y;ish a Jg£pf'himr,whi ; c they could for Gillard f State of the Engines. * MTic^/Kaite':.«DHver i:(SroWi:'biieof>)tW I'Beaufort- .. 6m^h >:t has\f ' a'statement : the' acciterv:^ run -a ' pp:>v:g<^svtrain; ; from : got-first":one : •- Hhen 'the: secondone «&£&v^Sy ; ? was' in; th©.i accident.-,. It ihad -^ust. come. in r " from'- • - t®# -in; the., train\pipe ~ok the^West-, .Vbrake'.'V-The-i^;.air- x -'was:';'blowings rirbngly' through: tho- pipei;' and"'l '.saV.' any air' fea^ffttenf^hß^TOkedvat'it; 1 and filled : ; : 'r-?; -got, asriar-as iLintoh'SiJiin'ction,i v- -':,.»ifew-miles from Ballar'at; 'when 'I-had; r;; . ;. ;;hour;;but ,;m- no;:-fitter' was' aviiilabloj:'' ■! , i-: ';'. jtHo way. to -Slawell. wa;!had"difffcuity:' 'in- ; ping;plaoes several times.- .We' ; kept'stop: . r' \ ; ping.tho;leaJi _up.'with Bpnn.'yarn ) !l soa.p, : . i; •- - ami . grease.. 'JVhen'. wo readied ;-Arm- ' ;•:.' could.hardly.pull. tho:.train np, and 1 ;', \ JMHTowly escaped running - into a'; goods V' y\ : -V- traiiii'.'; ; This.*.station --is- .between vßeaufor.t : I-?ss%'• S 4 * , Ati Ararat ii; Reported , .the W°l 1. .; engine,. "but - there', was : no ana ; no :.time;;,to•'.spare,;, sol' I - wired to Stawell; reporting-- that the pipe' was- ' e^,H ,;bad..,,,Qn^(Aing...Stawell^a^ : fitter'ATas ; Klf? ® b; P?s.■' "®'^ld;not' effect-repairs, , e v . ft . ''not-got sufficient:'piping.' - l■ -'! •I. reported,-to,-tho. loco, foreman that , : _ ln' : my opinion - the engine was not fit' to >, . work.-"I ; had to tiuce-the. train-back to Ballarat, and as there was no other on £'ftss-' ginefavailable,; and'as the;fitter at"' ®^>.wellV;wos'-li.nStTOctrf: : fe / Vfieiia' , -ine'' on':-we' J? nck >'.,- !- firet consulted'.'with' • PT'Tfr Coward; , and it. was,' thit: f ,'; .!. -he . should- take'eharge ;of:> the;, train on !.-' . . the, second engine, .though it-, was ... the regulations.'-.•' At -Ararat .-Driver ; f. : . vff;a: Coward;;aske'dl-the;- stationmaster.-'■■ t-o. re-\p7-:::'i4ieveThim;;;as-heVsaid;; tKat:Vhe : felt;tl>e: The' s?stationmaster .tried', tinniccessfnlly'".to ob|wn; him;. : jlfter' : leav-' ; ' ' . ing Ararat, the; defect in my engine'.,in- . VK'ti? .brnke-nower- ibecaihe' : Hs'■?f-:;tjni :-I ;.wiis>uhable % to.;; 'assist' v- Driver; Coward except by the' hand . ten'-. 'brake 'bblng 1 qh.'.niy,'engine ;. / . wheeli 'On,reaching','B«infort ;the signals: fS i / :Were' all' right, , but '.on - approaching the stttion''l.'tho,), train;' appeared, toj getyout' of;;controli/-aiid.vinstead: oKstojiping'' 'at : &:W;? : :the" station; ire' ran'agaiivSt-theVdead-eiid."