SHOCKING. RAILWAY DISASTER

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 872, 19 July 1910, Page 5

SHOCKING. RAILWAY DISASTER

TRAINS TELESCOPED. ■ 7"

HARROWING SCENES AT MELBOURNE.TEN KILLED: MANY SMJURED. INEXTRICABLE MASS-.-OP ' WRECKAGE.

By 'l'e'.csrraijh—Prosij Association—Copyright. Melbourne, July 18. A disastrous 'railway accicu-iic lias occurred at. tie Ivicuwonu , railway junction, two nines oiu oi Melbourne, wiiere a large nuniuer cii suoiirijan lines diverge. .A naiu irum ljiMfcrnwicii lan into tae Brighton train, which was just moving ouc oi die Richmond slation. The laicer nad been cieuiyed by a dente log. The Uisieriiwica train was travelling at a considerable speed. It smasiied tne rear part of tiie outgoing" train, cutting tiirougii tiie guard's, van into a iirst-etass carnage next to it, two compartments ueing cut up. . . iiotli -trains were crowded with passengers, and owing to the log anil the rush ci tne' coming tram the utmost contusion prevailed. The toiiowing is the- list oi killed and seriously injured, so lar as can be ascertained:— ' - THE KILLED (10). Mr. Hunger, Wellington. ilr. Wright. Air. C. ii. Smith. Mr. Ogilvie-Smith (Victoria' Racing Cluo staff). . ... Mt. C.'E. M. Masters. V Miss Dorothy carper'. Miss Pullman. Airs. Muirheud. Tw'o others, names not supplied. ■ SERIOUSLY INJURED. . Mr. Tasl.att. . ' Mr. Angwxn. . " Mr. Teiiibridge. . Mr. Deniston. Mr. A. Smith., Mr..Tetele;>. ' Mr. Marshall. Mr.' Peebles. Mr. Nicol. Mr. Watson. Mr. Cross. 1 . Mr. Pike. Mr. Lilley. Mr. Murphy. Miss Gillespie. A large number were slightly injured. The foremost .carriage, of the colliding

W HOME SIGNAL. PLATFORM . I | . . >' J —~—■ jfL ' ■... , : ■ 'TO MELBOURNE. TO BRIGHTON. " PLATFORM ' ■ '.TO MELBOURNE. lg*TO GIPPSLAND. ■ , ' " ' ' . : PLATFORM , . 10 MELBOURNE. jgSTTO HAWTHORN. ■ / -Cv- : :—j :— * . ■ PLATFORM PLAN OF RICHMOND STATION. ' ' . >' "X" shows whei'o the accident .occurred.

WHERE THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. VICTORIAN SIGNAL METHODS. The spot marked "X" in ' the above plan is approximately where the-collision occurred. Both trains were running on the same line into Melbourne. The Brighton train was leading, andwwats t just leaving the platform for Melbourne,' its jear- car being at the spot marked when the Elsternwick train ran into the station rind. crashed into it. The Richmond Railway Station, is the first stopping place on the suburban railway lines running west from Prince's Bridge, Melbourne.. No fewer than six lines of railway run side by side to it from the' city platforms, three for inward and three for outward trains. During the busier parts of the. day a train leaves the, station about every minute and a half. ... The Elsternwick and Brighton trains both Tun into Richmond from South Yarra (four minutes further out) on the same line. Mr. R. Cameron, of the Post and Telegraph Department, who was formerly in the Victorian Railways,' and who erected the signal apparatus in use at Richmond station, kindly supplied the information from which the above plan was compiled.' The Victorian Railways, Mr. Cameron states, are run 011 the "block" system. Under the regulations the Uisternwick train would not. be permitted to leave

railway accident, differ to some... extent regarding names. One paplr states that a man named Kelly was killed, another that the man's name was Armstrong. CROWDED BUSINESS TRAINS WILD CONFUSION. IDENTIFYING DEAD AND WOUNDED; (Bee. July 18,- 8.35 p.m.) Melbourne, July 18. Richmond, is one of the busiest centres on Melbourne's suburban arteries, especially at the time of the mishap, whenhundreds are making their way to tho city to cumtnence the day's work. The staffs of both trains declare that the signals were practically undecipherable in the fog until the engines were almost abreast of them. ' The position was rendered the more difficult by the iact that just before entering the station the trains have to round a curve, and pass under a bridge. The Brighton ti'iiiii had just got clear of the platform when the Elsternwick train* dashed into the rear engine, and tore through tho guard's van into a firstclass carriage. - Instant Destruction. The roofs of the guard's van and the carriage were torn oil', and two compartments, were completely smashed. Several passengers were instantly killed, and others injured. - - Three other carriages were teles'ebped, and more or less badly damaged. The funnel of the Elsternwick engine was broken pff by -the impact. The carriage. following it was thrown off the line, and the next, a second-class car, was badly wrecked, and its riiiJf was thrown forward oh the preceding carriage. ' A number of the inmates of this carriage were killed outright, and ..others wero badly injured. Hundreds of people were waiting on

South 'Yarra for Richmond until Richmond had signalled to' South Ynrra that the lino on which the train was to run was dear. Bofor? the signalman at Richmond *?nt the line-clear signal the rules required that the ont-goin : ';, Brighton train should have actually leic Richmond for Melbourne; and that from his signal-box he should have seen, at night, the three red lights on its tail carriage, or, in.the daytime, thp red flag carried there. 'i'his laTOr precaution is taken so as to" avoid the possibility .of accident through a carriage breaking 'loose and Iteing left on. the rails between the stations., The signalman must see that not only is one train clear of a • station' before he allows a following train to start for that station, but he* must satisfy himsalP that it is, a complete train which lias started. . ,' ~ The home signal shown on the plan is about 150 feet out from the end :of the phiform. * The custom in Victoria during .fog is ' foi' all the permanent way hands to turn out, and for detonators to be placer] oil the .line 100 yards apart, .where- it is necessary for "the drivers to observe caution. On going over a detonator the drivers slow down, and are signalled on ■ 'by platelayers; .stationed beside the detonators with lamps. Whatever signals he may receive from these men, a drivei must on no account disregard the home signal at the 'station.

the various platforms at the station, and a scene of wild confusion followed. ' > , Cries of the Wounded., little could be seen owing to the escaping steam, but the sound of the impact wgs lieard a long . distance off, and brought many others to the scene. The shrieks and groans of the wounded pinned in the debris added to the horror of the situation. A considerable time elapsed before the full extent ufthe disaster was realised, but as soon as possible rescue gangs and doctors got to work, and a, cordon of police was summoned to guard the entrance to the station, and keep back the immense crowds, including the relations of the killed' and injured. There were • heartrending scenes as the dead and Wounded were brought out. All sorts of vehicles were requisitioned to convoy the injured to the hospitals. Several hours passed before the debris was removed and the lilies were cleared. CAUSE OF THE DISASTER. TERRIBLE SCENES WITNESSED. SHATTERED CARRIAGES. PASSENGER'S XURAOUUHiS ESCAPE. (Hue. July IS, !).l j p.m.) Melbourne, July 18. There are some variations in the accounts of the disaster. TJie balance of the evidcuw tends to

train was > thrown off the line at right angles to the rails. The next carriage —also a second-class one—was smashed. (Rec. July 18, f 8.35 p.m.) The following are the less seriously injured:'—ilessrs. Anderson, Claus, Edgar, Brinwald, West, Wigham, Amds, Hutting, Aluides, Knox, Reed, Cochrane, Holt, Deane, Smith, Nathan, Jessop, Kelly, Carbarnes, Duncan, Schafer, Burton, Creed, Wright', Wainwriglit, Mitchell, Nottings, M'Gowan, Shanahan, Chant, Tarrant brothers, Jlisws Ellis (2), and Knox (two sisters).. Resides these, who remain in various hospitals, a number of others who were suffering' from shook and iprasions were treated and sent home. Mr. Smith, who is included in thn list of the killed, belonged to the Victoria Racing- Club office. The lines are blocked with debris. The fog rendered the signals invisible to the drivers. Many distressing scenes were witnessed at Richmond Station when the killed and wounded were identified by their relatives, The accident in many respects resembles the disastrous smash at Sunshine station at Easter, 1!)D8. LIST OF THE KILLED. ' SOME DISCREPANCIES. (Kec. July II), 1.30 a.m.) Melbourne, July 18. The published lists, while agreeing as to the number killed in the Victorian

rfliow that the guard of the Brighton train had just given the signal to start, and was stepping into the van, when the Elsternwick train crashed into it. The shock was tremendous. ' The incoming train was travelling at a fair rate, but fortunately there were not many passengers in the first-class smoker ut the rear of the Brighton train, and iater reports show that only one man was killed outright there, though several were crushed and battered. An Inßxtricable Mass. The carriage formed an inextricable mass. It took over an hour to chop and saw out tho maimed. Of fourteen passengers only one escaped unhurt. The escape of this passenger was due to a twisted iron bar miraculously forming a protective archway. Two passengers died after extrication. The most remarkable feature,' of the disaster was that in the centre of the Elsternwick train a second-class carriage was crushed concertina-wise. The rescuers found among the debris a woman decapitated, and the bodies of two men, battered out of recognition. Others were pinned at various parts of the body, iand were writhing in agony. Two of these died on. the way to the Hospital. Plucky Youth's Bravery. Extraordinary pluck was • shown by a yoiith named Shanahan. He was one of the last to be cut out. His leg was smashed to pulp, but he shook hands with, his rescuer and declared he was all, right. Shanahan asked his rescuer to attend to two others still pinned in the wreckage, and who, he said, needed assistance moro than he. Trainmen's Escape. The guard, Davitt, of the, Brighton train, saw that a .smash was inevitable, and he stepped off as tho impact occurred, and escaped. The driver and guard of the Elsternwick train both escaped with slight shock. STAT ESSE NT BY DRIVER. TRAIN TEN MINUTES LATEi IMPENETRABLE FOG. (Rec. July 18, 10.25 p.m.) Melbourne, July 18. The driver of the Elsternwick' express states .that he was running ten minutes iate. He did not see the signals 1 till he was right under them. Ho was going slowly, ' having been warned that Richmond was not clear, and was keeping a-sharp look-out .for fog detonators. He heard none, . and could not understand the absence of the signals. He was almost within a hand's touch of the Brighton train before he saw it. He applied the hand-brake, liut it was insufficient to stop the train. The driver was hurled forward, and received a cut on .the head. -The Chief Commissioner of Railways declared that the driver's statement that there- 1 were no fog signals was incomprehensible to, him. It was the rule of the Department that drivers should be warned of fogs.