HOW A COLLISION WAS AVERTED.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1234, 16 September 1911, Page 4

HOW A COLLISION WAS AVERTED.

THE GALLANT ACTION OF THE LATE Mβ. CLAUDE.

(By TelcCTiDh.-SDeclal OorrcsDondont.) Auckland, September 15. The gallant action of tho late Mr. B. Claude in saving a collision between the Auckland-Wellington express and a runaway goods train will still bo fresh in tho minds of the public. Mr. Claude died shortly afterwards, and a petition was made to Parliament for a compassionate allowance for Mrs. Claude. The Petitions Committee- reported this to the Government for favourable consideration, but when the matter came up for discussion in tho House, fho Hon. J. A. Millar said he wished to disabuse tho minds of tho public of tho impression that Mr. Claudo eaved the express for. tho runaway train was. Blowing down on an upgrade, and (lie driver of tho express had seen it, and stopped liis engine. This statement is refuted by tho Rev, 11. Mason, of Otnliuhu, who hns been collecting evidence to show that tho Minister for Railways had been misinformed of tho circumstances. Tho facts in Mr. Mason's possession clearly show that the runaway train had mounted the upgrade at a considerable naco, as the result of tho impetus gained in its long down-hill run from Otahuhu to Westfield. It was within a few yards of the top of the rise when tho late- Mr. Claude jumped aboard, and tho train was about to commence a desceut of another down grade when ho applied the Westinghouso brake. The rate at which th,e train was travelling, states Mr. Mason, _is proved by tho fact that tho shock was sudden enough to throw Mr. Claudo off on to tho ground, his clothing being cut 'about through his fall. The train was brought to a standstill, however, and Mr. Claude, seizing a tail-light fronutho guard's van, ran towards tho | express waving it wildly, and just before his death in tho hospital ho informed Mr. Mason . that he was so afraid of not attracting tho driver's attention that he was about to throw tho lamp at the engine and jump clear of tho rails when he heard tho brakes put on. A bystander who witnessed tho whole affair has also informed Mr. Mason that ho heard the driver, when ho got down off tho engine of th* express, say: "What havo you stopped the train for?" Mr. Mason adda that ho is quite convinced that tho episode hastened Mr. Claude's death, and even in his delirium in tho hospital, just before tho end, ho was raving excitedly about tho danger of tho collision and his endeavour to avert it.

Mr. Peter Wyatt, of Paparata, Bombay, is ono of those who supplied Mr. Mason, with evidence bearing on tho caso. Ho writes as follows: . ■

"I consider Mr. Miilnr'e statement in Che House robs Mr. Claude's action of tho merit it deserves. I heard tho danger whistles from tho engiiio of tho runaway train, nnd when I got down on to the track at WcstOeld, I found Mr. Clnudo line! .stopped tlio runaway train within a chain of the next down • grade. Just after I arrived, the driver of Uio express pulled his train up and got down off his engine. There wore two passengers on tho runaway train, mid it would ba a good thing for them to como forward and give thoir version of what occuqxxi."