RAILWAY SMASH.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1537, 5 September 1912, Page 5

RAILWAY SMASH.

COLLISION IN VICTORIA. VICTIMS PINNED AMID THE DEBRIS. LONG LIST OF INJURED, By Teleeraph-Prees Association-Copyright (Eec. September 5, 0.5 a.m.) Melbourne, September i. A disastrous railway accident occurred to-night. A special train from the l'lemington Showground crashed into o Coburg train between North Melbourne, and the Spencer Street station. Two men named A. Wilson and J. M'Donald were killed, and many persons wore injured and removed to the Melbourne and other hospitals. The number of the injured so far as is known is 39. The most serious injuries consist of broken limbs, but many escaped with shock and bruises.

The accident occurred where two sets of I rails cross. That the fatality list was not [ larger was duo to tho trains travelling slowly. The impact hurled the passengers in all directions. Tho trains were heavily laden with passengers. The women were panic-stricken, but were soon reassured. Two second-class cars on the Coburg train were smashed, and the detjris scattered in all directions. The first car of the show train was partially telescoped. Those in the intact cars were quickly detrained, and assisted in rescue work. A number of the injured were pinned under .the wreckage, and it was difficult to extricate them. Five men in one of the Coburg cars wero held fast in tho debris in a standing position for threequarters of an hour before the last was released. With the assistance of a breakdown gang, the injured, whoso sufferings and groans were heartrending, were got out as quickly as possible, and sent to tho hospitals. The line was cleared in an hour and a half. THE CAUSE UNEXPLAINED. ONE TRAIN RUNNING LATE. (Rec September 5, 1.10 a.m.) Melbourne, Later. Tho total number of tho injured is 48, of whom 24 aro still in hospital. Two of these are in a serious state, but the others mostly received only minor injuries. Tho cause of the accident is unexplained. It is stated that the Coburg train wag running three minutes lata. The crews of both trains apparently realised that a collision was inevitable and applied the brakes in time to avert a more serious disaster.

The majority of the passengers were women and children, and their screams and erica ' added to the bewilderment. There were pitiable scenes and the groans of the wounded, pinned in tho debris, were heartrending.

Tho cars on the Coburg train were of an old type, and were splintered to matchwood. The passengers in this train were mostly ' work-people returning to thoir homes.