TRAIN HITS TRAIN.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1762, 29 May 1913, Page 5

TRAIN HITS TRAIN.

SERIOUS LINE SMASH.

TWENTY PEOPLE INJURED,

CARS TELESCOPED.

COLLISION NEAR NEW LYM,

(By Telegraph.—Preta Association.) Auckland, Mn.v 28.. A sensational railway accident occurred ut New Lynn this morning, when two trains collided 011 the railway bridge just above tho New Lynn Station. Both on-, gines were badly damaged, two carriages, worn completely telescoped, and 20 people were injured,. The accident occurred at 6.50 a.m. when tho suburban workmen's train from Honderson, carrying between 70 and 100 passenders, was running across tho railway bridge, about 350 yards above tlio Now Lynn Station. It is customary for the incoming, passenger train to pass tlio outwnrcl-ljoutHl goods train at New Lynn. Tho latter (known as No. 5) leaves Auckland at 5.35 a.m., and at Now Lynn the engine to.kes in water, and tlion £ridotrades for tho purpose of allowing tho 0.50 passenger train (No. G) to pass. This morning No. 5 watered as usual at tho tanks just aljovo tho New Lynn Station, and then proceeded as far as tlio railway bridge for tho purpose of getting back on to the. sido lino. It was. at this moment that the incoming passengor train rounded the curve which gives the first view of tlio bridge and station. Tho morning was particularly hazy, and this may have accounted for some misunderstanding in regard to tlio signals. At any rate, oil .111 almost even grade, No. 6 came rushing round tho curve right on to tho almost stationary goods train. Tho driver of tho engine on tho latter train just had time to realiso tho impending danger, and managed to get his train in motion backiyurds, but too late. Tlio driver of No. 0 also applied Jiis brakes.

THE CRASH. With a crash, which tho passengefs describo as sounding like a great explosion, tho two trains met. l'ho engines, at tho point of collision, wore just clear of the bridge, but tho cars, of tho passenger train telescoped on' tho bridge itself. That (he whole train was not tumbled into tho stream, 50 feet beloiv, was marvellous.

The cars were splintered to matchwood, and telescoped ono within the other. Tho hardwood sleepers ill tho very centre of tho bridge (winch is JO feet long) were broken by the force of tho impact and tho rails forced " out of shape. Tho whole of 0110 6ido of a car was torn out and hurled into the stream below, and tho side of another hung suspended in mid-air. Tho wheel*' never left tho structure, and a muck more terrible calamity was avoided. That there should not bavo been a frightful death roll under such conditions is 0110 of tho most remarkable features of tho affair. Just how many people there were on the train it is impossible to say, but the official estimate placed tho number at SO. Thero were eight cars, and, ill tho two which telescoped thero were fortunately only a few people. Car No. 2 was smashed from a total length, of 20ft. into a space of four or fivo feet. 11l contained two men, ono of whom was terribly injured, whilo tho other escaped without.a scratdi. Tho reason for this fortunate crowding of passengers (o the points of tho train where least damage was done is explained by the fact that suburban train travellers avoided theso particular carriages (which were of tho old type) in favour of newer and moro comfortable cars. This accounts for tho presence of 20 passengers in the car immediately behind the cnEino, tho car in question being ft new one. SCENE IN ONE CAR. It is significant that, except for the injuries sustained by Stono—olio of the two occupants of tho telescoped compartment —the passengers in No. 1 car were almost the only others on the train to suffer. They, however, suffered severely, ami, as far as can bo ascertained, only ono out of twenty occupants of this carriage escaped injury. How sovero tho concussion was may lie gauged from the fact that, although tho car was v. new one, the iron seats were driven right through the floor. How hard somo of the passengers hit tho seats in front may lie gauged, too, by tho fact , that the woodwork on tho backs of tho seats was, in somo cases, broken clean iiwav by tho impact. , After the collision this new car presented a shocking sight. On 20 seats wcr« marks of blood, showing how practically every passenger had The car wrijj of the second-class division, -and tho ' seats wcro fixtures, and wore not upholstered. Consequently men and women were thrown forward, and wcro badly cut about the. head and face. Six wWe 'carried out in an unconscious condition, and'others were assisted to tho "waiting room at tho station, whilo others again, though badly cut about, wcro able to proceed at onco to their homes. LIST OF INJURED. Dr. liossiter happened to be in tho locality at the time, and ho devoted untiring attention to thoso most seriously inv, need of aid. Amongst thoso reported as hurt were the following:— Stone (Waikumete), who was so scvoroly crushed and injured internally that ■ small hopes aro cntertaiued of his recovery. ■ ' , Cornish, driver of tho passenger tram, who was badly cut about tho head and face. England, fireman, who received injuries ~ to his head and eye. Miss Smyth (llmlersou), severely cut about tho head and rendered unconscious. 11. Thomas (Waikumete), laceration above both eyes necessitating stitches, contusion, and laceration of the nose. W. H. R-rkins (Henderson), serious cut over tho left eye, iiece.ssjta.ting several stitches, and injuries (o back. A. H. Stych (Waikumete), Inerralion over tho ore, and a scalp wound. W. 11. lllderton (Henderson), severe injuries to leg.' A. W. Tuck (Henderson), injuries to head, which temporarily rendered him senseless. » Others wcro slightly injured. New Lynn station is situated just ten miles from Auckland, on the North Auck- ■ iand line. Tho scene of 'the acoidlont is about 300 yards above the station. Tho bridge on which tho collision took place is about 10ft. long, and (lie creek is between •10ft. and soft, below. Had Hi;? cars gone over tho bridge, which has no parapets, tho aecidcnt would have l>een followed by far moro terrible consequenecs. ENGINE-DRIVER'S ACCOUNT. J. Denny, an engine-driver of M (years' experience, who was with tho fireman in tho engine-box on tho outward-bound train, in speaking of the accident, remarked (lint the whole thing happened so quickly that he had only a few seconds to decide what to do after ho caught sight of tho other train as it showed up through tin* fog, and dashed over the bridge. "My train (the !>.25 a.m. goods from Auckland) was running right un to time," he said, "and the tablet picked up nt Avondalo was dropped at New Lynn. , After taking in water we went: on up as usual past the station towards the bridge, in order to back on to the siding to let tho passenger (rain through to Auckland, It was just before the engine had left the bridge, .and as T was <il>oiit to reverse the engine gear to shunt back on to tho siding that 1 saw the other (rain coming. My mate notioed it at tho same time, and we mado a simultaneous shout of warning. Our train had comiiicmce.'l to move back ve.rv slowlv, but, in order to offer as little resistance as possible when (lie smash came, I gave the engine full reversing steam, and wo had got back two or three car-lengths when the engines met." liennv is of opinion that, luid not his train'bam moving back at the time of ilie collision, the smash would have been ft great deal moro serious. Thero were twelve trucks laden with general goods, a, covered van, and a

guard's van behind the engine of the outgoing train. As a result of the collision, the buffers and drawing and brake gear between the vehicles were damaged, andi the contents of the trucks suffered some hurt.' Except for the damage to tho engine, no harm was douie otherwise. The effect of ..the accident was to cause a (stoppage of traffic on tho lino for nbout Bovon nonrs. The wreckage wag cleared »way by nbout 2 p.m. , "SOME HAD FOREBODINGS." (By Telegraph.—Speoial Correspondent.) Auckland, Slay 28. For some timo past people who know something of railway working have had apprehensions of troublo at New Lynn Station. Here there is a water tank, and tho inward passenger train from Avondale crosses an outward goods train. The passonger train'is brought to the water tank oji tho main line, tho engine is watered, and the train .mores-up the lino to tho bridge, and backs on to a loop line to await the pass-ing .of tho goods,train. Apt prehensions have ■ arisen from the fact that' the time-table makes tho passenger 'train an,allowance of only something like five minutes for all train crossing and shunting operations, including watering before tnd goods train is due, and it has .been thoiight by some who have had'experience of the working of the timetable that this timo alowauce is too short, aild leaves an undue possibility ot collision between tho two trains. From what can be learnt of what actually happened this morning, it seems frfjnost certain • that, in the first placo, the accident is attributable to tho wsutfient' time" allowanco 'for shririhng allocated by the time-table. 1 'Whether or;iiot such is the case, the fact .remains that several people have liad t forebodings ot eome such accident at this place.

Personage, Who Dreamed. i John Heidy is, a imddle-aged labourer who resides at .Waikumete, and < .locs manual work. - for. the. Mount ilbei t Borough Council. Ho was one of about 40' other passengers in the i carriage immediately behind the tele..oped portion of. the train. While recDun-aug 'his story of the siaash to a reporter, Iteidy (whV is a .niah" of staid enough appearance)'said ' that he gave warning.or the event at his breakfast table about a tfeek a"0. "The wife and family, laugned when I told them that' I had dreamed of a tram •accident at a bridge on the way to. *ucfc- ' land," he added, "but my <\ream has conio true. (This with a self-satisfied' head-shake.)' My wife awoke me dunns, the night, and asked why I was so restless. ! I replied that if she had .dreamedwhat I had dreamed, she would be lest.leSs too.' I then, told.hor, about uiy dream,, an which I saw a train collision on tho !first' bridge on the Auckland side of Waiikumete —0110 biidgo before this bvidffc ■ -\vl*ere to-day's smash had happened. There seemed tc be a carriage end-ways across the line, and a lot of people thrown out of the train, although. I; did not Eeem to notice that any were hurt. •Then you were not unprepared fqr this taorning's smash? commented the reporter In encouragement df tho .story. ''No," was the reply. "I nave been pervous every time in crossing pear Waikumete for a week past. ENGINE AND TRUCKS DAMAGED. (By Telegraph.—Preaa .Association.) Greymouth, Mav 28. ' This morning a3 the public works 'train waS coining down the incline from 'the No. 2 State mine.with fourteen truck.-; of coal, the large 65 ton W.E. t\pe of 'engine recently placed on the line failed [to hold the train, in spite of nil the (brakes being jammed on. The enginer driver (Gray) and the fireman (Ford) stuck ito the train until the engine reached a •'line with a dead end. They then iumped I clear and escaped without injury. The •engine struck tho bank and turned over, i Two trucks were damaged. The eneine •was formerly on the Ilimutaka incline •and requires a centre rail, which is not ypt in position.