THE SCENE OF THE DISASTER

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2160, 28 May 1914, Page 6

THE SCENE OF THE DISASTER

A HOPELESS WRECK WONDERFUL ESCAPES RECORDED. / ' (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) Auckland, May 25. ■ Describing the disaster,.the ''Star's" Moicer correspondent telegraphs as follows i—Whangainariiio .Station, the, scene of, the is placed between 9'and 10 miles from Mercer. ,'lhe. accident was duo to tho Main Trunk express- coming 'info collision with a mixed goods and.cattle; train which was being .side-faced to allow, the , express to pass.. Apparently, owing to some misunderstanding with, regard to signals, the express, travelling at 35, miles ah hour,. ran into the goods train, which.was going across into' tho loop Hue. The express cut right through tho goods train, and tho engine then overturned into one of the marshy swamps which fringe the bank of tho Waikato River. Tho mail van telescoped with a sleeping-car, with the result that eight out of the eleven occupants w.cre either killed or injured.

A reporter, on arrival at the scene of the accident, found everything in a hopeless stato of wreckage. The big 72-ton engine of the express had completely overturned, and was ■ lying in the swamp six feet below the track. On the engine itself rested the remains of a cattle truck, end up, while the postal van, and sleeping-car had been completely telescoped. The roof of the postal van was quite intact after tho accident, the sleeping-car behind having telescoped over the van so completely that tho car roof fitted neatlv on to tho van rot/f. In the sleeper all the compartments wore jumped concertina-wise into one tangle of wreckage, from which the injured passengers had to bo extricated.

SOME, REMARKABLE ESCAPES. Among the remarkable escapes recorded, that of tablet' porter, William Donaldson, was probably the most extraordinary. Ho was in charge of the Whaiignmarino Station last night, and when seen by a "Star" representative this morning, had an extraordinary story to tell. Ho declined to say how tho signals stood at tho time of tho accident, but said that when the smash occurred he was sitting on the points, side-tracking, tho goods train with which the express collided. It was while ho was«thus occupied that the express came thundering through, catching the goods train fairly amidships. Tho big express engine crashed straight through tho trucks of tlio freighter, and passed right over him. He was carried some distance amid the debris, and was found afterwards in ah unconscious condition' lying amongst the wreckage of the destroyed goods and cattle trucks. Ho sustained a broken arm and was badly cut about the faco and body, but his escape from instant death and mangling was truly remarkable. Equally sensational and equally providential were tlio escapes of F. Parkiugton and J. Stone, firemen and driver on the express, and of MessrT,. Scott and Bristol, officers in tho mail van. When the,; collisions ocenrred th 6 .train was travelling at a speed of well over SO miles an hour. After passing through the goods train tho engine Imipt into space, and turned turtle in the swamp below. Under tho circumstances tho escape of both driver, and fireman was miraculous. They woro Dotli thrown clear of the cab of the engino into the ewan:p, and escaped almost scathless. The officers in the mail , van, which was immediately hehind tho engine, and' which was telescoped with tho sleeper, also escaped without serious injury. The driver and fireman of tho goods train. Messrs. Hill and Collett; also escaped injury. COODS TRAIN CUARD INTERVIEWED. Guard James Wilson, when interviewed at-the scone of the accident, snid. that the first intimation of anything wrong was when the Westinghouse brake was suddenly applied. It was a remarkable tiling, however, that even when tho collision took place, practically no impact to spoak of was felt by those at his end of the train. He ascribed this to the effect of the Westinghousc brake. AVhen the express had come to a, standstill ho immediately went to tho front of the train, where lie was surprised to find ■ tho express engine lying on its back, and tho two front o.ars telescoped. Piteous cries came from the cecupants of the wrecked Bleeping carriage. Tlio guard rushed back to the guard van for a light crossbar and axes. The interior of the sleeping car was but a heap of wreckage. All.tho compartments had.been jammed together, and several of -the' passengers were enught- between the shattered fragments of woodwork and tho ceiling. Passengers from the other cars worked like Trojans to assist in rescuing thoso injured.- Those-caught in the debris, mid who were still conscious, were calling for help; and urging the rescuers to use every possible haste in their work. Mr. Peterson wa-s one of the first to whom assistance wa3 rendered. Ho was caught between the shattered walls of. the oar with his head projecting through one of the compartment windows." Crow-liars and axes bad to be used to release him. Death ocenrred ?ii(ii'Hv after Mr. I'clerson wiis not out. Mr. Stevens had evidently died before anyone could got to him. Tho bodies woro conveyed to a little- wayside station whore it could be seen that, both had. been lerribly injured.V Mr. Stevens Imd ■ sustained a' terrible crushing and Mr. p«t<; r<.iii had " ,5n bppn fpflrfullv crushed. There would have been no hope for

cither of thorn, it was clear., even had no time whatever been .lost in recovering them from tho wrecked ear. All tho injuries, were confined to occupants of the sleeping car. A TERRIFIC CRASH. H. Scott, a sleeping-car attendant, told a reporter that he was standing by the cabin door about tho tyiuldlo of the car next the door of the compartment occupied by Mr. Stevens, Ho had just como through from tile train after changing tho towels, when, without the slightest warning, there was a terrific crash. He felt a weight ogainst his back and was jammed into n'conw with piles of debris on top of him. 'After recovering his senses h<? worked his feet free and smashed a window, calling for help. Guard Wilson, who was passing at tho time, handed »jn a lamp light which revealed a terrible scene of confusion. Scott saw a pair of legs near him in the debris. Help- soon arrived and tbo bodies of tho killed and injured wore found under the dctts ill the centre of the car. Splendid relief work was dono by all present.