ANOTHER ACCOUNT

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

ANOTHER ACCOUNT

Passengers ill tlio Mar of the train were scarcely airaro that anything had happened until the e&pfcss «tt»e to a standstill. It is stated that the signals at Whangamarino (lag station, which is ; in charge of a tablet pewter, were clear for tlio Wellington train. As the express wa3 Hying by the lights of a locomotive were seen on the siding. Two short blasts on the whistle wdtts sounded —the signal for imminent- danger. The urgent signal was from the engine drawing the 400-ton goods train, which linii left Auckland at midnight, bound for Waikato. The brakes Were apiilkd, but the goods txain_ had Sot. quite cleared the main line ; in fact. Porter Donaldson was sitting on the lever keeping the points open. Nothing could avert a collision. Th© express dashed into tlia trucks still wi tlio line, and the engine, after travelling soiuo distance, was thrown over into a swamp. The mail van took the impact of the rest of the express train. The steeping* car, which was next to the mail van, was telescoped for moyo than two-thirds of its length. 'Lite mati ran eridontly had canted upward, ami struck the slee.p"r in a slanting direction. How the three mail mon—Bristol, Scott, and . Clark) of AucklaiKl~"eseaised is a'

miracle. When, they heard the Hi-gent danger signal they ran to tins forward end/of the van': tliis saved tlioif lives. Tho confining of tlnj smash to the sleeper can only Vie attrihttted to tbo immediate application of-tho brakes, and tho . fact that, the mail, van struck .. a, glaticiny: liioiv;v ' "A' • -.'■■ '' 'The driver and fireman wore, thrown clear.. Porte Donaldson, who stuck to hie lever,' had an. arm., broken. : THE OFFICIAL REPORT ;: The advice telegraphed yesterday, to the head office'of tho Railway pepart* ment is as follows: —The 11.50 northbound Wellington to' Auckland express collided with tho rear portion of a sautii-honud goods train from Auckland to Kraukton , when the goods train vvafc being put into tho siding at Whangamaniio for tho purpose of crossing tho express. Messrs. Orton Stevens and Peterson were killed. Those-, injured are: Messrs. Goldiisgliani, Palmei's-ton Nortli. ; H- A. b'nx, Oitico Appliances Company i Wellington; G'rimstono (Scatoun)i of the- Native Department, who was under transfer from Wellington in Auckland; M'Kay, inspentor of tho Comniereiai Bank;. Swiiisos, of Chandler and Co.; and Howard, Wellington. Messrs. Grinistone and Swinson liaro been -sent to tho HaiHilton Hospital. All the injured were in the sleeping car. Three other occupants of the sleeper, Messrs.. Sutherland and Borrie, of Waimhte, and "Hill, w'hose address is unknown, were not injured, The signalman who vvas letting' the j goods'train into the siding Ijad his arm broken while holding the posui-s.