RAILWAY SMASH

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2469, 24 May 1915, Page 5

RAILWAY SMASH

THREE TRAINS COLLIDE HEART RENDING SCENES HORROR HEAPED ON HORROR (By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright.) (Rec. May 23, 3.30 p.m.) London, Slay 22. 'A! collision occurred between a troop train and a passenger train at Gretna near Carlisle, and both caught fire. It is reported that many passengers were killed. Three hundred soldiers •jvere injured. (Rec. May 23, 11 p.m.) London, Maj 22. The local train from Carlisle was at Gretna to enable the midnight express from Euston to pass, iWbeu a troop train, with, companies of the Ist and. 7th Royal Scotch proced- ' ing_ southward dashed into the local .tram, partly wrecking it. , The troop train telescoped in • the and a lire started. Then horror leaped on horror. The London, express dashed into the debris of both trains, and everything jvas piled up in indescribable confusion. A strong wind fanned the flames into a great conflagration, involving a long line of wagons adjoining the siding. . The soldiers who escaped displayed fine heroism in. endeavouring to extri,pate the injured. The fire was so fierce that several wero unapproachable, It is believed that most of the express passengers escaped, Three officers, Major Hamilton, Captain J. N. Mitchell, and Lieutenant C. Salvasen, nephew of Lord Salvesen, perished. Many soldiers had' broken limbs. < Two, who were pinned in the burning wreckage, were shouting: "l<or God's sake, get mo out!" . Doctor Edwards showed great bravtry. He amputated one man's leg, and both legs of another. One died. Fourteen officers and iGo men were jaboard the troop train. The Red Cross ambulance was quickly aavilable and hundreds of injured were transported to Gretna and Carlisle. The groans and cries of the victims were pitiable. Fire brigades were dispatched, but there was little hope from the outset for the victims pinned in the wreckage. (Twenty were killed outright. .. In a telescoped carriage a man was jupped in the door, and was only released by the amputation of his arm. No one was hurt in the local train, which was almost empty. The driver and fireman of the troop train were killed. After the first collision the carriages and engines were hurled across the London line, and almost immediately the express, drawn by two engines, tore into ■the wreckage. Four of the engines : .were bunched in a heap. The heat drove the rescuers back repeatedly, and they had to leave many .victims to be burned alive. : An ammunition wagon at the rear of ffche troop train and contents were removed safely. There were minor explosions. from cartridges carried by the troops. Seventy-three bodies, including a few have boen recovered. ; Four or five of the express passengers were killed.