TRAIN ACCIDENT AT RAURIMU

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2517, 19 July 1915, Page 6

TRAIN ACCIDENT AT RAURIMU

SOUTH BOUND EXPRESS COLLIDES WITH GOODS TRAIN

NO CASUALTIES

SOME! NARROW ESCAPES

♦From Our Special CorresDondent.V Raurimu, July 17. At about 5 a.m. on Saturday a collision occurred at Raurimu between the south-bound express from Auckland and a goods train that was waiting oil a siding for the express to pass. • Fortunately • tlio accident, though serious enough, caused no casualties.

It is' tlio practice of these two' .trains to cross at fiam'imu, and tliis morning, it is stated, tho express was held up out-side tlie signals whilst tlio goods train entored tlio station yard. According to statements, the signal was given to the express to proceed, and tho pace was gradually accelerated till within 80 yards of the station, when tlie driver of the loading engine of the expiess, J. Currio, noticed the goods train on the main line. He immediately shut off steam and called out to his fireman.

Express Engino Derailed. The impact followed immediately. Currie was shot out of .the engine cab on to the ballast, but Sigglekaw (the fireman) managgd to liang on. He was, however, - scalded by escaping steam. His injuries are only slight, but would have been severe .if the driver had not had'the'presence of mhid to shut cif steam.

The first engine of the express was coupled to an assisting ' engine, lin charge of Driver Doyle and Fireman King. Tho goods-engine was considerably battered by tlio impact, and knocked back several yards, but survived the impact.

The leading 'engine of the express was derailed- and hurled sideways into the ail', whoro it remained perched on the tender. The second cngino kept .the rails, and was not much damaged. Tho engines were immediately followed by a postal van and two cars of the hospital train, which readied Auckland on Friday afternoon, and were being returned to Wellington. The buffers of • these cars were smashed, and the vehicles had to be left behind when the.train proceeded on its journey to Wellington after 'about five hours' delay. - Strange Coincidence. It is a strange coincidence that tho postal van, which escaped uninjured today, although in front of tho damaged hospital carriages, was the same van which figured in the Whangamarino collison, and then escaped injury. The driver and fireman of the goods traini escaped injury. _ When news of the accident was transmitted to Ohakune and Taumarunui, special trains with working gangs and equipment were expeditiously dispatched.

General anxioty was expressed as to tho safety of tlie north express of fourteen cars, with nearly three hundred members of the Sixth Reinforcements, on leave, aboard. This train was held up at Ohakuno for about two and a half hours,, and by tho time it reached the scene of the accident a fresh track, over which the north express passed, had- been laid..'