FATAL RAILWAY SMASH

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 39, 9 November 1918, Page 7

FATAL RAILWAY SMASH

MAIN TRUNK TRAIN DERAILED RUNS INTO A SLIP THREE MEN KILLED

■ The rejoicing of yesterday morning was tempered in nmiiy quarters by the news i which came through , about 10 a.m. to , the Railway Department announcing thpJ '. the south-bound Main 'IVrink express, 1 i'roni "Auckland to' Wellington, had run into a slip near Mataroa. The news :ran that the train was derailed, some of the carriages telescoped, and that 'some people were killed, and many injjured. Later information stated that i three persons were killed and six injured ' !—a great "modification' of tho first mes-. ,sage. ' ■ ■• ' ' : ' . ■ Those killed proved to,.be the two "Auckland mail agents,'Mess'rs. J. H. Wil- ' liams and R. Martin, and the third, a ■ passenger,'who died en route to Taihape, was believed to be a Mr. H. Welch, a man about 'seventy years, of ago, bmindfrom Prankton Junction to Hastings. / Postal Van Smashed to Pieces. . At 9.1S a.m. the postmaster at Mataroa -telegraphed to the Secretary, of the Post and Telegraph Department that at 6.20 a.m. the Main Trunk express had run ...into.a flip north of. Mataroa. The postal '.;van was smashed to pieces, and correspondence was strewn over tho ground. .'Both mail agents were dead, and the mail: eerrice seriously disorganised. A message from Taihape reported, (at '9 iun.)'tho. same information, and add;ed that a special train left for the , scene with a clerk and two linesmen. !lhe Wellington mail agents wero also there. ■. .... . Auckland reported that J. 11. Williams ': ■was a married man, and R. Martin tingle. ■ . Names of tiie Injured. ' Tho Chief Postmaster at Wanganui telegraphed at 1230 p.m. as follows:— ' '".The passenger who died eii route to -.Taihnpe has a receipt from Gilmour arfd •Co.", of Hastings, in the name' of H. ■welch, and a railway ticket from Fronk;ton Junction to Hastings. Hia age was about'7o. ■'' The names of the injured ere:— ~.•■ William Burrows, Wellington,'broken . 'log. • i .. ~• P. J. Johnston,-Wanganui, broken jaw end injury to head. • ' Henry M'Cabe, New Plymouth, broken " '-teg- ' ' • .' ■ : Mrs. A. Carter, Castlecliff, seriously injured. • • : Two others slightly. : . . "As'far as I can gather there are no others injured. Tho slip is one end a ' half miles north' of Mataroa. ■ Unablo to get a motor.lorry within a mile of the .slip. Seven wagons,' mail-van, , and .sec-ond-class carriage were telescoped. The slip is a big one. ' 'All tho unbroken bags are ready. All loose letters that 'could■•Bβ -found axe put into bags and ■tied up and registered for Wellington.' i -lho ■mail agents. are 5.411 unable to sav ■when the mails will.leave the slip i S m, the mail bn S s are mut'i.latcd Ihe postmaster: at Mataroa says ; j\liss Massey• (daughter of the Prime Min= ■ister) is ; safe. ■ Will- advise as further information is received "-.•'"■■