NARROW ESCAPE

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 50, 23 November 1926, Page 8

NARROW ESCAPE

FROM BAD RAILWAY WRECK express collides with COAL TRAIN NOBODY INJURED BUT ENGINES SMASHED BY TEIiEGBAPH.—PEES3 ASSOCIATION. Hamilton, November 22. A bad train smash was narrowly averted at Ngaruawahia this afternoon, when an express bound from Auckland to Rotorua collided with a heavily laden coal train, which was foul of the points. The passengers had a very narrow escape. Both engines were badly battered. A relief engine sent from Frankton pulled the express through after 2} hours’ delay. The train arrived at Frankton at 3.40 p.m., when the smashed carriages were shunted. off and the passengers were transferred.

The results might have been disastrous had the colliery train protruded another few inches on to the main line, for the whole side of the first three or four carriages would have been ripped out, with serious loss of life. As it was, the sides of eight carriages grated past the protruding engine before the express was pulled up. Woodwork of the carriages for almost the length of the train was splintered and many windows were smashed. •

The shunting engine failed to clear the line before it was struck by the oncoming express. After applying the brakes, the driver and fireman of the colliery train jumped clear an'd it is to this that they owe their lives. The express train was travelling at a fair rate, and the engines were badly smashed, the shunting one being derailed. Steam escaped in dense clouds.

Fortunately no one was injured. Seveial jumped off before' the express stopped. Among the passengers was Lady Alice Fergusson, who was bound for Rotorua. She occupied the last carriage and did not even sustain a sliockl The passengers caant their escape, fortunate, saying they are lucky to be alive.

An official version of the accident is that the down Rotorua express when passing through the station yard _at Ngaruawahia collided with the Waipa Coal Co.’s engine, which was coming out of a new ballast flit, situated on the left hand side of the line facing Frankton. The mishap will be the subject of a Departmental inquiry.