DUNEDIN.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3523, 23 October 1882, Page 3

DUNEDIN.

October 23. William Littlejohn, junior, has committed suicide at Waiwera by banging. A railway accident occurred near Blueskin, about 17 miles from Dunedin, the particulars of which are as follows:—The 4.15 p.m. train from Dunedin to Oamaru had reached the bottom of the incline, within a quarter of a mile of Blueskin station, when the engine ran off the line, and immediately struck oue side of the embankment, and turned on its side, being very seriously damaged. The goods van next to the engine is broken to pieces. There were five passeDger coaches, containing probably 80 passengers. The coaches are all badly wrecked, but the principal accidents are to three peisons, namely, a passenger named Guy, employed in tbe Dunedin goodsshed, badly cut on the temple, and now in the Dunedin hospital but not expected to be dangerously hurt; a woman cut about the head through being propelled through one of the carriage windows ; and a man eotnewbat severely hurt about the legs. Dr Maunsell went in a special train from Dunedin to attend to the injured. Tbe express passengers were transferred and got into Dunedin about 10 o'clock. The paeseugers by the

wrecked train were all sent on. The effects of the accident are miraculously slight—fifteen yards further and the engine would have gone over Waitahi bridge, when probably the most serious railway accident that ever occurred here would have had to be chronicled. The engine driver and fireman jumped off, and escaped almost unhurt. Why the engine left the rails is quite unknown doubtless a departmental enquiry will be held. The passengers describe the affair as having been over in a moment. There was a jerk as the engine left the rails and another as it struck the bank ; after that all was confusion, and all were thrown off their seats and against each other.