NARROW ESCAPE FROM RAILWAY COLLISION DENIED.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 4010, 29 May 1884, Page 3

NARROW ESCAPE FROM RAILWAY COLLISION DENIED.

Ciieistchuecii, This day. About 11 a.m. yesterday there was a narrow escape from collision in the Lyttelton tunnel. A passenger train from Christohnrch had just entered the tunnel, and the driver noticeu that there was no light visible in front. He whistled, put on the brakes, and brought the train to a standstill a few yards from a goods train from Lj'ttelton. The driver of the latter had heard tho whistle and had also stopped. The railway authorities deny that there was a narrow escape from an accident in the tunnel yesterday, and assert that the goods train was in a siding at Hcathcote, and waiting for the passenger train to come through. Several passengers by the latter state that when approaching the Heathcoto end of the tunuel the whistle was repeatedly blown, and the train was almost brought to a standstill. On emerging from tho tunnel a goods train was seen on a siding at tho mouth of the tunnel, but whether or not the goods train had been in tho tunnel they could not say. Later information re tho Lyttelton tunnel railway incident shows that the cause of the passenger train being slowed down was that the light near the Heathcote cud of the tunnel had gone out, and according to rule the driver, on finding such to be the case, at once shut off steam. From the jjosition of tho goods train a collision could not have occurred. Wellington, This day. The railway authorities here state that there is no truth whatever in the Christchurch telegram that two trains met in the Lyttelton tunnel yesterday morning.