Smash on the Manawatu Line

Feilding Star, Volume XII, Issue 25, 14 August 1890, Page 3

Smash on the Manawatu Line

At the Johnson ville railway station on the Manawatu Company's line there was a slight mishap on Tuesday evening, occasioned by an error in shunting trucks. The train arrived at the station shortly after 9 o'clock, and having attached to it a number of cattle trucks, it was necessary that they should be shunted off. It appears that in returning the othi r trucks they were pushed with too great a force, with the rusult th.nl i they ran into the traiu. The guard's van was smashed in front, and the mail van driven into a smoking carriage, the first mentioned being- tilted up at such an angle that its forepart rested on the smoking carriage. The mail vau caught tire, but Mr Th bateau who was in charge, quickly put the flames out and transferred tho mails into another van. The iron railing about the platform of tho smoking carriage was twisted and bent about like so much wire, the windows are smashed in, and altogether this particular carriage and also the mail vau are terribly knocked. Fortunately no one was hurt, but Mr Elback, of Oroua, had a very narrow escape, as he was standing on the platform of the smoking carriage just before the accident occurred. Three of the large trucks are also considerably damaged, and, loughly speaking, it was calculated last night that it would take £200 to repair the damage.