Railway Accident.

Feilding Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 257, 5 May 1897, Page 2

Railway Accident.

DERAILING OF THE WAIRARAPA TRAIN. SEVERAL PASSENGERS INJURED. , The accident happened about two miles on the northern side of Kaitoke, and was cccaiioned by a new rail which was being kid down, " spreading." A gang of platelayers had been at work and the rail was only temporarily fustened to the •leepars. The train which comprised three passenger carriages, a guard's van and horsebox, was travelling at the rate of about 25 miles an hour, and had jnst rounded a curve when it came on the new rail. The engine negotiated it in safety, but as soon as the carriages reached it they became derailed, and after bumping along the sleepsrs, fell over the side of an embankment. Had it not been that the engine and horse-box remained on the rails and that the couplings of the carriages held together, forming a complate loop-line from one to the other the consequences would have been of a very serious nature. As it is, tbey are quite bad enough, for one lady, Mrs Headland, of Petone, had her collar-bone broken. She With her huaband, Dr Findlay, Mr Sim and several children were in one ot the new carriages of the " bird cage " pattern. When this carriage left the rails it turned completely over, and the condition of the I passengers can be better imagined than | described. Fortunately the roof was j torn off and by thia means they were eni abled to make their escape. The scene when the train left the rails was one of great excitement. The women and children screamed and were greatly frightened . To get them out of the carriages tha windows had to be broken, and they were pulled through, If the couplings bad not held, not one of tbem would be here now ; tbey would most assuredly bave been all killed, and would bavo fallen into a deep gully. The women and children were at once taken to Kaitoke on a trolly, tho men walking. Miss Caselberg, of Masterton, sustained a slight injury to her shoulder, and was also braised ; wbile.Mrs Headland, besides breaking her collarbone, was very much bruised and shaken. Another of tbe passengers, Mr Jobn Fabian, of Greytown, had rather a thrilling experience. When the carri ago in wbich he was travelling left the rails he jumped out and landed on a bush, and then the next carriage passed right over the top of him. He was badly shaken, and received a bruise near the left eye- Almost all the passengers were more or less bruised.