SHOCKING RAILWAY ACCIDENT.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 14 January 1901, Page 3

SHOCKING RAILWAY ACCIDENT.

(per press association.)

Palmerston, This Day. An awful accident happened at the railway station here last night to the oldest railway employee in Palmerston, resulting in his instantaneous death. Charles Hammer, ganger on the Palmerston section, who had been employed as surfaceman for some twenty-four years, was crossing the railway yard from the station to the goods shed with an iron bar on his shoulder. Ho got between two carriages to cross the line, and as he emerged from them a special train from Foxton with 200 tons of coal knocked him over, the cowcatcher holding him down, and the train proceeded a few yards before it could bo stopped. When taken up Hammer was dead, the injuries he had sustained being terrible. Currie, the driver of the train, did everything possible to avert the calamity, but with the heavy load on and the suddenness of the accident his efforts were useless. Deceased leaves a widow and six children, the youngest child being 18 years old. Some five years ago deceased had a leg broken while working on the railway. There can bo no question that the railway yard is too restricted, and residents have long wondered why a large amount of land adjoining the station has not been acquired for the purpose of extending it.