TERRIBLE RAILWAY ACCIDENT

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 16 February 1901, Page 4

TERRIBLE RAILWAY ACCIDENT

(PER PRESS ASSOCIATION. —COPYRIGHT.)

Sydney, February 15. A serious railway disaster happened at Sydenham to-night. The scene of the railway accident is a few hundred yards from Tempo station. The train, a suburban one, was running express through as far as Tempe. It loft the city a few minutes before six o’clock, and consisted of nine carriages, several hundred passengers being aboard. Just before reaching Sydenham it ran off, dragging the first carriage, a secondclass smoker, with it, and ploughed some distance along the embankment, till it rolled over. The carriage was smashed into pieces. Many of the passengers were pinned in the debris. The scone was terrible.

Seven were killed and between 30 and 40 injured. The killed are Lister, Beverley, E, C. Teece, Fireman King, two boys, and two men not yet identified. Several of those injured are in a serious condition.

The injured wore conveyed to the hospital, where about 30 received treatment. Numbers of others slightly injured went their homes. Three included in the list of dead succumbed after reaching the hospita 1 . Doyle, the driver, was amongst those severely injured. There is much excitement, and there were many pathetic incidents in the city. There are great crowds gathered at Eedfern station and the newspaper offices anxiously awaiting news. Heavy rain set in shortly after the accident, and the night being dark considerably impeded rescue operations. The railway authorities are unable to account for the accident.

Several tiains, passed over the lino shortly before the accident. The following are amongst those injured ; —Matthew Doyle, F, Jockel, Charles Beverley, O. Spencer, T. Eolfe, C. Luke, J. Cunningham, C. Tiller, J. Nicholson, T. Beckenside, P. Pollard, S Goodall, A. Beattie, T, Griffiths, D. M'Millan, F. Clarke, A. Gilding, J. Dillon, Taylor, E. Clapham, G, Mort, P. Bray and L. Eeardon. From what can be gathered amid the scene of confusion, the engine, from some unknown cause suddenly jumped, turning over and righted itself again. The front car, a smoker, full of passengers, by the force of the impact collapsed, split open and then closed upon the unfortunate occupants. Eeady hands gave willing assistance, and soon axes were at work cutting up the carriage. Some were pulled out through the roof, floor and sides of the car.

Some of the splinters were hurled high in the air and landed fifty yards away alongside the line.

Where the accident occurred is a blind roadway, and the wreckage went over and lodged itself there. People came rushing from the houses around, the noise of the catastrophe having been heard a considerable distance.

The driver shut off steam to prevent an explosion, and all fears of a fire occurring were fortunately soon at an end.