THE RAILWAY ACCIDENT NEAR TIMARU.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1608, 16 April 1879, Page 2

THE RAILWAY ACCIDENT NEAR TIMARU.

[By Telegraph.] FURTHER PARTICULARS. The following is guard Williams’s statement regarding the accident: — The night goods, bound to Timaru, left Oamaru at 1 a.m, the engine drawing forty-three trucks. All went well, and we got to St. Andrew’s. We left there, and when entering the cutting, situated about a mile and a half below Timaru at about 5.25 a.m. [ was suddenly thrown from one end of the van to the other. I got up, and thinking the engine had been thrown from the line, left the van, and attempted to proceed through the cutting, but found the way blocked with wagons, which wore lying about in all directions. I managed to climb over these, and then found the engine about 150 yards further on all safe. The engine went into Timaru with the eight trucks, and I remained in charge.” It is fortunate that no loss of life was sustained. The accident is attributed to the snapping of the axle of the 9th wagon, which contained grain, and was what is termed a close box. Immediately this snapped the fore part of the wagon dropped, the after couplings breaking, and the engine with the eight wagons in front going on for about 150 yards. As soon as the driver noticed there was something astray, the breaks were applied, but insufficiently early to prevent the line being torn up by the wagon. Gangs of men were at work the whole day, and such progress was made that a through train was able to leave for Oamaru at seven o’clock last night. The greatest praise is duo to Mr Jones, the stationmaster, who was most indefatigable, and proved, as he always has done, equal to an emergency.