SERIOUS RAILWAY ACCIDENT NEAR SALTWATER CREEK.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1608, 16 April 1879, Page 3

SERIOUS RAILWAY ACCIDENT NEAR SALTWATER CREEK.

Press Special Wire.] Timaru, April 15. A most destructive railway accident occurred this morning. The early goods train, which should have arrived at the railway station her# from Oamaru at half-past five o’clock this morning not appearing at due time, the railway officials became anxious, thinking that something had occurred causing the delay ._ It soon, however, got abroad that the train had come to grief in the catting after passing Saltwater Creek. This, rumor, afterwards turned out to be the truth, It appears that at five o’clock a.m. the train, consisting of forty-two trucks and csvered waggons, laden with grain, timber, and stone, left St. Andrew’s station for Timaru, and when just entering the catting the axle of the eighth truck from tke engine broke in the centre, causing several of those behind to go off the line Before the train could be stopped it had gone some distance, and the force with which the injured waggons were being dragged along the ground caused it to rip up the permanent way considerably. The trucks and waggons that remained behind were literally on top of each other in complete confusion and wreck. Th# engine and foremost trucks came on to Timaru as speedily as possible, and the men employed on the railway, numbering about foity, were sent down by special train with necessary gear in order to lay the rails and sleepers. A gang of men were also sent from Timaru in order to unload the trucks that were in tho cutting as speedily as possible, and the timber and grain had to be hauled up the banks on either side of the cutting Nearly all the axles of those trucks off the line are smashed. The 735 a.m. train for the South did not leave Timaru station until five minutes past 10 a.m., and on arriving at tho spot where the disaster occurred, the passengers alighted and walked along tho line to the entrance to the cutting, when they proceeded along the top of the embankment to the southern end of the catting, and were transferred into the train awaiting their arrival from Oamaru. The southern passengers came northwards in a similar way, and this will be continued until the line is again clear for trains to run right through. The guard of the train which met with the accident was considerably shaken, but fortunately no injury was done to the enginedriver O ” stoker. Altogether twelve trucks were smashed to pieces. The line will be open again to-morrow.