RAILWAY ACCIDENT NEAR WELLINGTON.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1804, 2 December 1879, Page 3

RAILWAY ACCIDENT NEAR WELLINGTON.

[" Evening Pdst,” November 29th.J An accident of a somewhat serious nature occurred on tho Wellington and Featherston railway at tho Silvorstream station on Friday evening, which only very narrowly escaped being, attended by fatal consequences. The up passenger train leaving Fealhorston at 3.20 p.m. arrived at Upper Hutt in due course, and left again at the proper time for Wellington. The train consisted of five first and second class carriages, a brake-van, and three luggage waggons, drawn by one of tho small bogie engines by Neilson and 00., of the D class. It was followed from Upper Hutt, after the usual interval, by a special ■ goods train, consisting of fifteen heavilyloaded waggons (including some of the goods which had been detained at tho Summit by (he late slip), drawn by one of the fourcoupled Avonsido engines (Class L). Both these trains had to pass at Silverstream tho 445 down (rain from Wellington, which was waiting at tho station when the up-passenger train came in. The latter was shunted into the loop siding by which tho other train had to be passed, and was just moving along slowly to leave tho siding, when the special goods train came up. Tho line from Upper Hutt to Silvorstream, although perfectly straight is on a descending gradient of about lin 200. Bain was falling steadily, and the rails consequently wore very slippery. The driver of tha goods train apparently miscalculated cither his distance from the train in point of time, or the speed at which the latter was moving out of the siding, or his power of stopping his own train, for although tho steam was shut off and the brake hard on, the goods train followed tho passenger train with sufficient speed to come into somewhat violent collision. Tho goods engine struck tho brake van which was placed at the toil of the passenger train, with such force as to smash it almost into matchwood, and had not tho guard fortunately been out of it at tho time, ho must inevitably have been killed on the spot. The platform of the rear passenger carriage was also smashed, and two of the carriages were thrown oil the line, a luggage van being knocked over the embankment, which is about Bft or 10ft high. Luckily the couplings broke, otherwise the uoxt carriage, which also was off the lino, would have followed it*and a serious loss of life must have ensued. As it was, although tho shock was very severe, the passengers escaped with a few bruises, black eyes, &0,, and a considerable shaking. The engine of the goods train did not sustain the slightest damage. Tho wreck was cleared away as speedily as possible, and tho passengers having moved into the uninjured carriages, the train proceeded to the Lower Hutt, whore additional vehicles wero procured, and the train was not more than half an hour late in reaching town. It is said that the Avonside engines of class L have not sufficient break power to stop heavy trains quickly on a descending gradient.