Main Trunk Express.

Hokitika Guardian, 18 August 1922, Page 1

Main Trunk Express.

THE DERAILMENT AT DRURY. WELLINGTON, August 16. The following statement was made to-night by the Minister of Railways: From a question asked in the House of Representatives this afternoon in connexion with the Drury railway accident last Friday, the inference niight he drawn that officers of the Railway Department are' in some way to blame for the accident, as tho lion, member stated in hi s question that he dhderstood that the accident was the result of a gate being carelessly left open and cattle thus allowed to wander on the railway line. From investigations made up fo the present there is not the slightest evidence to show that the cause *of the accident is as stated by the member or that officers of the Department are to blame in any way whatever.

Tho position in connexion with the matter so far as can be ascertained is that two trucks containing 39 young cattle arrived at Drury on the evening of Friday, 11th. instant, and were placed alongside the stock yards for unloading about 7.30 p.m. The drover signed for tho stock at 7.45 p.m., and proceeded to unload. The clerk in charge of the Drury station, who was the only- officer on duty at the time, saw tho drover move the first truck into position towards the cattle race, and tho clerk returned to his office to deal with the express train. It was a' very- dak night and the railway officer neither snw nor heard cattle straying on the line before he set the tablet exchanger and signals for the express.' Very careful investigations wo re immedincly made in connexion with the accident and from cattle marks

on thie ground in the yard, it is presumed that instead of unloading the cattle into the cattle yards, the man who did the unloading, opened the doors of tho trucks on the side of the railwayyards. and unloaded tho oatte by jumping them into the railway yard instead of into the proper cattle y-ards. It appears fcnat when th c first truck was unloaded, some cattle were lost sight of and’wandered along the line northward to the overhead bridge and were met by the train on the north side. Five cattle were found on the line after the accident. The engine driver states that when ahoiit 30 yards north of the overhead bridge the engine struck two beasts. When the train had run about another 'SO yards just clear of tho bridge, another beast was struck, tho latter boast apparently lieing so small that it got underneath the eow-eatoher and was nppnronty tho cause of tho whole trouble. The drover did not advise the railway authorities of any mishap in connection with his consignment. The Department has not so far as is known at present been able to got into touch witli the drover since the accident. No permission was given for the cattle to be unloaded into the station yard. Careful investigations are still being made in order to definitely identify the five young catte found on the railway line. A further statement will be made as soon ns additional information comes to hand.

From what can he gathered from the information available, I am convinced that thoro has been no dereliction of duty- so far a s officers of my Department are concerned and that the procedure in this case was, so far as the railways are concerned, quite in accordance with the usual practice followed in connexion witli the transport of live stock on the railway-s.