A TRAIN DISASTER.

Hokitika Guardian, 6 July 1923, Page 3

A TRAIN DISASTER.

OH MAIN TRUNK LINE. RUNS INTO SLIP. TWELVE PERSONS KILLED. fllV TELKGKAPU—I’EJI PRESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON. July (j. The Postal Department has received word that the mail train from Auckland ran into a slip near Ongarue. Six persons were killed and thirty injured. WELLINGTON, July fi. The latest particulars give twelve killed. THREE CARRIAGES TELESCOPED WELLINGTON. July fi. The Secretary of the G.P.O. has received a message from the Postmaster at Taumarunui—The Postmaster at Ongarue reports the mail train from Auckland ran into a slip in a cutting half a mile south of Ongarue this morning. The engine and postal van were derailed and three carriages telescoped. Six dead have beet: recovered and tTiirty injured. They are still searching I i:e debris and there may he imu, dead. The mail agent- stale the mail van and mails are damaged -lightly. A relict train with doctor.- and nurses ha, gone out from Taumarunui. The Po-l master at Alekhin,l reports the po-tal agent on the: train reports the express was derailed at Ongarue about six a.m. The car was smashed and several others tele-eoped. The postal agents all had a miraculous e <ape. There is loss of life and" many seriously injured among tin- pa-sen-The Becfei ary of the G.l’.t). says the Postmaster at Taihape reports two carriages Pillow ing the postal van were j tele-eoped and they are alleged to have I caught lire, hut (his information is not confirmed. ’I he Wellington train going to Auckland last night is still at tihaknne. RELIEF TRAINS SET OUT. MOTOR CARS REQUISITIONED. TAUMARUNUI. July fi * One of the mo-t appalling disasters I in tho history of the New Zealand j Railways occurred at 5.51) o'clock this | morning, when the Main Trunk express, leaving Auckland at 7 o'clock last night, ran into a slip one mile south of Ongarue. which is fifteen! miles north of Taumarunui. The accident happened oti flic down j train which was travelling at express -peed. Three carriages were tele-eop-ed and the engine wa- practically buried in the debris. Details are meagre a- yi t. Inn it is j known that twelve person- have been killed and thirty injured. No names are avai la hie yet. | As scon a- Hie news of the disaster j reached Taumarunui relief measures were taken and two train- were sent I to the scene. One train loft at fi.37 a.m. with doctors. ltur-es. cheini-i-, stretchers and other equipment.

Another train left at seven with more equipment and another doclor.

A train with the minre.l i- expected at Taumarunui at 11.30 a.m. and arrangement- have been Iliad" for their care. There is accommodation for 18 in the local he-nital. lull private individual- have offered their homes and set' vices. .Motor ear- have been requisitioned as amlmlaiieov THE k 1.1. ED. WELLINGTON, duly fi. The jollownig i- the list el those killed, received by the I’o.-al Department : ('. 11. Painter. ! L a'almra. H. T. Ward. Lome :i.. Hern Bay. G. .Morgan, Palmerston North. E. MeCombe, Rotndna. .!. J. Brady. Woodville. N. 1.. Water-, returned soldier. M, .1. Cannon, Paliiatua. T. J. Billing, no address. Mrs W. Donald. Arcadia Road, Epsom. Poll Currie. Union Si reel, Auckland. Maurice Greenwood Hunt, ’lekntiwbakn. Two men are unidentified. The Railway authorities have reeet'v- j ed a message statin.'' that one wa- not j identified. and including Charles .Mains of M.orrinxville, among the killed. PASSENGERS' V f EW. TAUMAKUNTI. duly fi. Passengers on the tram state emphatically that no blame could be attached to the dtiver. and that the train was not travelling last. hut at a steady speed. Daylight had not luokett when the accident happened. THE INJ CUED. WEI..LINGTO.V July fiThe names of the injured in the railway disaster are: R. Xcwdiek. Palmerston. I. Brownlie. Tepnke. M. Grant. Rotorua. J. Neil, Manawatu. C. McFarland. Milford. S. Hughe-. Auckland. A. Tyler. Mart inborough. \. G. Saxhy, Napier. M r and Mrs .1. T. Morgan. WanI'M mi i. A. Kennedy. I’almer-ton North. Radio. Wanganui. . Morgan. Tc Ktiiti. [lender-on. To Kuiti. Walker. Dannovirke. \eo. Wliallgaiei. Leech. Taumaniutu. S. Wheeler, Matnmata. TOTAL DEATHS 14. T\niAUr.NTI. duly fi. TP,, total killed or who have deed -mre the accident is .now fourteen. C. Wain. of Morr■iu-ville. previously tidegraphed a- dead, i- not confirmed. THE INJURED. TAUMARUNUI. July fi. When the rescue train arrived at 11) o’clock, between ->• • and t>o entwero lined up to receive the injured. There wore 12 to 15 -erimt- stretcher which wciv imiuotliutoly oonvcwtl ta the hospital. Arrangements made bv the local police and hospital authorities were very complete, and there were plenty of stretchers, bedding. blankets, restoratives, and hot water bottles. Those not -erioti-lv injured went to hotel-. The dead and injured are mostly confined to the second class. The first two second class carriages were telescoped and the dead and injured had n lie reached by sawing through the top and sides of the carriages. Some of the dead were almost unrecognisable and some died on the "ay into Taumarnmti. (so far it is ascertained that ten are killed. Those identified so far not officially, are: McCombs, tailor of Rotorua: G. Morgan of Palmerston North; C. Main of Morrdnsville: C. H. Pe,voter of Uorahora : IT. T. Ward of TTerne Bay, Auckland. A woman was killed but site has not Iteen identified. Those seriously injured nre Matie

Nizich, of Auckland; Hopkins of Taumarunui; Leith of Taumarunui, Lea Brownley of Australia, a boy named -Ace of Wbangnrei, Wheeler and Dignam Walker of Dannovirke, Afear Henderson of To Ktiiti, J.onke of lluntlv, T. Collins, a boxer, of Auckland. Some postal officials, namely Dunstan and Smith, were shaken badly. TAUAIARUNCI, July fi. An additional list of killed includes J. J. Brady, Tay Street, Woodville: Norman Leslie Waters, returned soldier, number 177,f)1fi. no nddre-s; another young man aged about 30, not identified : Af. N. Cannon, identified by the Bank ef Now South Wales batik i hook. Paliiatua: Thomas .J. Billings j Ward, a man of 75. Hi- son was injured and is now in a house at Ongarue: Airs AY. Donald. Arcadia Road. Epsom. She was on her way to visit lew brut lief-in-law who is ill in the Taumanmui hospital; Fireman W. S. Campbell, who was badly scalded and injured, died after arrival in Taumarunui. There are some terrible sight- at the scene of the accident. One man had Ins throat cut and head almost severed from his body. The worst ease is that of ati old man who had been badly smashed, his face and eyes being battered in. The accident happened about a quarter t.f a mlie from Ongarue town-hip, overlooking the river. I fie engine on going into the slip struck a boulder weighing about a ton and carried on for about 150 yards When the engine fell over on its side lon ai d- the river luckily it did not fall into tie liver or the consequence' would have been terrible. The mail van which if- an A.Z. waggon. and not an unusual mail was next to the engine and contained three postal officials who had n miraculous escape. The next ear nas a secnud-ela-s carriage and thi- wrs telescope:! " i l l i the thiid ear. The railwav line was badly twisted and a considerable amount ot wreckage had to be removed. When tin' train stopped one man’s body was lying out of a window will the head inside.