TRAM-CAR SMASH.

Hokitika Guardian, 22 August 1924, Page 3

TRAM-CAR SMASH.

TWO PERSONS KIT.LED. AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CARLE ASSOCIATION SYDNEY. Aug. 21. Shortly before 7 o'clock this nnirniup a double trallicar ran oil" the line a: .Mae.Mahou's I'oini. ami dropped ovei the embankment falling several leg crashing into an outhouse. Ruth parts of tile e.-ir were sniii'lieil. Two men were killed and 2d persons injured. SYDNEY. Aug. 21. One of the coupled ears was electrically faulty. The motorman was driving from the second ear. In accordance wit 1 1 ihe Departmental regulations, the eolliluetoi' placed the do foetivo ear in front. When tic latte ear reached the steep Iflues Point Road, it got out of emit ml. and dashed at a terrific speed down a hill tor about a (|iiarter of a mile. It cut across a loop, and passed over tin embankment. One of those killed is Harry Leeds, a police constable. The other at present is nnideiitiliod.

Constable Leeds, who was on the front of t!:e rear ear, fell beneath the front ear when it leii*>coped into tin one behind, and was crushed in death. Conductor Cowan was on the front of the first ear ami was seriously injured. lie was saved Irom instant death only by tile wall, till* outhouse giving way so easily that both the victims had to lie cut out ol the wreckage with axes.

All the passengers who were nol seriously injured were severely shaken, and wen* unable to proceed to their places of employment. Ambulances were quickly on the scene. Ten seriously injured people were seal to the hospital later. A heavy mist was one ol Ihe con trihutillg causes ol the disaster. lln rails were greasy, preventing the wheels from gripping. flic driver

eourageouslv stuck to Ins post, trying every available means to stop i lie runaway, till the moment nl the cra-.h. The injured list now amounts to 2i. Two nr three sustained broken limbs and tin* others mostly bruises or severe shock. Numbers of others are sullering from slighter -hocks, hut quickli recovered. Amongst the latter, smile took the risk of jumping oil' the madly rushing tram when they saw that the crash was inevitable. Prior to the accident there had been a stoppage on the line, and the drivers were making up time. They passeit some of the usual calling places with out slopping, but lor this there would have been considerably mole passengers aboard. NINKTY PASSENGERS ON CAR. SYDNEY. Aug. 21. In tlie tram accident, tin* second man killed was named Lambert, a labourer. The car had about ninety passengers aboard. Ihe driver made frantic efforts to obtain control of the ear right up to the time of the crash. When travelling fifty miles an hour, the tram jumped the rails, one hundred yards front the bmp. Travelling on a concrete roadway, it tore across both sets of rail-. The leading ear torpedoed over two anil M half leet ot retaining wall, across a twelve loot mail, and crashed into a brick outhouse. which was shattered, and tho thick wall of tin* main dwelling badly cracked. (Received this day at 8 a.m.l SYDNEY. August 22. Had the runaway tram left the rails ten yatds before ii did. it must have collided v ilh a high tension I o"'*r bouse supplying the whole •*! the northern suburbs, when a tremendous volt•i«e would have hi *>' released, which, undoubtedly, would have multiplied > be death roll alarmingly.