RAILWAY DISASTER

Hokitika Guardian, 10 June 1925, Page 3

RAILWAY DISASTER

IN NORTH QUEENSLAND. [Australia A- N.Z. Cable Association.] HRLSIiANL. dune !>. A rmlvviiv disaster <>«■• urred when a Rockhampton mail train was crossing a Creek near Gvinj ic. A tar toppled over the bridge. It is believed that nine people were killed and a considerable number were injured. A later message states that the accident hapi'eneJ ill the (larkm-.s of the morning. The carriage was plunged info the waters of Travertnn Creek. The survivors had a terrible experience in iriigeling to extricate the in jured, the dark tows m iking their task extemely Hi lit ult. The actual loss -if life and the numbor of injured are not yet known. A iclief train with dm .tors and nurses win rushed from Cympie to the siene of the disaster. NINE Kll, LED AND To T.'x-Ti H ED. .SYDNEY, dune !•. The Brisbane train which met with the disaster left Rockhampton at 0.30 o’clock last night. The cceident oc- , urred in the early hours ol this morning. when passing a low-level bridge over Traveston Creek. i«n miles from

Cynipie. Tin- train was being drawn !,V two engines, both of which safely negotiated the bridge, hut some of the carriage, were derail'd, and a xceondi !a,s ( nr ami a composiie first and second tar l.mh tippled ovet into the creek below. He- eompoit" car turning over in it - dec cat. Eight adults and one child were kilh-d. The only name of the killed so far known is that ol Mrs Dear oi Roggahri. New South Wales. Her husband was also a pas.-enger. bni lie escaped injury. The nlimber id injured is stilted to h- in tlm vicinity of forty. SYDNEY. June fb Later detail: of tlu- railwav ae ideal sl'.c-w that the cuml'osit.. carriage humi'C ! along for some di-tauce. md then overturned, lui'.. it remai I on flic line, while the second-class (ar broke away from the others, and tell o\o|- the bridge. The fact that the train was drawn by IWo engines probably caved the others from n plunge. 'l'he carriage was badly smashed in its fall, and pic e. of the debris pierced the bodies (.1 many of the passengers, thus adding to the horrors ol the siluat ion. Additional names ol the killed so lar iisi ertaim-d are: Raphael Rosier. Phillip Hilliard Reid, .lack W. Cardiiier. Mi- limit. Mrs Yhdllhagger and Mrs Dean HR [SHANE, dune 9. Tie- train v,:i„ 1 ravlling at normal si-.eed when one of the carriages hit the rails, iosl before rea-hing the bridge, and. alter tearing over the sleepers, struck a p.-I. Tice others then toppled over the bridge. '1• > ’ landed no it- side a few feci do'.',: an embankment. Another landed si

feet down, on some rocks, and was smashed to pieces, and another fell in the creek.

The injured im hide Waller P"- V|, U of Dunedin. Details so far are mengr'

l-CHTIiEH DETAILS. BIiIKHA.NK. dune !Y. The rad way di-aster is the worst Ml the history of the Queensland railways. The parting of the Westinghouse lu.om caii-ed the front pud ion ol the trap: to stand still. T lie s enc at the point '.v|e-re the carriages were derailed was very disl resistig. After alfording as much relief as possible to tlm injured they were put aboard the ■ n .m . ion „| the train and rushed to G.vpiuie liesWhen the derailed p orlion of the train v.iu humping ah ng the sleepers, the passengers were f-se-l from side to side s'-reaming f<r help. The cues were intensified when tit • carriages toppled over the side of the bridge, but were soon ended, only the groans

iit' (he injured being heard. One passenger in the front I'ortion of the train said he was loosed from sleep by the noise of something giving way, 'nit (lid net lake noli e. A lew seconds later a man iiune in and shouted: M\ wife is pinned below one of the eua-h----e.s!” Immediately he and others ru.-h----tn give assistance. The last carriage was over on its Side, a lev, feet doe i, the embankment. A second carriage wa-s thirty feet down, smashed to sou e tor.s. A third <oa;-h was standing on the hridge. while a for.rfh had l-n----pled into the creek, many feet ! clow and was also smashed to pieces. I here were seven adults and two children killed and forty injured. The nature of the iniuries so far is not known. Additional killed are: Joan BoVrtson, aged two. The other child "as Oardiner, as already cabled, his m.elhei also being injured. . BUI SHAN". Jane R. t)l the forty injured in the railway disaster twenty sis are seriously hurts The names and nature of their injuries were n t available at a late hour. Tile cause of the an ideal is unknuw n.

SOME NARROW ESC A RES. TWO NKW ZEALANDERS INHERED BRISBANE. June Id. A telegram Iron 1 the Railway . uintnissioner to ihe .Minister of Railways states : - ••Two carriages and a lugg-.ge wagon al the rear of the train next the •juard's van lell the rails. One carriage. alter travelling about a mile and half, fell Irma the hridge. The other wliieh fell on its siile on the railroad, is in good order. ■•Owing to the debris it is impossible. at present, to give a cause tor the derailment.

••A la enkdown train, w hich was immediately summoned from Brisbane picket! up doctors, nurses and amhul

~m i 1 m mi 'flic Hailway Commissioner, Mr Davis,, m. who at nine proeeedeil l<» the seem*. said that no official had been suspended as it as considered the dis-

aster was eieariv an ait ideal. Two of the killed have so far not been identified. Both are tall men. aged idioui thirty-two and the nt'er h.etween lurty and fifty. Henry Clarkson, of Brisbane. was dangerously injured, suffering with a fractured skull. Walter Bowel!, of Dunedin, and C. Cork-a of Marlborough, wore the only New Zealanders injured, the lorntei suffering injuries to ili> head and the' kilter with a bruised knee. The most seriously injured are: Fred Clover, severe shock; Everard Pri ennui head arms and internal injuries: Bred Jackson, bad cuts and bruises; Joseph Tuwrell. internal and head iniuries: Tom Moore, broken log; Mavis Could, internal injuries; ’’ • Smith. injured back: Douglas Blooin--1 field Jack Dean. Tom Dempsey. >’ • Dayev, C. Baxter. Mrs M.acfarlane. Ceorge Arle.lt, Hugh Graham. Damnsxo"Ybswstancc. A. Conyard. \\ . bnrs(hui all suffered head injuries. , There were no casualties among the first class passengers. The chief injury and loss of life occurred in a composite roach wliieh was pulled from the 1,,-idge by a luggage waggon. Both were smashed practically to matchwood. _ . Many terrible scenes of suftertn--y.-ere witnessed by early arrival.-,

The passengers from the front portion of the train and the ambulance men did heroic work in removing the injured. Jacks had frequently to lie used to release the injured, heavy beams had to he moved and passages cut to get at the bodies. There were also many narrow escapes. Hue man was free wept his feet and the woodwork had to In- cut to release him. Another was thrown through a window and fell twenty feet unhurt. Mrs Dean, who was killed, was married in Hrishaiie on the previous, day and was on her honeymoon.