RAILWAY MISHAP.

Hokitika Guardian, 13 January 1926, Page 1

RAILWAY MISHAP.

CR.EW ESCAPES SERIOUS INJURY. PALMERSTON N.. Jan. 11

For the past three or four weeks special stock trains have been running to and from Hawke’s Bay on account of heavy sales of drought-ridden stock. Early this morning a special goods train was dispatched from Palmerston North for Dannovirke, comprising forty trucks with a closed-in cab engine. Entering I’apatawa crossing the engine left the rails and rolled over on its side. Trucks were damaged, but miraculously nobody was seriously injured.

Engine-driver T. Fletcher, and Fireman L. Keeling, both of Palmerston North, were extremely fortunate in not being killed or seriously injured. The latter when lie noticed that the engine was going to fall on his side of (the truck (jumped clear, while Fletcher remained in the cab, and, amidst steam and smoke, crawled out. receiving only a slight scalding. The probable reason of the accident was loose metal on the rails left during the recent regrading of the road. The whole of the Hawke’s Bay-IVel-liugton service was disorganised. A relief train was sent from Palmerston North, leaving about ten o’clock, and this arrived in time for passengers on the south-hound Napier-Wellington express to he transferred from the express to the relief train. The northbound Napier express left Palmerston North according to schedule, and on arrival at the scene of the accident the passengers changed to the waiting southern express, which made a return trip to Napier. The line was cleared at 3* p.m.

CONVICT ESCAPES. Joseph Albert Martin, recently sentenced at Prince Rupert, Canada, to four years in the penintentiary, escaped from the lock-up room on the steamer Prince Rupert while the boat "'as tied up at the wharf at Powell River. The man was on his way South ill custody of Provincial Constable Smith.