RAILWAY SMASH

Hokitika Guardian, 15 September 1926, Page 1

RAILWAY SMASH

[Australia & X.Z. Cable Association.] FURTHER PABTICULAUS. SYDNEY, Sept. U. When the runaway trucks struck the mail train, the leading locomotive stood on its end. and then the trucks rose up in the air and actually leaped over the locomotive and the front part of tho train, and landed v. till a frightful smash on the second carriage. In this tlu; passengers were crushed where they lay. and were buried in the terrible coffin into wnich this carriage had been transformed. By a miracle, tho driver of the train escaped. Tie got free of the inferno of escaping steam and smouldering wreckage.

Until fires were lighted, the rescuers had to work by the glimmer of a few lanterns amidst an awful scene of carnage. hissing steam, and grinding wreckage, mingled with the screams and groans of those who were injured.

The rescuers hanked their way tn where tho victims lay pinned. As tho wounded people were released, they wore carried for half a mile to a squad of waiting ears, and were then hurried off to the hospitals.

Only five wore rescued alive from the second car without the use of axes.

Among the dead and injured a tiny ha by was found, whoso mother lay dead beside it, and whoso father was badly injured. One of the rescuers states: “From onn portion of the wreckage, wc drag god eight dead, and three badly injured. A doctor had to cut- oir the legs of one dead man in order to roach another passenger who was pinned under the wreckage. One woman who was hemmed in a mass of wreckage held her two dead children in her arms. There were a mind er of school children aboard the train, several of whom were killed. Two unidentified wounded persons succumbed in tho hospital.

THE SMASH. SYDNEY, Sept, 11. The siding from which the trucks broke away are at an altitude of 760 feet on the Wnrlands Range. The trucks gained a tremendous pace before they met the mail train, which was also travelling at a high speed in the opposite direction. Many of the passengers were asleep when the crash came.

Terrible as was the suffering of the injured, they escaped a worse fate only by the heroic efforts of the uninjured passengers and of other helpers in making a break between tho burning wood -waggons and the wrecked ear-

Tis some compartments every passenger was killed. In others, the dead and wounded were jammed together amongst splintered wood and twisted

The front of the mail train, which comprised two engines and two tern dors, a first class sleeping carriage, and a second c lass sleeper, was smashed, and the second class carriage was crushed to pulp. Tt was in this second elas. carriage that, all were killed. Tt was found that the bogey under this carriage was forced through the next- sleeper, causing injuries to many passengers. Both of the engines and tenders became a mass of buckled iron work. TWENTY-FIVE DE AD. SYDNEY. Sept. 14. This railway smash has been tho worst in the history of the Stale of New South Wales. The darkness add-

ed to the horrors and difficulties of the situation. Hugo fires from the debris of the carriages and from the bush timber nearby soon lit tip the scene in all its awfulness. The sound of tho great crash awakened the residents in the surrounding districts, and tho news spread rapidly. Motor cars and other vehicles poured in with helpers and other assistance, including doctors anti nurses sent from Scone and Murrurundi. The work of rescuing the wounded who were pinned in the wreckage and who were threatened, till the burning wood was quenched, with a still tvor.se death from fire, proceeded under the direction of four doctors. Among the mail train passengers the groans and cries of the wounded—many of whom wore terribly mangled—were heart-rending. As soon as the injured were rescued, they were dispatched to the hospitals. The latest reports state that 1; : -- are 25 dead.

All the northern railway traffic is badly delayed as the result of the accident.

A SCENE OF HOB HOBS. SYDNEY, Sept. 14. Details from the scene of the disaster continues to shock the city. In many cases the sights were so dreadful that the rescuers were compelled tii relinquish their efforts, being overcome by horror. There were many instances of heroism on tho part of the sufferers, who bore their pain unflinchingly on the way to Sydney in a .special train. Most of the injured arc too dazed to speak of their experiences. When the special train reached \Varatali, near Sydney, there was a frantic search by tho relatives of the people on the train. The relatives rushed from window to window in quest of them. One survivor said that the blazing lire threw the whole scene into relief. Frost lay on the ground while pyjamadad figures watched the dead and the injured being recovered. It was too gruesome even to think of. Mollie: were separated from their children and Were calling for them, while men, women and children were all sobbing. One small girl who was pinioned by both legs sobbed piteously, while n man held her in his arms. In another compartment a man who was working at extricating the injured attempted to pull a schoolgirl from the wreckage when lie found that a splinter had entered her lira in.

The screams of the injured people were so frightful that they were heard at a station two miles away.

Another survivor describes the picture as one of bodies everywhere. Women with babies were jammed in carriages, and a whole sleeper was cutin two as though with a tin opener.

latest news. SYDNEY. Aug. 14. So far the official list gives 50 injur

A number of the injured arrived at Sydney by a special train this afternoon. and were greeted by an immense crowd. Hundreds of people were surging around the entrance 1o the platform, which was guarded bv a strong force of police.

There were wildly hysterical scenes as anxious relatives waited on the platform, and when the train drew in tinpolice had the utmost difficulty in restraining the- crowd, as people rushed from group to group of survivors scanning their face.s in quest for relatives. The passengers related vivid tales of the disaster. It was said by one that in some cases, uninjured people wore pinned with the corpses beneath wreckage for t hreo-qnartors of an hour before the breakdown gang arrived.

Little girls who were returning t» school behaved splendidly. They were lying with broken arms and oqllaAonea in the debris, but not a word of complaint. came from them. Another survivor states that very little help came for nearly an hour, and not much could bo done until axes arrived from Scone.

AA r ith the wool bales burst, burning coal from the engine got among them causing a fire.

The list of dead in the railway accident includes the following: Nancy Seeombe, of Wee Man. N.S.AY-: Miss Janet Doyle, of Qulrindi, N..S.AY. ; Peter Viginoas, of Gm»nedah, N.S.W.; F. MeKeown, of Tamworth, N.S.W.; B. Sampson, of Gunnedah; Mrs A. McDonald of Werris Creek. N.S.W.; A. Jefferson and AY. T. McMillan, addresses unstated. An additional list of killed is as follows:—Sampson, school girl; a middleaged woman, believed to be A. Anderson. The other dead, including two who died in the hospital, brings the total fatalities to 26. Some are st-ill unidentified.

further dead. SYDNEY, Sept. 14. Further dead are:— Master Rich, (AVaratah). John Giles, Mrs Giles, (of Evenloigh). Sydney Mallet, (Onirindi). A. C. Brush, (Moree). L. A. Mailer, (Parramatta). Arthur .Turd, (Moree). J. D. Kennedy. (Moree), and an unidentified woman. OFFICIAL REPORT. SYDNEY, Sept. 14. Tho following official wire has been received by the Railway Commissioner: “AA'hcn a goods train from AVcrris Creek was being drawn into a crossing loop at Murrulln for the purpose of allowing tho north western mnil train to pass, the draw hook on the truck of the goods train broke. Subsequently, while endeavouring to move this rear portion with an improvised coupling, the rear portion of the goods train ran hack a mile and a half into a. section of the Murrulla-Blandford line and collided with the mail train damaging three cars and smashing one second class car. The portion of the goods train which collided with the mail train took fire and a number of vehicles were destroyed.”

(Received this day at S a.m.) SYDNEY. September 15. The railway disaster lists have not yet been amplified. FURTHER. PARTICULARS. (Received this day at 9.30 a.m.) SYDNEY, Sept. 15. The latest reports of the railway accident state that thirty-eight were injured. Addiional names of the dead are:— Owen McGrath, (address unknown). Mrs and Afrs AVilson, (of Pdligi). John Errol Walker, (of Tambar Springs). Ada Met!ivon Fripp. (of Rowen). A. E. Adams, (of Sydney).

A. man believed to be .T. R. Moekbridge, (of Dunedin, New Zealand). Two women are at present unidentified.

LISTS INCOMPLETE. SA’DNEA', September 5. Although the various lists published in the newspapers gave a total of killed in the railway accident as twentysix. there is a great disparity in the names of the victims. Many bodies are so badly mangled that identification is most difficult. It would now appear that the girl Seeombe, a man. S. Brush, and one of two Sampsons mentioned are not among the victims. Sonic lists include AVilson. wife and .Master Rich, and others' do not. Until the revised lists are compiled it is impossible to clear up the dispa rilies.