RAILWAY COLLISION.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 672, 27 May 1914, Page 5

RAILWAY COLLISION.

m MAIN TRUNK LINE.

TWO PASSENGERS KILLED: SEVEN OTHERS INJUHED.

EXPERSS AND GOODS TRAIN

COLLIDE.

SLEEPING CARRIAGE TELE

SCOPED. ' [BY TELEGEAI'H.—I'KESS ASSOCIATION.] Auckland, This Day. A railway disaster happened to the Main Trunk express at Whangamarinu, nsar Mercer, this morning, Two passengers were killed and several injured, some seriously. As far a can be gleaned the express was running at full speed and crashed into a goods train which left Auckland a£ midnight. Several carriages were telescoped. The line ia blocked for traffic. One of the passengers killed is Orton Stevenß, general manager for New Zealand of the National Mutual Life Assurance Company. The second was Peterson, of J. F. Mackenzie and Co.

Those seriously injured are:—Grimstone, Wellington; Swinson, Wellington —taken to the Hamilton Hospital. Others injured ara Goldingham, Palmerstoh North; A. A. Fcx, McKay, and Howard, all of Wellington. Peter Donaldson, railway porter, Wbangamarino station, had his arm broken.

Mr G. N. Grimstone, seriously injured. ia registrar of the Tokerau Maori Land Board, and was formerly private secretary to Judge Palmer. He recently left Wellington intending to return with hia wife and family.

DETAILS OF COLLISION.

SLEEPING CAR TELESCOPED,

POSTAL OFFICIALS' NARROW

ESCAPE.

By Correspondent. Mercer, This Day.

Ths following account of. the accident is furnished by a Chronicle representative, who was proceeding to Auckland by the express train, and who was uninjured:— In the railway disaster Mr Orton Stevens, manager of the National Mutual Assurance Cj., and Mr Clement Peterson, of Melbourne, were killed. The porter in charge on the points at the position of impact, bad a marvellous eecape. He had an arm broken.

Mr Swinson, Wellington, sustained a broken leg, and Mr Grimstun, Wellington, is suffering from internal injuries. The collision occurred at about 4.45 a.m. Several waggons on the good a train were Bmasbed to matchwood.

The signal showed clear for the express, but the gocda train was only partially claar of the main line. The express was travelling at a fair speed and completely cut the goods train in two.

The express engine completely turned over.

The mail van telescoped into a sleeper completely wrecking fhe postal van. The officials had marvellous escapes, and tbe occupants of the sleeper were badly injured. In the sieeper were Mr Orton Stevens, Mr Swinson, Chandler and Co., Mr Grimston, Seatown, Wellington, and C. Pearson.

Several of the injured had to be cut out and the work waa handicapped by darkness.

Splendid asßistanca was rendered to sufferers by Nurse Melville White, who directed all relief.