FURTHER PARTICULARS

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue 4, 14 September 1880, Page 2

FURTHER PARTICULARS

4.36 p.m. Latest particulars to hand respecting the Rimutaka Railway accident repoi t three children named Pharazyn, Nicholas, and Quinn as killed. {Six adults are badly injured, and have been sent to Greytown Hospital. Two other children, Pharazyn and Nicholas, me so badly injured as to be unable to stand. The removal to Greytown is bein^ attended to. Foatherston names injured are not definitely known. Great excitement prevails. [From the Post of Saturday.] Briefly the facts stand thus:— A whole passenger train has teen blown bodily over a precipice on the Rimutaka. Up to 1 o'clock this afternoon only the most meagre information h«s been received of this terrible disaster, but from the short formal telegram received by the Minister for Public Works we gather the following particulars : — The train leaving for Greytown at B.3Othis morning 1 started in due course, and proceeded without mishap to Cross' Creek, the station at the foot of the Himutaka incline, where the ordinary locomotive is detached, and one of the Fell engines put on to push the train up the 2£ miles of 1 in 15 ascent to the summit. The plan now adopted is for the luggage van and passenger carriages to be placed in front ; then the Fell engine : next any goods waggons there may be ; and last, the Fell brake-van, which works on the middle rail. In this case it is not known whether there were any goods waggons, but there were two passenger carriages and a luggage van in front, the engine in the middle, and the Fell break-van brir.ging up the rear, as usual. Ie is necessary to bear these details in mind to understand the nature of the mishap. The train started on its laborious ascent up the steep' gradient, and had travelled as far as a part of the line generally known as "Siberia," from the pierciugly cold blusts of wind which seem almost constantly to sweep down the mountain gullies which converge at that point. Here a strong N.W. gale was was found to be blowing across the track, and suddenly a teriffic gust struck the train. The consequences were most disastrous. The two passenger carriages, which are stated to have been full of passengers, and also the luggage Tnn, were hurled bodily off the line and over the edge of the precipice, which a"; that point is nearly 100 feet in depth. The three vehicles fell with a feurful crash to the bottom, and were seen lying, a wreck of smashed timber and ironwork, at the bottom of this fearful declivity. Fortunately the couplings broke, and liberated the falling train, otherwise the engine and brake-van rnu-t have followed, and then hardly a soul might have escaped to tell the tale or seek assistance. As it happened, the engine remained on the rails, aud the driver and fireman stayed to render what aid they could to the _ wounded, while the brake-van, being uncoupled, ran down the incline by its own momentum, under the charge of the guard, to Cross' Creek, where a hasty telegram waa sent to the General Manager, reporting the disaster, and asking for immediate assistance. A. special train was instantly got ready, and messengers despatched in all directions for surgeons. The "special" left at 11.30, consisting of an engine, carriage, and brake-van, taking Mr Lawgon, Commissioner of Railways, *Mr Aahoroft, General Manager, and Dw. Diver, Gillon, Tripe, and Kesteven. It is expected to reach the scene of the disaster by 1 o'clock. 6OBNB AT THB BAILWAY STATION. The excitement in town.as already stated, became intense as soon as the news of an accident became kno>vn, and a crowd of people speedily assembled at the Railway Station, anxious to glean the latest particulars. It was arranged by the Government that telegrams should be sent through from Cross' Creek by means of the railway telegraph, giving all the information that could be gleaned. Mr Werry, the Under Secretary for Railways, was in attendance at the station, and he and Mr Hewott, the Station Master, were besieged with enquiries from persons who had been expecting friends to arrive by the ill-fated train. To all enquirers the gentlemen named were most courteous, but, for a long time, the information they had to give was very scanty, bb the telegrams came through very slowly. In the meantime the suspense and anxiety of those waiting for nows, which might at any moment come to tell them that a fiiend or relation waa dead or seriously injured, wera pninful in the extreme to witness. There was considerable doubt at first as to whether the name of ono of the children killed was NieholU or Nicholas, and, both boing Wairarapa names, considerable anxiety waa felt on the subject. Eventually it was ascertained definitely that it was a little child named Nicholas who had been billed. REMOVAL TO THE HOSPITAL. 1 39 p.m. — A telegram has just been received from Featherstoa, to the effeot that three persons are known to be killed, includiug a daughter of Mr Chaa. Pharazyn and twe persons named respectively Niclolas and Quin ; but it is not yet known whecher they are males or females, or how many more are killed. Some of the wounded are being taken to, the Greytown Hospital. It is said that two, who are very seriously injured, are being attended to at Featherston Dr Spratt is in attendance at the latter place, and Dr Small at Greytown. 2 p.m.— A later telegram slates that the

hree killed are all children, their names )oing respectively Pharazyn, Nicholas, and Juin. Two more children, named Pharazyn md Nicholas, are injured, and have been ;aken to Feat hers ton. It is expected that ;bey will recover. Six adults are badly Injured, and are being sent to the Greytown Hospital. Their names have not yetbeen ascertained. . ~ [The above report is inaccurate in one particular. The couplings retrained fast, and the passenger carriages were simply blown off the line, the passengers being shot out and precipitated down the incliue by the force of the wind, and hurt by the falling debris of the wrecked carriages and the pieces of rock set in motion by the catastrophe.— Ed.J " ■■•■.■•-»••-■■-