Terrible Railway Accident at Rakaia. .

Manawatu Herald, 14 March 1899, Page 2

Terrible Railway Accident at Rakaia. .

Tbe annual picnic of the em" plnyees at the Islington Freezing vv Works, held at Aehburfcon on Sator* <] iy, ended in a, manner that will long be remembered by those who took part in it, for on the return journey the worst accident w,hicb has pver occurred on any of the New Z j aland Hops took place, resulting in tbe death of three young women and a child, while thirty or forty mote p«nple wpre injured. The excursionists had spent the day plt»i«anMy at Ashbur.ton, and le^t for Cbri^f church in two heavy trains. The first was drawn by two of the largp English engines, and left the pit form at six p.m. The other d'-awQ by a large American engine, f illowed twenty minutes later. When th^ second train was leaving the station the cru*h on the platform was po great that one of the guards was unable to* reach his van after giving the signal to start, and was 1 ft behind, the train going on with oo ! y one guard in the brake-van. Tbe first train reached Rakaia safely, and 4rew up on the south side of the platform, where it had to wait for the evening train from Christ, church to A*hburton to cross. This train was about twenty minutes late, a-id, therefore the first excursion train could not get away for Christchurch until the second was in site. There being no Bignal station at

Rakaia, an official was sent down to the points with a lamp, and as the train approached, he gave the signal to atop. The driver of the engine, finding he could not pull hig train up immediately, gave three short, sharp whislle9 — the signal for " down brakes." Although the guard in thi; van at the end of the train at once complied with the order, the heavy train, impelled by a strong southwest wind, and aided by the slipperinnetg of the rails from the heavy rain which had been falling all day, continued on its course, and, with a terrible crash, ran into the tail of the ft^firsl; excursion train, completely telescoping the guards's van and the three carriages next to it. A number of the passengers bad left the last three or four carriages of the first train and were standing on the station platform. The cries tt" Jump for your lives," when they saw the approaching danger, induced a number of those still on board to jump out; and to this many owe their lives. The huge engine crushed into the guard's van, driving the end in as far as the bogie under carriage. TMfe van, in turn, was driven into the second-class compartment of an American carriage ; while one of the old-fashioned carriages, which was next, mounted the platform of the first-class carriage in front of it, and its bind wheels were driven along the floor of the compartment to the partition. Then another composite carriage, which was ahead, wa3 driven right over the front of the first-class carriage, leaving nothing but the floor and the wheels, the whole body of the carriage having bsen crushed to matohwood. The two carriages in front were only 1 slightly damaged, though the couplings were broken. A TERRIBLE SCENE. The sight was a terrible one, and . the cries of the injured were heart" rending. A panic ensued, and men were seen fighting with women and children in their endeavour to get out of the carriage?. Axob were produced, and the sides of the car* riages were broken in to provide an exit. Dr Cordner was in attendance, and the large room of the post office was used as a hospital. Two of the express cairiiges were turned into ambulance wagons, and the wounded reached Christchurch at 1040. where they were attended by Drs Jennings and C. M, and R. W, % Anderson, and were taken to the Christchurch Hospital. PABTICULART OF THE KILLED AND WOUNDED. The following died at Rikaia; — Hiss Franks, of Templeton. Miss Jones and a baby boy be • longing to Mr Bowden.of Addington. One girl has not yet been linden Mfied. Three bodies were brought to Christchurch on Sunday, and are now at the Terminus Hotel, when an inquest will be held at 10 a.m. on Monday. Following are the known injured: —Mr Sutherland, dislocated hip and broken ankle. Mr J, E, Jones, ribs broken and one ear t im off. W. Wolton, broken leg. E. Harding, both legs broken. Mr Hesketh, ribs broken and head cut. E. Harrison, jun., bruises on the body and cuts on the head. Mr Hartly, concussion of the brain. Mr L. Hunter, broken thigh. C. Bushel, both arms broken. Mr McDowal), badly bruised. ' Mrs MoDowall, bruises and broken collarbone. The inquest on the bodies of the victims of the railway accident opened this morning. After the jury bad viewed the bodies the inquest was adjourned till Friday. The jury proceed this affernoon to view the scene of the accident. The body supposed to be that of Miss Jones was identified by ber mother as that of Rose Harwood, aged 16 years. It was discovered Cfcis morning that Miss Jones hag been in the hospital since the 7th March. The wounded are all doing as well as can be expected. The doctors d§ not anticipate any further fatalities. The following are the name* of fchope killed :— Mary Ann Franks, aged 27 years ; Francis Evelyn Jones, aged 24 years ; Rose Hirwood, 16 /gars ; a baby named Bowden, No more woundnd are r?njrtod