THE KITTED AND INJURED.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 1251, 28 May 1914, Page 2

THE KITTED AND INJURED.

Auckland, May 27. The complete list of killed and injured is as follows : killed. Mr Orton Stevens, of Wellington. Died before being released. Mr Cuthbert F. Peterson, of Melbourne. Died soon after being released from the wreckage. Mr George N. Grimstone. Succumbed in hospital at Hamilton at 3.30 p.tn. the injured. Mr John Svvinsou, of Towef Hutt. Making favourable pro w gress in Hamilton hospital. Mr H. G. Mackay, of Melbourne. Suffering trom severe shock. Mr H. A. Fox, of Wellington. Crushed foot and severe abrasions. Mr Wm. Donaldson, railway porter at Whangamarino. Fractured arm.

Mr F. S. Goldingham, of Palmerston N. Chest and shoulders severely bruised, cuts on head and forehead, and general shock.

Mr G. E. Howard, Devonport, Auckland. Minor injuries to face and head, and suffering from exposure. Mr W. J. Hill, of Auckland. Injury to the left foot, and bruises. Mr Harry Scott, of Auckland, sleeping-car attendant. General bruising. Two other passengers in the sleeping car escaped without injury at allIt is stated that the signals at Whangamarino flag station, which is in charge of a tablet porter, were clear for the Wellington train. As the express was flying by the lights of a locomotive were seen on the siding. Two short blasts on the whistle were sounded —the signal for imminent danger. The urgent signal was from the engine drawing the 400-ton goods train, which had left Auckland at midnight, bound for Waikato. The brakes were applied, but the goods train had not quite cleared the main line; in fact, Porter Donaldson was sitting on the lever keeping the points open. The express dashed into the trucks still on the line, and the engine, after travelling some distance, was thrown over into a swamp.

The mail van took the impact of the rest of the express train. The sleeping car, which was next to the mail van, was telescoped for more than two-thirds of its length. The confining of the smash to the sleeper can only be attributed to the immediate application of the brakes, and the fact that the mail van struck a glancing blow. The driver and fireman were thrown clear, and the three mail men —Bristol, Scott and Clark, of Auckland —escaped uninjured.