RAILWAY CROSSING FATALITY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 2521, 21 December 1922, Page 3

RAILWAY CROSSING FATALITY.

EXPRESS CRASHES INTO TRAP. ■- ’ -■ - •: ' ■ ' DAUGHTERS INJURED. ' r . ; - ' : l 'A-fearful collision resulting m ’. loss of life; occurred at the railway ' /.crossing opposite Beach Road, Le- /. viu, just before 3 o’clock on Tues- - day "afternoon,; ,< the- victim ’being . Mrs wife of Mr A. Narby, a well-known settler of Tararua Rd., Levin. . • It appear-- that Mrs Narby, accompanied by her two daughters, 'in t-Aa-trap, on coming towards the eros- . : sing noticed- a train was standing : in the yard and kept their eyes on it. All. unconscious that . the Auckland express was due to arrive—rat that. -moment it was but a chain or two away-—they turned to . cross the railway and drove over the first Set ;gi and were fairly on the main ■ line when the heavy express engine - with a long string of carriages dashed into them. The impact, was fearful. The ■. trap was smashed to pieces, the oc-Aii-voupants thrown out, and the horse dashed into the - side-railing' at the cattelstOp -and then thrown aside dead. The train was pulled up as | quickly as possible, and there was ;a rush to the scene. 'Mrs Narby • was found to be beyond human aid, i and her were badly injured,, but the full extent of the injuries could not be ascertained at the time. Medical aid was soon at hand, and everything possible done for the injured. - . , One of the young ladies was „ -found, to have sustained a broken , | :arm,.-and injuries to the head, and - . the-other also received injuries to . the head. Both are suffering very much from shock. They-were taken - on by/the Auckland express to the ; ; Palmerston hospital. l' A'A ,-Mr. A. Kuighlj gauger on the Leyin- railway staff, who was working - ou tlie line about two chains from is^vthe;crossing, witnessed the fatality. : //He...states''that the party drove along to the crossing without the ; least idea that the Auckland express was approaching, and seem- ; ed to be watching the train in the yard. He was astonished, how 7 ever,"to see them attempt the cros- ; . , sing right- in front of the express. ■; I He shouted his loudest to direct ///their attention to the danger, and iii /' a moment the train dashed into them, throwing the trap into the air and smashing it to pieces. It was . a marvel, he says, that the whole •// party was not killed. INQUEST OPENED''AND AD- ;; - JOURNED. • • :Z .•/ -// ; . V■ ■ ___ ■ ’ . ■ An inquiry, was opened yesterday before Mr W. C. Nation, ||g|v district :coroner,, constable Bagrie // conducting the proceedings., §r.'r Albert Alexander Narby, farmer, •ir.% Tararua Road, gave evidence that \¥,; the deceased was his wife, and was 5/ 50 years of age. He left home on r~. Tuesday morning at, 10 'o’clock to // .come to the Levin sale. He expected some of the family to come to l / town in the.afternoon and take him «- home. While waiting in town for A- . them he received word that they hud -met with an accident at the crossing near the railway station. . He went at once to the scene and A y. there learned that the trao in which ;// his wife and two daughters had been '.■'driving had been smashed on the crossing. He learned that his wife 'had been killed and bis daughters IV - injured, the two latter being taken on to Palmerston Hospital. He surmised that Ills wife and daughters .. were watching the train in the sta- -- • tion .and did not expect the AuckAi . land express. The horse they were y - driving was very quiet. There was y a . clear view of the approaching // train for over a mile if they had /■/' thought of looking. His daughter A; Jessie was quite conscious after the f-\ accident and spoke to witness. Ethel : was also conscious but was badly injured. This -was all the evidence taken, / : and the cproner adjourned the inV • quest till Wednesday next. ; - THE LATE MRS NARBY, The late-Mrs Narby, who was 50 years of age, was a native of Grey- • . town, Wieirarapa, and 'after her mmage .lived, for many years in Mastertph- About nine. years ago Mr Narby acquired property in V- Gladstone R-oad, Levin, which he visited egularly, and three months V V ago the family took up their resi- /.. deuce on their own property there.