ALARMING RAILWAY CASUALTY.

Oamaru Mail, Volume II, Issue 596, 30 March 1878, Page 2

ALARMING RAILWAY CASUALTY.

Considerable surpr se w;is felt last evening at the unusual vagaries of the railway department. Shortly before sixo'clock ''.specials." were flying along the line at a speed that indicated that there was room for suspicion that all was not goin,' as merry as a marriage bell ; and it very soon became known that an accident of a serious nature had occurred to the Northern train,, which left Oamaru at 4.30 p.m. The particulars of the affair are briefly told. The train was uenring Richmond's crossing, about seveu miles from town, and was slackening speed, when a bullock—one of a small drove—rushed on to the line in front of the'engine. The driver (Paterson) at, once shut off the steam, and the break was at once applied by theguard. but the engine struck the beast which had rushed headlong to its destruction. The animal was pushed along in front of the eugine some sixty yards, when the guard-iron gave way, and the fore part of the engine, rising in the air, fell over the embankment, carrying some of the foremost trucks along with it. The driver was thrown on to the line, but the firpman, a young man named Stewart M'lntyre, being on the opposite side of the engine, was carried over with it. The eugine driver, with great presence of mind and courage, clambered up the side of the locomotive ai.d dived into the cab, despite the tremendous amount of escaping steam. After shutting off the ste„m as well as possible, he set to work to extricate his unfortunate assistant." This ; was a' work of some difficulty, as one of his legs was jammed fast, On. getting M'lntyre out, it was found that his right leg was broken a little above, the ankle, and that he had suffered other injuries of a more or less serious nature. Assistance having been procured from Awamoko Junction, the poor fellow was at once sent into Oamaru by the Maerewhenua engine: and van, arriving here about half-past 5 o'clock. He was then placed on'a mattress and conveyed to his home by a number of men. The necessary medical Assistance was at onoe prooured, and we are pleased to learn that he is progressing as favorably as can be expected. Fortunately none of the passengers were hurt, though of course some of them felt the shock. The. engine itself was much damaged, as were also some of the trucks. Directly upon the news of the accident being received in town, a special train proceeded to the scene, conveying Mr.-Loring (station master), Mr. Burnett (assistant engineer), Mr. Amos (locomotive foreman,) Mr. Smith

(inspector of permanent way,) and a large number of assistants. Every effort was then made to get the line clear, to enable the other trains to pass along, and great credit is due to the men for the energetic manner in which they worked. The passengers by the wrecked train were transferred to the down train from Tiniaru, which returned to Timaru ; while those for Oarharu were brought on by the train which had been dispatched from, here with assistance.