HORRIBLE RAILWAY ACCIDENT.

Patea Mail, Volume IX, Issue 1105, 29 October 1883, Page 2

HORRIBLE RAILWAY ACCIDENT.

The mail brings particulars of the fearful accident at Steglitz, mentioned in onr telegraphic summary. It occurred on Sunday night, Sept 2. Steglitz is a favourite place of resort of Berliners, and lies on the Potsdam and Madgeburg railway, three miles to the south-west. The accident, which may be called a massacre, stands probably unique in the annals of railway disasters. The day being Sunday, and the Sedan anniversary, the place was crowded with excursionists to the Schenetzenfast and other festivities in honour of the day. By 10 p.m., a crowd of abont 500 persons filled the platform of the railway station at Steglitz, waiting for the return train. When the latter arrived, after some delay, the barriers still remained closed to await the passing' of the Cologne night express. Suddenly, however, the pressure of the impatient crowd forced the barriers aside, and, despite the efforts of tbe railway officials, hundreds of persons rushed across the down lino to enter the cars. At

Unit moment llj«> *('x;!irss on mo tearing alons:, and although Vhe driv'T, on seeing tho danger signals displayed at the last moment, applied the brakes, tho train dashed right amongst tho mass of people covering. the fine, and annihilated evcryfhiiig in its way. One terrible ery of anguish arose even above the thunder of the train, and all was over. The details of this terrible scene, lasting only a few seconds, as narrated by eye witnesses, arc almost too barrowing for repetition. Forty persons, of whom seventeen were men, eighteen women, and five children, were instantly killed, and about twenty-five wounded. All the victims belong to the artisan and labouring classes.

For a distance of 100 yards the line was covered with bodies, all shockingly mutilated, and human fragments. Of one family of five persons only one boy, escaped. The killed include- four married couples, five members of the shooter’s Company, witn' the flag-bearer and three artillery corporals. One of the latter had both legs and his heavy sabre cut through as with a knife. One girl had nearly reached the local train when the draught caused by the express thrcw : her under the locomotive. One woman had both legs cut-off, and-on being carried into the waiting room gave birth to a dead child and expired. Another woman and a sailor in the Imperial navy were com;plctely decapitated, and no vestiges of the heads have been found. A child had one hand cut off, and one body was entirely divested of clothing. . The driver of the express train bad to be relieved from bis duties, being unable to proceed after witnessing the scene of carnage. His locomotive was covered with pieces of flesh, bones, rags, and -drenched with blood. The line remained blocked for hours, while a detachment of firemen and soldiers gathered the remains of the victims by ’torchlight. -An official inquiry into the cause ot this dreadful disaster is taking place. Latest intelligence says:—The official statement has now appeared. It assigns as its cause the forcible opening of the barriers by the public, in spite of the urgent and repeated warnings of the railway officials. Others, however, attribute the disaster to the inadequacy of the staff at Steglitz, This, no doubt, partially contributed to the accident, as there were certainly only two officials present to manage the traffic of one of the most frequented stations in Berlin. A wonderful escape is reported of two children who were in the, accident, and who fell between the rails, and the. train passed over them, inflicting on them only a few slight bruises. Most of the fatal wounds were not caused by the engine, but by tho footboards. A collection has boon started for the benefit of the helpless widows and orphans and other dependents of the victims of this terrible catastrophe.