AUSTRALIAN.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 100, 5 April 1884, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN.

[BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH—COPYRIGHT.] [Reuter’s Telegrams.] THE LATE RAILWAY ACCIDENT.— FURTHER PARTICULARS. Melbourne, April 4. The enquiry into the Little River Railway Collision will be commenced on Saturday. Heckman Molesworth, County Court Judge, will act as President at the Court of enquiry. Craik, driver of the passenger train, has died from injuries received through the collision. A list giving the names of twenty - three persons seriously injured has been published. There arc many others slightly injured. Everything tends to confirm the frightful nature of the shock. Tho trucks were heaped upon one another for a distance of twenty yards, aud the tenders were thrown on the top of the engines. The scene was one of desolation. The state of the injured was most pitiable until assistance arrived, which was not til] four hours had elapsed. Biddle, the Werribu Station-master, has confessed his responsibility for the catastrophe. The Staff system is, it appears, partially in abeyance on the Victorian lines. INQUEST ON THE BODIES. Later.—lnquests were held to-day on the bodies of the victims of the Little River Railway accident, but, in view of the strict investigations into the disaster which are about to be held here, the verdicts returned were merely of a formal nature. The second-class passenger who was killed in the Little River Railway accident has been identified as Mrs. Johnson, of South Melbourne. Accounts from Sunbury state that the explosion there was a teriffic one. Several trucks were smashed, and the fire-box, weighing half-a-ton, was blown a distance of 300 yards. POSTMASTER GENERAL’S PORTFOLIO. Rumours are current that Mr. Berry will shortly relinquish the portfolio of Postmaster-General, retaining only that of Chief Secretary. THE WAIRARAPA AND ADELAIDE COLLISION. The Navigation Board enquiry into the alleged race between the steamers Wairarapa and Adelaide in February last will be commenced here on Saturday next. April 5. Rumors are current that other proposed Ministerial changes are expected,’and that Mr. Service, the Premier, will relinquish the port folio of Minister of Public Instruction, and it is stated that it is probable that the Hon. William Campbell will join the Cabinet, also that Mr. Gillies, Member for Railways, will be transferred to the Department for Public Works. Further agricultural returns published give the yield of wheat in Victoria this season at fifteen and a half million bushels, the average yield per acre thus remaining at 13*69 bushels.