THE SLIP ON THE MAIN TRUNK LINE.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXII, Issue 8840, 17 June 1907, Page 2

THE SLIP ON THE MAIN TRUNK LINE.

A Miraculous Escape. A largo number visited the scene of the slip on the Main Trunk Lino on Sunday whore a large gang of i men were busy in getting the rolling stock on to the rails again. The t scene of the accident is about a mile ! and a half from the Cliff Road , station, and on a down grade pass- • iug through “Thoresby,” the well known property of Mr W. J. Birch. The late rains had loosened the soil on a stony fslope, the whole slipping on to the railway line, whilst a few yards further on another small slip had come away, bringing down the telephone post. The approach to the slip is around a curve and the night being dark and raining it was impossible to see the block on the line till the train with its human freight was almost on to it. Fireman Parkes, however, applied the brakes as soon as the obstacle was sighted, but the distance was too short to effect a stoppage of the train and the engine ploughed through the debris, breaking and doubling the cowcatcher under the bod of the engine and then left the track, falling clear of the rails on to its side on a small rise which prevented a drop of !10 feet on to the plain below. The fireman and stoker escaped without injury, A goods van and three trucks also left the tracks, and to the make-up of the train on this dark night must bo attributed the miraculous escape of the passengers, who. received nothing worse than • a shaking. Mr Hornbrook, manager for Mr Birch, was instrumental in getting telephonic communication at Mr Birch’s residence and an engine arrived in due course and took the carriages and its passengers back to .Martou. By noon yesterday the trucks and goods van were once again placed in their rightful position and conveyed to Martou. Tlje work of raising the mud-coated and wrecked engine is steadily progressing and yesterday it had again assumed an upright position though still off the track and no doubt regular traffic will be resumed to-day. On Saturday passengers were conveyed to both sides of the slip and then transferred. The slip took place between the arrival and departure of the night trains at Marten, the down train passing this point at about five o’clock, whilst the fated engine was due to pass the spot on the return journey "at about 7.45. A word of nraiso is due to Fireman Parkes for his promptitude in applying the brakes. His action was uu« doubtedly, the means of preventing a catastrophe that might have ended fatally to some of those travelling on the up tramson Friday night.