SERIOUS ACCIDENT AT HALCOMBE.

Shannon News, 15 January 1924, Page 4

SERIOUS ACCIDENT AT HALCOMBE.

KIEVED-

BY RAILWAY TABLET RECEIVER.

SUCCUMBS TO PALMERSTON ISfO^TH.

An extraordinary renting in a recent, arrival , from t^eOm Country dying from occurred on the second S • Auckland to Wellington express, Halcombe yesterday ceased was named Robert Grant and was about 30 years of age._He . tained a fractured skull, whila . : other man, Thomas Noble, ■ received cohciisSibn. Both were removed to the Palmerston Nohth Hospital? ■ Like a bolt from the blub, with absolutely no chance Of escape, these two you’ng men wOrh tehdefed unconSous. by being sifMk *#«**«*•« the tablet exc&ngc.at the Railway, St*i»n, . «Hf., .S*!* through/the window of the coach In which they were travelling. , Having only arrived in New Zealand, at Auckland, during the weekend these two immigrants, . along with others were travelling to WelUng on in third second class carriage behind the engine. After leaving Marton, the train makes a hem-stop run to Feilding and passes through the intervening stations almost ft spee .< At Halcombe, the automatic table exchange was. set in brder to recede and deliver the tablets, and as the train sped past, something wen wrong, and a portion of th ® a ® pa J at w* which is of iron was wrenched oit. its flight Was checked by a window in the third coach ahd through this it ! crashed' on to the heads of the two unsuspecting travellers. The train was stopped and Grant, Who was found to be most seriously injured was removed on a Stretcher, to the guard's van, whilst Noble received first aid attentlC>Another passenger was cut about the face by the flying 'glhss. A message was despatched to Feilding for medical aid and the train proceeded on to Feilding, where Dr. Cameron and Constable McCall made an examination. The particular carriage m which the accident occurred was \ found to be Strewn with glass and Nobie, Who was still there, had just regained consciousness, and was bleeding from the head, and another paSsfenger had a cut On his face. In the guard’s van Grant was lying in a serious condition and the doctor ordered both men to the. Palmerston North Hospital. They were conveyed to Palmerston North in the express which left'as soon as matters were clear at the Feilding Station. Both men were journeying to the ICaiapoi Woollen Mills. Grant was operated on at 1.15 p.h*« yesterday, but died at 5.40 p.m. without regaining consciousness. As tar as is ktiowii, deceased had no relatives in the Dominion, and was apparently a single man, or at least alone in t e country. It was his fourth day in : New Zealand. Ah eye-witness, Mr James Mathewson, who was bound for Wellington ' saw the missile crash through the Window and strike ' the unfortunate ' rfien. It Whs just a crash, and both were tendered unconscious. The two travellers in the train were not the only ’persons injured. A railway clerk, Mr Joseph Bosoman, was , on the Halcombe platform near the tablet exchange When the accident ■ occurred and he was struck ,in the * head with either the swinging arm or by another part, of ,the tablet. It IS hot know what his injuries were but he Was bleeding profusely from a : scalp wound, and received attention at .the Halcombe, H&tel.,. ,