HIKURANGI SMASH

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 942, 8 April 1930, Page 1

HIKURANGI SMASH

CONDITION OF INJURED MINES CEASE WORK Special to THE SVN WHANGAREI, Monday. Those injured in the level-crossing accident at Hikurangi on Saturday are progressing well in the Whangarei Hospital, though the condition of Philip Sparks, aged 15, is still very serious. All the mines in Hikurangi will stop work at 11.30 o'clock tonight, and will not resume for 24 hours. The Miners’ Union has taken charge of the arrangements for the burial of the four young men, James Rothwell, Gavin Davidson, Sydney Johnson and Andrew Frew, and the funeral will leave Hikurangi at two o'clock tomorrow afternoon for the Kauri Cemetery. The body of Miss Flora Edna Wilson, of St. Heliers Bay, was taken to Auckland by the express today. The parents of Miss Irene Dartven, aged 15, arrived in AVhangat'ei this morning from Matamata. Mr. A. J. Murdoch, M.P. for Marsden, telegraphed to the Minister of Railways today, urging that immediate steps be taken to divert the road at Hikurangi to eliminate two dangerous railway crossings. The Minister replied regretting the tragedy, and intimating that he was having the question of the of the crossings inquired into immediately. RAILWAY ATTITUDE INQUIRY MAY BE HELD Though no notification of the intention of the General Manager of the Railway Department to hold an inquiry into the Hikurangi collision has been received yet, it is possible that one may be held. It is usual for the department, to bold an inquiry to establish ■whether the train crew took all necessary precautions.