MAIN TRUNE SENSATION.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 263, 24 July 1915, Page 4

MAIN TRUNE SENSATION.

<s>PUMICE SANK GIVES WAY FOR FIFTY YARDS. | ENGINES AND VAN FALL INTO ; RIVER BSD. NO OFFICIALS OR PASSENGERS INJURED.

TAUMARUNUI . July 23.

Passengers by the through* Wellington to Auckland, express, after a wait o£ several hours through slips on the line, left at 2.30 1 pun, to-day in one train containing two engines in front.

a postal van, cn e sleeper, eight-- carriages and two luggage vans. When two miles north frond here the embank - ment gave way under the second engine... aa d the two engines and postal van turned clean overt, a drop of nine feet, partly into the fitngarue RiverL The■ driver of the leading, engine ap*plied the brakes in goad time. Thewhole pumice bank gavee way for fiftyyards near th e approach -to* the bridge over a*. Culvert. The train - was going at from two to three miles an; hour. Thl driver, i' Peter Doyle, and! fireman, George'- King, jumped clear from the first engine uninjured. Foreman A. Payn e -jumped clear from tire second engine* 1 and escaped with a slight injury to Kis hand. Drier W. M. Nicholson and - 'DTstrict Engineer Jeffeies rolled over" fin the cab of thee second engine, and escaped without a scratch. Two Auckland postal officials- rolledy over in . the van, without injury. Thet sleeping-car was derailed and went partly down the bank, empty: No passengersswer e injured. They? Bad a very narrow escape, however. -Driver Doyle, Fireman King, and Guard W. Duncan were in charge of the express in the Raurimu accident, last Saturday. After a* further delay of several hours, the passengers were last night transferred Co a train beyond the" gap, for Auckland, and the down express passengers wer e transferred to this side.

TRAINS THROUGH TO-MORROW

FROM AUCKLAND TO WELLINGT- . TON.

TE KTJITI, This Day: Trains froin - here to Auckland are expected to be’ running to-night, when the washout ad Hangitiki will be repaired.

Trains to Wellington are expected lev get through after to-morrow, when th i loop at Tarihgamutu will be passable. Thp floods are gradually subsiding: th e T e Kuiti-Fiopib road is submerg ed to a depth of S feet in places' Coaches to the oud-districts will no. run till to-morrow or next day. Nn serious damage is reported, except slips on many roads.