Main Trunk Fatality.

Taihape Daily Times, 16 May 1919, Page 4

Main Trunk Fatality.

ADDITIONAL PARTICULAHS. From what- can be gathered it appears that, the goods train which met with the accident on Wednesday night left Hihitahi half-au-hoiir late. After, leaving this station it is 'the practice to allow the train to run on the down grade by her own volition, the brakes being applied just before reaching the Horseshoe Bend at Taurangarere. It is assumed when the pace increased the enginedriver applied the brakes, but oiwng to some unknown cause they refused to act. From this on the train must have gradually increased her speed. During' her headlong career the driver was whistling signals of distress The train passed through Ngarukehu station with tremendous velocity; all that was seen by the tablet porter at that station being a cloud of dust and a stream of sparks coming from the rear of the guard’s van. The guard apparently had the haud-brake s full on, but this infinitesimal breakage power was quite unable to have any effect on the runaway train, with her load of 500 tons. The porter immediately telephoned to Mataroa that the train, out of control, blowing signals of distress, had passed through Ngarukehu, and Mataroa communicated with Ohakunc and Taihape. After waiting some time the S.M. at Mataroa came to the conclusion that an accident must have happened to the train. He at once organised a relief party from Mataroa and Ngarukehu ,who traversed the section between the two They found that the train had been derailed. I and a messenger was dispatched to Ngarukehu who reported the occurrence to the S.M. at Mataroa at 9.50. Miss Madden was one of the relief 1 party who left Mataroa, and her efforts in administering to the needs of the sufferers reflected on her the greatest The relief party found the driver, Thos. Welsh, pinned under the debris, in close proximity to broken steam pipes on the engine, and he was terribly scalded, it was some considerable time before he was released from his agonising position and everything was done to mitigate his sufferings until the arrival of the medical and ambulance party from Taibapc, about an hour later. The main steam pipe in the engine had broken, and the force of the escaping steam had cut a channel fully 30 feet in length in i the clay bank on which the engine was ■ laying. Relief trains from Taihape and Ohakunc arrived at the scene of the accident about three hours after its occurrence, and after Dr. Parker had administered medical aid to Driver Welsh and Fireman McKenna, they were removed to the hospital, where, as has already been stated, Mr. Welsh died from injuries. The train consisted of 34 trucks laden with coal, timber, and general merchandise, a passenger carriage, and guard’s van_ The wreckage was piled up to a height of thirty feet, in a manner almost indescribable. Coal, timber, eider down quilts, tea, broken and twisted iron and splinters being scattered round for a distance of two o r three chains from the scene of Die accident. A horse van was buried almost out of sight in the wreckage. As indicative of the tremendous velocity the runaway train had attained, about 20 trucks had shot past the engine when she was derailed, to a distance of a chain. The engine is almost completely wrecked.

The spot where the accident took place is in a high cutting about three miles south of Ngarukehu.

The apparent cause of the engine leaving the rails was her inability at the high speed she was 'travelling to negotiate two sharp curves which occur at this spot_ All traffic north of Taihape, with the exception of the mail train, is suspended for the present. It is expected that the block will be cleared away, and through traffic- resumed on Monday. In the meantime passengers by the mail trains, north and south, will have to be transferred at Taihape. Travellers are requested to travel with as little luggage as possible. Gangs of men are working clearing away the wreckage, and the Railway Department is doing Its best to minimise the inconvenience to passengers as much as possible. INQUEST.

An inquest on the circumstances touching on the death of Thos. Welsh was opened by Mr. J. P. Aldridge, Coroner yesterday afternoon. After viewing the" scene of the accident and taking evidence of identification of deceased, the inquest was adjourned until May 23rd.