SHOOTING RAILWAY ACCIDENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8147, 3 July 1906, Page 3

SHOOTING RAILWAY ACCIDENT.

ENGLISH EXPRESS TRAIN JUMPS THE RAILS. TWENTY-EIGHT FATALITIES. Lon don. July 1. The American boat train from Dcvonport to Waterloo Station, London, was wrecked at Salisbury by jumping the rails. Twenty-two were killed and twelve injured. PASSENGERS PRINCIPALLY AMERICANS. CARRIAGES COMPLETELY WRECKED. SMASH UP OCCURRED ON A BRIDGE. AN HEROIC FIREMAN. INJURED DISPLAY GREAT BRAVERY. Received 2, 9.-10 p.m. London, July 2. The train contained forty-seven passengers, chiefly arrivals by the liner New York. They were mostly American*, and a few Canadians. Only the late hour of the steamer's arrival at Plymouth prevented the train being crowded, the bulk of the passengers remaining on the steamer, preferinij to proceed to Southampton by sea. Mr McClelan, Mayor of New York and his wife were amongst those on the train, which consisted of an engine, three first-class coaches, a guard's van and kitchen. After pissing Salisbury station, the engine left the rails on a sharp curve, at a point where the line traverses the main street of the town by a bridge with high girders. At the same moment a milk train was passing on the adjoining down line. The derailed engine crashed into the guard's van of the milk train killing the guard, and then collided with the girders of the bridge, finally smashing into another stationary engine. The first coach was disconnected by the collision, overshot the engine, and was dashed against the side of the bridge, precipitating some of the occupants to the street bebw. The second coach was ground into splinters by colliding with the girders, and the third was thrown across the rails and wrecked.

The guard's presence of mind in applying the brakes saved the van and kitchen, witli the staff of six waiters. Flames shot up from the engine but were soon extinguished. There was a great escape of gas until it was turned off. The driver and stoker of the bout express were killed. The fireman of the stationary engine, who was badly scalded, insisted on walking to the hospital, declaring others needed the stretchers more than he. He died of shock There were twenty-eight deaths. The injured behaved with much heroism. WELL-KNOWN" AMERICANS KILLED. Received 2, 11.13 p.m. London, July 2. The second coach contained the a family of rich Americans named Sentell, consisting of a son and two daughters. All were killed except the father, who was badly crushed. Mr and Mrs Copsitts, a bridal conple, were honeymooning. The husband, who was a millionaire, was killed, but the wife, who was asleep, was uninjnred. She was the daughter of Judge Dungros, an American Supreme Court Judge. Messrs Barwick, head of the Toronto Bar, Keller, an acrobat, known as " the human enigma," McMeeking, a famous breeder of Kentucky horses, and I'iron, Toronto representatiue of the White Star Line, were among the killed.