LATEST TELEGRAMS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 59, 30 March 1907, Page 2

LATEST TELEGRAMS

SERIOUS RAILWAY ACCIDENT A .MIDNIGHT COLLISION. ENGINES AXJ) CARRIAGE SMASHED UP. VOLUNTEERS' PROVIDENTIAL ESCAPE. TUAIN OFEiCJALS INJURED. I'cr Press Association. Christchurch, March 2!). At about one o'clock this morning, a train from the, South carrying volunteers to the Easter camp at Sheffield, ran into another train from Christcliurel) between llankside and Raknia at. a point about a mile north of the latter station.

It seems that the train from Chri-t----■linreh should have stopped at. Hankside in order to allow the up train to pass, but (lid not do so, and a collision was the result.

The impact was a very severe one, and both engines were smashed up very badly, and also the carriage next to the engines. The first carriage on the troop train happened to be empty at fhei time, the volunteers only having changed Hieir quarters a little time before. Had the carriage linen occupied, all Hie passengers would have been killed, for the force of the collision drove the under part of t-hei carriage right under the engine, while the roof and upper part were knocked clean oil'. None of the passengers wore injured, but Micklc, the driver of the train from Christchurch, sustained a number of had bruises through being pinned in his cab, and also injuries to his leg, and is sull'uring badly from shock. Mickl'3 qualified as a first-class engineer IS months ago, and was lo have reached the maximum salary on Monday. McGrnth, fireman on the same train, was cut about the head, and the guard was also severely injured. Two or three of the passengers were, injured, but not to any serious extent. On account of the blockage on the linn, the passengers by the night train from Dunediu did not reach here until 11 this morning. The train could not get through, and the passengers had to be transferred from one side of the wrncknge to the other. The passengers by the lirst mail for the South also had to be transferred, but 'the midday express passuil around the shattered engines on a line that had been laid down in the meantime. The wreckage was cleared away this afternoon and the trains will" run through as usual from to-night. 'The District Traffic Manager left for the scene of the accident this morning.