RAILWAY DISASTERS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 6 August 1907, Page 2

RAILWAY DISASTERS

LATEST CABLE NEWS Per United lVcsa AeeociuLion,—By Telegraph—Copyright

TRAIN PLUNGES INTO A RIVER. .SEVENTEEN BODIES RECOVERED. Received sth, U. 52 p.m. Paris; August 5. The Angers Poitiers train was derailed while crossing the Loire, near Ponidece. The locomotive, a luggage van, and a third class carriage, containing forty passengers, fell into the river. Seventeen bodies have been recovered, and it is feared many more perished. THE ROTORUA CATASTROPHE FAILURE OF WESTINGHOUSE BRAKE. A FRIGHTFUL JOURNEY.

Per Press Association. Auckland, August 5. Information received at the Aucklaiyl railway office In regard to the Rotorua train accident os to the effect that when the train started to move back theWcstinghouse brake, which should have held it, came off. The train quickly gather-, ed fipood, rushing down the hill for a distance of about eight miles. The trains consisted of two guards' vans, a passenger ear, and about 28 waggons. All the vehicles left the" rails and were much smashed and shattered by the fall over the side. The track was broken at the scene of the accident but a speei i.l train left Auckland yesterday at 2 a.m. for the place. Mr. Wallace, traffic manager, wag on hoard. At Fram.kton the train picked up on inspector and a large gang of men. last night word came that the line was clear again and that ordinary traffic would he resumed to-day. Guard Lowe was S3 years of age. He had been sixteen years in the Railwiy Department's employ. He had been stationed at Rotorua for the last two anil a half years. The runaway train attained a speed of nver poventy miles an hour. After Neatira the first dangerous curve was snfely passed, and Guard Lowe said, "Tf we get round the next we are all rijrht." But it was there the crash occurred.

Tlw guard's van suffered most, being stood on end. The bralcen were jammed on at. the start but would not act properly. Sir McCommons, a pissenger, said he emild have jumped out. He knew there wns something wrong when the engine whistled, but his friend would not let him get out, though the pace then was only four miles nn hour. The next ten minutes were awful. When the train took its last plunge he went through the partition and was struck pretty hard on the shoulder and eye. THE INQUEST. Per Press Association. Auckland, August 6. A jury was empanelled this morning for the inquest on the guard who lost his life in the li.ot"rua railway a-iciuent, but before the taking of evidence they, proceeded to the scene of the disaster. The grade down which the train ran is for the most part one in 35. At Bell's siding, where the metals were left, there is an "S" curve.

FURTHER PARTICULARS. Per Press Association. Auckland, August 5. The Coroner and jury vißited the scene of the railway accident to-day. The inquest into the cause of the death of Guard Lowe commences at 8 toniglit. . Further particulars show that tho accident happened at forty-eight mile peg, two miles from the water tank between Ngatira and Aliuri. Tho train consisted of two. eMines, . two guards' vans, «. passenger carnage, ' and twenty-eight trucks. When ascending the hilj the second engine apptaTET~" to lie dragging. The train was pulled up, and Taylor, the driver of the first engine, uncoupled the guard's van, which was next to the second engine, previously applying the brakes to several of the trucks, as well as the van. The first engine then steamed ahead slightly, drawing the second behind it, with a view of ascertaining the defect to the second engine. It was then noticed that the trucks and vans were moving, and the whistle was blown to put on the brakes. The engines immediately followed after tho trucks, but failed to keep pace with them.

st A distance of six and a quarter milea •s was covered before the trucks left the w line, which was at a sharp curve. 10 The guard's van at the rear Bliot clean over the bank, and fell on its side. Lowe, the guard, was killed, his forehead being smashed in, and Ms head otherwise badly battered. A large truck stood end on to the passenger y carriage, which was half buried into the '- ground, leaving only sufficient space u available for the passengers to crawl t from under. The roof kept intact, and s thus saved their lives, s Coal trucks, and other trucks con*, i. talning lime and hay, and several cattles tracks were all piled one on top of ther other. Some were broken to splinters* - The guard's van which was next the i engine, fell on its side, .Forty-live cattle were killed, and thirty-seven saved. The coal and hay took fire. Between Putaruru and Manakau there is a rise of twelve hundred feet. The 1 accident took place at a steep -grade about half-way between the two places. The whole of the roiling stock was smashed to pieces. The three men injured arc doing fairly well. Kingdon is now partially conscious, but rambles in his speech. A gang of men is at work on the wreckage, and a considerable quantity 1 of the hay has been saved. No explanation has been given so far as to why the brakes failed to net. The passengers assert that the brakes were, applied by the guards, who were per-, fect-ly cool. They also sa.y that the trucks attained a speed o*f eighiy miles,an hour. _ Very little damage was done to (litline, and goods and express trains passed through all right to-day. The passengers who were on board are merely suffering from norvoiu shock. The damage is estimated at about £SOOO. It is estimated that the train weighed about two hundred jmd thirty tons. All these trucks "broke away, and went over the embankment.