TRAIN DASHES INTO ANOTHER

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 85, 19 July 1910, Page 5

TRAIN DASHES INTO ANOTHER

Melbourne, July 18. A disastrous railway smash has occurred at Richmond station. A train from Elsternwick ran into a Brighton train just as it was moving out°of Richmond station. The latter was delayed by a dense fog. The Elsternwick train was travelling at consitu.able speed and smashed into the rear oi the outgoing train, cutting through the guard's -van into a first-class carriage next to it, two compartments of which it cut up. Both trains were crowded ■with passengers. Reseue work is progressing, out, & is impossible yet to ascertain the number «f killed and wounded. SIGNALS INVISIBLE THROUGH FOG. DISTRESSING SCENES. Received July 18, 5.5 p.m. Melbourne, Last Night. The lines are blocked with debrit. The fog rendered the signals invisible to the drivers. Many distressing scenes occurred at Richmond station when the relatives of the killed and wounded were being identified. The accident in many respects resembled the disastrous smash at the sunshine station on the Easter of 1908. •HOW THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. SIGNALS UNDECIPHERABLE. SCENE OF WILD CONFUSION. SHRIEKS AND GROANS OF THE WOUNDED. Received July 18, 8.35 p.m. Melbourne, Last Night. Richmond is one of the busiest centres of Melbourne's arteries, especially at the time of the mishap, when hundreds were making their way to the city to commence the day's work. The staffs of both trains declare that the signals were practically undecipherable, owing to the fog, until the engines were almost abreast of them. The position was rendered more difficult by the fact that just before entering the station trains have to round a curve and pass under a bridge. The Brighton train had just got clear of the platform when the Elsternwick train dashed into its rear. The engine tore through the guard's van into a first-class carriage. The roofs of the guard's van and carriage were torn off, and two compartments were completely smashed. . Several passengers were instantly killed and others injured. Three other carriages were telescoped and more or less badly damaged. The funnel of the Elsternwick engine broke off with the impact, and the carriage following was thrown off the line. The next, a second-class carriage, was badly wrecked, the Toof being thrown forward on to the preceding carriage. A number of the inmates were killed out.Tight or badly injured. Hundreds of people were waiting at the various platforms. The scene was one of wild confusion, as little could be seen owing to the escaping steam. The sound of the impact was heard a long distance away, and brought many others to the scene. The shrieks and groans of the wounded pinned by the debris added to the iorror of the situation. It was a considerable time before the full extent of the disaster was realised. As soon as possible rescue gangs and floctors got to work. A cordon of police guarded the entrance of the station to keep back the' immense crowds, including the relations of the killed and injured. There were heartrending scenes as the flead and wounded were brought out., •All sorts of vehicles were requisitioned to convey them to the hospitals. It was several hours before the debris was removed and the lines cleared. A TREMENDOUS SHOCK. CHOPPING OUT THE INJURED. A MIRACULOUS ESCAPE. YOUTH'S EXTRAORDINARY PLUCK. Received July 18, 9.15 p.m. Melbourne, Last Night. There is some variation in the accounts of the disaster. The balance of evidence goes to show that the guard of the Brighton train had just given the signal to start, when the Elsternwick train crashed into it. The shock was tremendous, as the incoming train was travelling at a fair rate. Fortunately there were not many pasBengers in the first-class smoker of the Brighton train, and later reports show that only one man was killed outright there, though several were crushed. The battered carriage formed an inextricable mass. It took over an hour to chop. and.saw,out the maimed.

TEN KILLED; MANY INJURED HEARTRENDING SCENES By Cable.—Press Association.—Copyright

Of the fourteen passengers, only on( - escaped unhurt. His escape was miracu lous, a twisted iron bar forming a pro i tective archway. I Two died after extrication. r The most remarkable feature of the - disaster was that in the centre of the - Elsternwick train a second-class carriage i was crushed concertina-wise. e The rescuers found among the debris e a woman decapitated, also the bodies o1 it two men battered out of recognition 1 Others were pinned in various parts oi the body, writhing in agony. Two oi s these died on the way to the hospital. i Extraordinary pluck was shown by s youth named Shanahan, one of the lasi to be cut out. Though his leg was 1. smashed to a pulp, he shook hands witl a rescder, declared he was all right, anc asked the rescuer to attend to twe others who were still pinned by th( wreckage, and who, he said, needed as sistance more than he. Guard Davitt, of the Brighton train e saw that the smash was inevitable, anc stepped off as the impact occurred, anc * escaped. The driver and guard of th( * Elstern wick train both escaped with s l " slight shock. !- THE DRIVER"? STATEMENT. iDID NOT SE2 OR HEAR THE SIGNALS. Received Julv 18. 10.25 p.m. Melbourne, Last Night. The driver of the Elsternwick express states that he was running ten minutes late, and did not see the signals till h< was right under them. He was goini slowly, having been warned that Rich mond was, not clear, and was keeping s sharp lookout for fog detonators. H( heard none, and could not understand is the absence of signals. He was almosl e within a hand's* touch of the Brightor e train before he saw it. He applied th< [. hand brake, but it was insufficient tc stop the train. The driver was hurlec t forward, and received a cut on bis head .. The Chief Commissioner dHnred th< , s driver's statement that thf>r° were nc fog signals was incomprehensible to him \. for it was a rule of the Department thai r . drivers should be warned of fogs. a : THE KILLED AND INJURED. k The following is the list of the killec and seriously injured, so far ascertain s able:— KILLED. : ' Messrs. Hanger, Wellington, Wright '' Smith,, and Bradshaw, Miss Pullmann Mesdames Muirhead and McMasters anc v a lady whose identity is unknown. d SERIOUSLY INJURED. Messrs. Taslatt, Angwin, Tenbridge e Denston, A. Smith, Tetley, Marshall .. Peebles, Nichol, Watson, Ross, Pike Lilly, and Murphy, and Miss ,Gillespie. s SLIGHTLY INJURED. A large number of passengers were I slightly injured. Following is the list:— '" Messrs. Anderson, Claus Edgar, Brim wald, West, Wigham, Amess, Nutting Maides, Knox, Reid, Cochrane, Holt, and Bean, and Miss Knox. '' Received July 18, 5.45 p.m.' Melbourne. Last Night. The latest list of killed includes C. B * Smith, as well as Ogilvie Smith, of the f Victoria Racing Club's staff, bringing the fatalities up to ten. C. E. M. Masters, not Mrs. Masters. e was killed. Melbourne, Later. B The list of severely injured includes * Deuston, not Denston, and the list oi * slightly injured Amos, not Amess. The two Knoxs mentioned are sisters. Additional slightly injured are: Smith, B Nathan, Jessop, Kelly, Carbarnes, Dun--3 can, Schafer, Burton, Creed, Wrignt. Wainwright. Mitchell, Nottings. Chant, J McGowan, Shanahan, Tarrant brothers * (21, and Miss Ellis. ' Besides these and several of those previously mentioned who remain in vari--5 ous hospitals, a number of others sut fering from shock and abrasions were treated and sent home. Received July 10, 0.20 a.m. Sydney, Last Night. The published lists, while agreeing with the number of killed in connection with the Victorian railway accident, differ to some extent in regard to the names. One paper states that a man named Kelly was killed, and another man named Armstrong. > IT DAZZI.ES THE WORLD. 1 No discovery in medicine has ever i created one quarter of the interest that has been caused by Dr. Sheldon's New Discovery for Coughs and Colds. It ' has brought relief in the most hopeless cases, when all else has failed. Price . Is 6d and 3s. Obtainable everywhere. WET FEET 1 Ofter result in a heavy cold, neglect of t which means pneumonia or consumption. A positive preventative of Mie?c ills is Dr. Sheldon's New Discovery for Cough's and Colds. Small dose. 'Pleasant to take. iEvery 'bottle guaranteed. Price •Is 6cV ancUSs. - Obtainable everywhere. ...