RAILWAY ACCIDENT

Taranaki Daily News, 9 November 1918, Page 8

RAILWAY ACCIDENT

EXPRESS RUNS INTO A SLIP. THREE PEOPLE KILLED. By Telegraph.—Press Association.

Taihape, Nov. 8. This morning the Auckland-Welling-ton express ran into a huge slip on the railway a little north of Taihape, near Mataroa, with fatal results.- The mail van, carrying a huge mail, was smashed to pieces, and is a complete wreck. At least two of the six mail officers were killed, and many passengers were seriously injured.

If is reported that some of the carriages were telescoped, but the whole train is derailed. Relief trains were immediately despatched with nurses and doctors.

Taihape. Nov. 8. The accident occurred at (i/ 20. The exact situation is H miles nortli of Mntaroa- The engine-driver and fireman were unhurt. The injured have been brought to Taihape. The identity of the men killed is not yet known. One mail agent, terribly smashed about the head, was found dead on top of the telescoped mail van. Another mail agent was thrown among the wheels and horribly crushed. Their identity will be difficult to establish. An elderly man had his left thigh ■broken and right. foot almost severed. He died on the way to Taihape. When told by the doctor he could not live he impertitrbably replied: "Give me a cigarette, doctor," and with a lighted cigarette passed away. Among the seriously injured several hid broken limbs and ribs. ..One has injured lungs. There are five serious cases, but many minor cases. Wellington, Nov. S.

A' serious accident occurred on the Main Trunk line at G o'clock this morning. The Auckland express for Wellington ran into a slip H miles north of Mataroa, nortli of Taihape. Two cars and the mail van were telescoped, and two postal officials killed and two elderly male passengers seriously injured. Two other passengers also sustained injuries. All available medical aid was sent to the 3cenc of the accident. Th« injured passengers are being transfer red at the slip. It is expected that the train will leave Taihape six hours labe

The following telegram with reference to the railway accident has bce'M received at the post office:—"The postmaster at Mataroa. reports that at <S.IS this morning the Main Trunk express ran into a slip north of here. The postal van was smashed to pieces and correspondence strewn over the ground. Both the postal agents are dead. The mail service is seriously dlsofgatiiswl," The postmaster at Taihape reports that the slip is about W« miles north of Mataroa. A special train left for the slip.

The postmaster at Taihape reports at 1.1(5 p.m.::—A special train has arrived from the slip with tho two Auckland mail agents who were Killed, and one passenger who died on the way to Taihape. Six other.? are. injured. No names are vet available.

Auckland reports at 10.1(1 am.: The mail agents who left bv last night's express which ran into the slip were X T. Williams and R. Martin. Williams was a married man: Martin was single. Wellington, Nov. S. Tn the railway accident seven passengers were bndlv injured. One has cince died wln'V on tho wav to the Taihape hospital. The two mail agents were dead when recovered from tho wreckage. It will take several days to clear the slip. OUR REPRESENTATIVE'S NARRATIVE.

DAWN USHERS IN A TRAGEDY. Probably owing to the influenza epidemic, the Auckland-Wellington express train was not crowded to excess on the run south early on Friday morning. The weather at Ohakune and Taumarunui during the night was extremely bad, heavy and persistent rain falling. The journey, - however, was uneventful until at f1.20 am-, when 1£ miles from Mataroa and entering a papc cutting the driver noticed a slip falling. He applied the emergency break, but was unable to prevent the engine dashing into a slip, Passengers at the rear end of the train felt three distinct impacts, and it was very soon apparent that something serious had happened. Guard T. Glasgow immediately summoned "all men to

..'end a hand," and in a few moents those who had watched the approaching dawn found that it had ushered in a tragedy of the grimmest description.

THE CRASH. The train was of the usual length, the first carriage behind the engine being a mortuary can, then Hie postal van. followed by a second class "smoker, and then an ordinary. The mortuary van took the main force of the impact, and crumpled up like a piece of cardboard. The postal van ab*o closed un like a concertina, ami wis very difficult to reeoga'se. Not 53 the "sn.oker," which

had evidently telescoped tlio preeoling cars and tlien "lifted bodily off the line, one corner finding a resting-place just outside' tlic slip, inches ol[ the ground, The remainder of the cars kept to the line.

A SECOND SLIP. Noticing the bad smash, Guard Glasgow called for a vohmteer.to journey to Mataroa, and a man named Ralph Sarins made the journey, crossing over the slip. Tie had barely cleared this when a second slide occurred, bringing down trees and fresh papa, and also burying the engine to the toji of the funne-i. Immediately the news at Mataroa was flashed to Taihape, and the stationmaster there had no lack of volunteers from passengers awaiting the train to assist, whilst Drs. Sinclair and Boyd, Nurse Reilling, the sergeant of the police, and others made a handy complement, bringing bandages, stretchers, shovels, axes, etc., and arrived at 7 oclock.

RESCUE WORK. Meanwhile the work of rescuing the wounded had-been carried out by passengers under very severo circumstances. The light was now yery good, but a light, drizzling rain was a hindrance. It was soon apparent ijiat, excepting one car, all passenger;, were sain, but it was ■ icsome sight that met those search ing the first car. This was in two divisions,, and the first portion was completely smashed to pieces,' seats, doors, wheels, and other parts being hopelessly mixed up, and amidst this wreckage were to be seen six men. The first man rescued was Welsh, probably 60 years of age, and as ho was gently removed from the debris mattresses, rugs, etc-, were requisitioned from the passengers. To add to the difficulty of the work, the 1> : -" had a stiff slope, and conseoi" - v /i<rre was much stumbling in' sorts'to obtain a good footing. II was very apparent, that Welsh's case was hopeless! he having sustained a bad temple wound, whilst both feet were crushed and one thierh broken.

REMOVING THE VICTIMS. Whilst the men were "busy here, the ladies were not lagging, and soon there were bandages and hot water available, whilst two—Mrs. May and Nurse Martin—supervised the efforts of the men in making the wounded comfortable. Carter, the second man removed, was also in a shocking condition, the lower extremities ibeing crushed and cut. McCabes injuries were also more about the legs and feet. In giving him a drink, MeCabe was more solicitous over the welfare of a mate than his own wounds, and it was fine to notice this spirit. In the rain, with no means of relieving the pain, there were no complaints of rough usage by the unfortunates. Burrows was another man who was in a very ibad way when rescued, but, beyond getting these names, other particulars were impossible.

THE li-ATALITIES. With the men removed from the wreckage, tlio express train had then to be broken up, car by car, and pushed back by manual labor, taking up some time, and then parties carried the injured across the slip to the relief train, and, once aboard, a stagt was made for Mataroa, where cars were awaiting to make the journey to the Taihape Hospital." Before the train had gone any distance, Welsh was reported dead. This, unfortunately, was not the only fatality, as the two postal officials, Williams and Martin, making tho journey, found it to be fated their last. It will he remembered that the mortuary car, which contained the body of a guard who had died at Ohakune from influenza, was first, then the postal car, but the sudden stopple and weight of the train behind carried one of the men right up to the engine, and there, for a couple of hours, a still, limp figure indicated thai one more death had to go clown against the Main Trunk line. Tt was not possible to liberate tho body, and it was hoped the second official had missed this fate. However, it wa.s not to be, and, delving through, further mail bags, parcels for soldiers, etc., the second body was soon found and removed, Tn eachinstance the men must have been carried forward 15yds or more and then brought up t.n a standstill and buried njider tho falling roof, ironwork, and baggage. * THE WRECKED TRAIN. i

With the bodies removed and luggage cKlral, one could see something of the un<ler portion of tha carriages and broken J wheels, axles, twisted -ironwork, etc., showing that nothing living had a chance of escaping. With the engine ■submerged in debris, it cannot bo written with any degree of certajnty as to how it fared, but before the second slip came down some state the front was turned to the right, and this would not be surprising.

NARROW ESCAPES. Naturally, there were several narrow escapes. One passenger bad just returned from the lavatory and taken his seat when the crash happened. 13eing cold, all windows were closed, but a bang through with an elbow effected an opening large enough for him to go througn. A lady and child were also in the- carriage, but fortunately they wore able to keep their positions, and remained so until rescued.

Another occupant of the car was a railwayman, and, detecting something wrong by the "skidding of ,JLhc wheels/ he opened a door, and that probably proved his safety, as he was immediately thrown out and clear of the other cars.

RETURNED SOLDIERS HELP. What might have happened had tlic slip 'been live seconds later makes one shudder to anticipate, as it must have struck the centre of the train. Quite a number of returned soldiers were on the train, ard all worked hard to tide over a few hours that will he visualised for a lifetime.

Tho public of Taihape also deserve commendation, as they thoughtfully provided stimulants and tea to alt on the train—a tliongntlyJfi*Ss appreciated by all passengers.

In some qusrws it was stated the train was proceeding at a great sped, but (his did not appear so to the writer, who got on at Tamnaruiiui and w.ts wid.) awake at tlie time watching the landscape- .At Taumarunui the train was reported lale y and this was attributed to the Spanish iafluenza creating a shortage of labo.t

Included amongst (the poswnibn 1 noticed. * 7th: ,1 Garland. Jf.L.C, V,e\: Chappell (formerly of !tfcw Plymouth), ■JTnssr< P.avies and CSrci.; :r (New Plymonth), and E. 8. Rutherford (Stratford).

: " THE INJURED. Wellington. Last Night. Advices state that H. Welsh, who was killed, had a railway ticket from Frankton Junction to Hastines. Those injured seriously are:~William i&urrows iHilMinatnTi) ■* M nffrnr" Trrf r T - jp*">t-'