THE DRURY SMASH.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 August 1922, Page 5

THE DRURY SMASH.

HOW IT HAPPENED. A DROVER WHO IS MISSING. The Minister of Railways (Mr. Guthrie) made a statement in the House of Representatives regarding the Drury railway accident. “The facts so far as can be ascertained, are that two truck, containing 39 young cattle, arrived in Drury on the evening of Friday, and were placed alongside the stock yards for unloading about 7.30 p.m.,” said the Minister. “A droved signed for the stock at 7.*4i5 p.m., and proceeded to unload. The clerk in charge of the Drury station, who was the only officer on duty at the time, saw the drover move the first truck into position towards the cattle race, and the clerk returned to his office to deal with the express train. It was a very dark night, and the railway officer neither saw nor heard cattle °traying on the line before he set the tablet exchanger and signals for the express.

“Very careful investigations were immediately made in connection with the accident, and from the cattle marks on the ground in the yard it is presumed that instead of unloading the cattle into the cattle yards the man* who did the unloading opened the doors of the trucks on the side of the railway yards, and unloaded the cattle by jumping them into the railway yard instead of into the proper cattle yards. “It appears that when the first truck was unloaded some of the cattle were lost sight of, and wandered along the line northward to the overhead bridge, and were met by the train on the north side of it. Five cattle were found on the line after the accident. The engine-driver states that when about thirty yards north of the overhead bridge the engine struck two beasts, and when the train had run about another fifty yards, and just clear of the bridge, another small beast was struck, this latter beast apparent-, ly being so small that it got underneath the cow-catcher, and was apparently the cause of the whole trouble. “The drover did not advise the railway authorities of any mishap in connection with the consignment, and the Department has not so far as is known at present been able to get into touch with the, drover since the accident. No premission was given for the cattle to be unloaded into the station yard. “Careful investigations are still being made in order to definitely identify the five young cattle found on the railway lin.e, and a further statement will be made as soon as additional information comes to hand. From what can be gathered from the information available I am convinced there has been no dereliction of duty so far as the officers of my Department are concerned, and that the procedure in this case was, so far as the railways are concerned, quite in accordance with the usual practice followed in connection with the transport of live stock on the .railways"