TRAIN’S LUCKY ESCAPE

Taranaki Daily News, 23 November 1926, Page 9

TRAIN’S LUCKY ESCAPE

EXPRESS STRIKES ENGINE SEVERAL CARRIAGES DAMAGED. NO PERSONAL INJURIES. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Hamilton, Last Night. A serious train smash was narrowly averted at Ngaruawahia this afternoon, when an express bound from Auckland to Rotorua collided with a heavily-laden coal train, which was fou! of the points. The passengers had a very narrow escape. Both engines were badly battered. A relief engine was sent from Frankton and pulled the express through after two and a half hours’ delay. The train arrived at Frankton at 3.40 p.m., where the smashed carriages were shunted off and the passengers were transferred. A head-on collision was narrowly averted and the results might have been disastrous had the colliery train protruded another few inches on to the main line, for the whole side of the first three or four carriages would have been ripped out, with serious loss of life. As it was the sides of the light carriages grated past the protruding engine. Before the express was pulled up the woodwork of the carriages almost for the length of the train was splintered, and many windows were smashed. A shunting engine had failed to clear the line before it was struck by the oncoming express. After applying the brakes the driver and the fireman of the colliery train jumped, to whieh they owe their lives. The express was travelling at a fair rate and the engines were badly smashed, the shunting one being derailed. Steam escaped in dense clouds, but fortunately no one was injured. Several jumped off the carriages before the express was stopped. Among the passengers was Lady Alice Fergusson, who was bound for Rotorua. She occupied the last carriage and did not even sustain shock.

The passengers count their escape as fortunate, saying that they are lucky to be alive.