THE HAWTHORN CATASTROPHE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1045, 19 December 1882, Page 1

THE HAWTHORN CATASTROPHE.

The Melbourne correspondent of the Sydney Morning Herald, describing the recent railway accident at Hawthorn, says the collision took place on a curve on the line. The drivers knew nothing of the impending catastrophe until they got within two or three hundred yards of cadi other, and as both trains were travelling at a fair rate of speed, the distance was too short to enable them to avoid a collision. The Lain from Melbourne to Hawthorn consisted of ten carriages, and the Box Hill special of seuen, the former being fitted with ordinary brakes, while the latter bad one of Wood’s brakes attached. The drivers, immediately the danger appeared, each whistled ‘ down brakes,’but, despite the utmost exertion to stop by reversing the engines, the trains gradually approached each other. When the collision omarred, very few of the passengers had any apprehension of the slightest danger, the exception being those who, having had 1 heir attention arrested by the short, sharp whistling, were led to look out of the windows just as the smash occurred. IV hen the crash came there vasa loud shriek Irom the passengers, then a moment's silence, as if all were dead or stmined. The scene was a terrible one, and resmr.bled a battle held, the ground being thickly covered with injured passengers, Men, women, and children, lying on cushions belonging to the seats, were supported in the arms of relations or friends. As to the manuei in which the accident happened, tlm-re can be no doubt it arose from gross negligence on the part of somebody. The engine-driver of the special Lam slates that when approaching Hawthorn he got the signal ’all right' from Lie station mastm and this seemed to have been the iatal circumstance which led to the collision, for as only one line was in use, the second line being closed for repairs, the special train ought not to have been allowed to go through .Hawthorn until the ordinary train bad arrived. The engines met

front to front. .’The engine-drivers stuck to the locomotives until they were just within a few feet of each other-, when they jumped off, The buffers of the engines snapped, and the front of the engine attached to the train from Melbourne was smashed in right up to the funnel, which was also carried away. The carriage next to the engine was shot up through the end of the second one, a composite carriage, ripping up the roof and then settling down on the uprights. The roof of the second carriage descended on top of the ftrst one, and in this position remained. The first and second carriages in tire special train telescoped, and the second was cilted upwards, wheel* and all, through the end of the first. These four carriages were completely eTidft;-■'■m l tSfr , »‘>a'ua-fitting* -nr being smashed literally into splinters. To think of anyone sitting in them coming out alive seems 'miraculous, in the top compartment of the carriage winch was shot on top of another and stood almost on end, were four ladies and a child, who escaped almost uninjured. They occupied a precarious position and were rescued with difficulty, men having to climb up and then lower them to the ground. It was naturally in tiie lower ends of the carriages which were smashed into matchwood, that the principal havoc took place ; out of these portions thirty people were lifted insensible, bruised, and covered with blood. Splinters, broken uprights, wheels axles, springs, and cushions were mixed up in a chaotic mass. A.mongat the debris were disabled men, woiuea and children, singlj’. and in groups, som* stretched out, others doubled up, others sitting up crying for he'p. The greatest excitement reigned amongst the passengers, aiid the sight, as one by cue the passengers were laid on cushions On the grass, was most pitiable. One of the worst sufferers was William Thomas Eere, caretaker of the Wesleyan Church, Londs-dale-street, who had his breast knocked in, and was also suffering from concussion of the brain. Some of the broken bones penetrated his lungs and the unfortunate sufferers, who was removed to the hospital died there, the case having been hopeless from the first.