Auckland Railway Accident.

Thames Star, Volume XV, Issue 4792, 19 May 1884, Page 2

Auckland Railway Accident.

(Pkb Pjbbss Association.)

•. Auckland, Yesterday. A serious railway accident occurred to the Goods train on the Waikato line yesterday. The following are the particulars so far as is known :—The train left Auck* land at 6.20 in the morning, and on turning one of the curves near Pukekohe, a cow was seen drinking from a mill stream alongside the railway. As the train approached the cow made a bound on to the line, and before the driver could stop the train the engine was thrown off the I line, carrying with it a couple of heavy 1 trucks. The driver, Leonard Keat, succeeded in jumping out on the right hand side, and in falling struck his head against a sleeper, but was not seriously injured. The stoker, J. Boberson, had also a miraculous escape ; he fell with the engine headlong into the swamp, but, strange to say suffered no injury. A report, was circulated in town that Mr Fisher, the butcher, and Mr Hornsby, ironmonger," wK6 were passengers by the train, had been seriously hurt, but the traffic manager states that the report is false. It appears that Mr Hornsby was thrown from one end of the carriage to the other twice, and was badly shaken, though not otherwise hurt; Mr Fisher was also knocked about a good deal, and received one or two cots on his face. A young man named Grey had a very ntrrow escape; he was riding on the platform and was thrown a distance of more than 20 yards, falling rather heavily. The passenger trains bdth "up" and "down " were delayed for half* an-hour at Mercer, in consequence of the accident. The engine is now lying in the swamp, and is one of the latest imported from England. ■■-