ROTORUA TRAIN ACCIDENT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8504, 6 August 1907, Page 5

ROTORUA TRAIN ACCIDENT.

By Telegraph—Press Association. AUCKLAND, August 5. Information received by the Auckland Railway Office in regard to the Rotorua train accident is to the effect that when the train started to move back the Westinghouse brake, which should have held it, came off. The train quickly gathered speed, rushing down the hill about eight miles. The train consisted of two guards' vans, a passenger car, and about 28 wagons. All the vehicles left the rails, and were very much smashed and shattered by the fall over the side. The track was broken at the scene of the accident, but a special train left Auckland yesterday at 2 a.m. for the place. Mr Wa'te, Traffic Manager, was on board. At Frankton the train picked up an inspector, and a large gang of men last night, and word has come that the line was clear again and ordinary traffic would be resumed to-day. Guard Lowe was 33 years of age, and had been 16 years in the Railway Department's . employ, being stationed at Rotorua the last two and a-half years. By Telegraph —Press Association. AUCKLAND, August 5. _ The jury was empanelled this morning for the inquest on the guard who lost his life in the Rotorua railway accident, but before the taking of evidence they proceeded to the scene of the disaster. The grade down which the train ran is for the most part one in thirty-five. At Bell's Siding, where the metals were left, there is an "S" curve.

LATER PARTICULARS. By Telegraph—Press Association. ROTORUA, August 5. Further particulars show that the accident happened between Ngatira and Arihiwi. The train consisted of two engines, two guards-vans, passenger carriage, and twenty-eight trucks. When ascending the hill the second engine appeared to be dragging. The train was pulled up and Taylor, the driver of the- first engine, th- 1 guards-van, which was next to ... j second engine, previously applying the brakes to several of the trucks as well as the van. The first engine then steamed ahead slightly, drawing the second behind it, with a view of ascertaining the defect in the second engine. It was then noticed that the trucks and vans were moving, and the whistle was blown to put on the brakes. The engines immediately followed after the trucks but failed to keep pace with them. A distance of six and a quarter miles was covered before the trucks left the line, which was at a sharp curve. The guards-van at the rear shot: clear, over the bank and fell on its side. Lowe, tho guard was killed. A large truck crashed on top of the passenger carriage, and naif buried it in the ground. There was only sufficient space available for the' passengers to crawl from under the roof which keut intact and thus saved their lives. The coal trucks and other trucks containing lime and hay and several cattle trucks were piled one on top of the other. Some were broken to splinters. The guards-van, which was next to the engine, feU on its side. Forty-five cattle were killed and thirty-seven were saved. The coal and hay took fire. Between Putaruru and Mamaku there is a rise of twelve hundred feet, and the accident took place at a steep grade about half-way between the. two places. The whole of the rolling stock was smashed to pieces. The three men injured are doing fairly well. Kingdon is now partly conscious, but rambles in his speech. A gang of men are at work on the wreckage. A considerable quantity of hay has been saved. No explanation has been given so far why the brakes failed to act. The passengers assert that, the brakes were applied, and that the guards were perfectly cool. They also say that the trucks attained a speed of eighty miles an hour. Very little damage was done to the line. The goods and express trains passed through all right today. The passengers who v ere on board are merely suffering from nervous shock. The damage is estimated at about £5,000. It is estimated that the weight of the train was about 230 tons. All these trucks broke away, and went over the embankment.