SHOCKING FATALITY.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10153, 1 February 1911, Page 5

SHOCKING FATALITY.

THREE MEN KILLED. TERRIBLE INJURIES. (By Telegraph—Pros:; Association.) BLENHEIM, Last-Night. At the inquest on the victims, of the fatality at Nydia Bay on Saturday, the evidence showed that an engine was bringing several logladen trucks from the bush, and when about threequarters of a. mile from the mill, in the Opouri Valley, on a perfectly level road, the locomotive ran off the line, and crashed into a big stump a few feet away. Coupled to the locomotive was a tender with. 4(JO-gallon tanks, and next, were two trucks carrying logs.' •' - The' engine was in charge of Birss and O'Brien, who was acting brakesman, while Corliss, Anderson and CKmo were in the tender. When the engine struck the stqmp, the impetus caused a log' oh the first truck to lunge forward, and it struck'the tank with such terrific force as to crumple it;up. ' Anderson and O'Brien were hurled against the boiler, the valves of which snapped off, allowing such a volume of steam to escape that the two men were almost parboiled. Corliss seems to have been thrown clear of -the wreck. ~. Neither. Climo nor Birss know how out." ■■'■'•..,.■./.■

:. the rush of steam snpsided Anderson •and; O'Brien were, lifted out dead, and was so badly hurt 1 that it was seen he •could not recover. "* ,

Climo had very severe injuries to his face. ;.,. Birss suffered chiefly from shock. The medical evidence was to,the effect that Corliss had two compound fractures of the right leg, and the whole of the left side of his chest was crushed in.

Anderson's injuries were composed of <a fracture of: the left arm, and a fracture of the skull, the whole of the back of the head being crushed in.-- '.' : -.-■ '.;'':'■. "'"

O'Brien had a•'dreadful'.wound in. the throat, a fractured jaw,, and a broken neek.; ' The -coroner and jury visited the scene of the accident, but were unable to find any reason for the disaster. / .

;At the time of Jthe accident, the online was.running about five or six miles an hour) After, the.available evidence was taken the. inquest was adjourned till Birss and Climo are sufficiently recovered to give their testimony.