FOUR DEATHS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 21 November 1938, Page 5

FOUR DEATHS

MILITARY LORRY CRASHES INTO BRIDGE DISASTER TO PARTY OF ARTILLERYMEN SEVERAL OF THE SURVIVORS GRAVELY INJURED. VEHICLE FALLS INTO STREAM. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. Three men were killed and eight injured, four of them seriously, at midnight on Saturday, when a lorry containing 15 members of the Royal New Zealand Artillery, who had been at* tending a refresher camp in Waiouru, crashed through a bridge on the main highway 13 miles north of Taihape and fell 12 feet into the bed of the Hautapu Stream. The dead and injured men are: KILLED. Basil Willis Colwill, aged 23, Fergusson Street, Palmerston North. Leslie Joseph Charles Bourke, aged 23, 73 Albany Road, Dunedin. Alfred Norman Davidson, aged 22. Te Koperua. Dargaville. INJURED. Morris Thomas Moore, aged 19, 54 Carruth Road, Papatoetoe, fracture base of skull, laceration of head and brain, condition dangerous. James Terrence Transom, aged 22, Taoroa Road, Taihape; scalp wounds and fractured ribs, condition serious. John Denison Bartholomew Daly, aged 22, 62 Gerrold Street, Christchurch; concussion and severe laceration of mouth and jaw, conditions serious. Wallace Leaworthy Ruffell, aged 21, Tauranga; severe shock, lacerated face wounds and fractured frontal bone of skull, condition serious. A. T. Hobson, Greytown, driver of lorry; severe shock and fractured finger, condition not serious.J. H. Cook, stationed in Auckland; shock and abrasions, condition not serious. L. J. Auty, stationed in Auckland; abrasions to head, and shock, condition not serious. -- H. C. H. Penrose, stationed in Hamilton; slight scalp wound and shock, condition not serious. All the injured are in the Taihape Hospital. Auty, Cook and Hobson were stationed in Auckland, Penrose in Hamilton and the others in Fort Dorset, Wellington. The men, who had been in camp m Waiouru for a week, spent Saturday afternoon and evening on leave in Taihape. Travelling in a light truck, part of the anti-aircraft equipment of the camp, and driven by Gunner Hobson, they left on the return journey at 11.15 p.m. It was a dark, stormy night and rain was falling. COLLAPSE OF BRIDGE. Thirteen miles north of Taihape and about a quarter of a mile south of Hihitahi on the Main Trunk line the lorry crashed through the light truss bridge spanning the swiftly flowing Hautapu River. Whether the lorry skidded into the side of the bridge or whether the structure collapsed under the weight of the vehicle has not yet been determined, according to a Press Association message from Wanganui, but the whole of the bridge collapsed, dividing into three pieces. The lorry was canted over on its side. Gunner Bourke was pinned beneath it and was drowned. There was about four feet of water in the stream. Gunner Colwill apparently was drowned also, but he showed signs of having been injured. Gunner Davidson died probaby within a few minutes of the crash. He also was pinned beneath the lorry and his chest was severely crushed. . Some of those in the lorry escaped unhurt, and they set about rendering assistance to those in distress. Help was surhmoned by telephone from a nearby house, a call being made to the police in Taihape and also to the camp in Waiouru. The Taihape Hospital ambulance with Dr H. M. Hay, Taihape, was sent to the scene, and at 1.30 a.m. the ambulance returned with six of the injured. It made a return trip and brought in one more, the eighth man for the- hospital being taken back to Taihape by Dr Hay. Meanwhile help was dispatched from the camp in Waiouru, Lieutenant R. A. Elliott, of the New Zealand Medical Corps, who was on duty at the camp as medical officer, accompanying the rescue party. “The crash came before we knew what had happened,” declared one of the men who was in the lorry. “One minute we were travelling along nicely, the next we were struggling in cold water.” PROMPT RESCUE EFFORTS. It was raining at the time, and the night was fairly dark. The men who were not injured made prompt efforts to rescue their unfortunate comrades, and it is apparent that had that not been done the loss of life through drowning would have been greater. Assistance came quickly from nearby and all that could possibly be done for those in the river was done until the arrival of the doctor and ambulance from Taihape. The men were all gunners and had been in camp since November 15. Waiouru is an ideal site for an artillery camp having plenty of open spaces in which to practice with heavy guns. The nearest town 'of any size is Taihape. which is 25 miles away, and it is common practice for the men at the camps to have the use of military-owned lorries for leave purposes, provided they pay expenses. The Taihape Hospital staff, under the matron, made prompt provision for the eight patients suddenly brought within its care, and co-operation between the police, Dr Hay, the ambulance, and the hospital, enabled the injured men to be brought to Taihape quickly. MILITARY FUNERALS. An inquest was opened yesterday before the district coroner, Mr E. Loader. Evidence of identification was given by Major R. S. Park, and medical evidence by Lieut. Elliott. For those who lost their lives military funerals have been arranged in their home towns.

The Engineer-in-Chief, Public Works Department, Mr J. Woods, the Commissioner o£ Transport, Mr R. J. Laurenson, the Chief Inspector, Transport Department, Wellington, Mr P. C. Watson, and the Public Works Engineer. Wanganui. Mr N. R. Lyth, visited the scene of the accident yesterday.

FOURTH VICTIM DIES OTHER PATIENTS PROGRESSING FAVOURABLY (By Telegraph—Press Association.) TAIHAPE, This Day. Morris Thomas Moore, aged 19, died at 1.15 o'clock this morning from injuries received in the lorry smash at Hihitahi yesterday. The other patients are progressing favourably. TEMPORARY BRIDGE. CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT ' NOT YET KNOWN. (By Telegraph— Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. The Taihape Public Works camp has been moved to the scene of yesterday’s accident and work is to commence immediately on the erection of a temporary bridge, al an old ford over the stream. There is still nc definite information as to the cause of the accident.