RAILWAY ACCIDENT AT PETONE

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 4, Issue 1072, 12 May 1882, Page 2

RAILWAY ACCIDENT AT PETONE

(From tho Evening Post. An accident of a somewhat sorious character occurred on the railway at Vetone yestorday morning. The 10.15 a.m. out-train for Upper Hutt left Wellington in the usual course. It consisted of a four-wheel-coupled engine of the "L' 1 class, several trucks, and sorno passenger carriages, these, fortunately, coming last, otherwise the consequence would have been more Berious. The train proceeded all right until on rounding the last curvo by which tho Petono station and workshops are approached, when a platelayer's trolly was suddenly noticed on the line just in front. The driver (Griffiths) shut off (he steam instantly, the fireman (Flaws) putting the break liard-on at the same time, while the guard (Jack) did the same in his van. The distance, however, was too short for it to he possible to pull up the train, and the engine dashed into tho trolly with great violence, smashing it into a mass of splintered woodwork and old iron, the stout axle being bent up like so much thin wire. The leading end of the locomotive mounted on the romaius of the trolly, and the trailing end was in turn mounted by the truck coming next. Tlie enginn then fell tight over on its side off the rails juat at the point where tho sidings diverge into the Petoni yard and workshops, the entrance to which is completely blocked. The driver and fireman escaped almost by a miracle from _ being crushed to death, and only sustained a few cuts and bruises and a Bevereshaking. The guard received a nasty cut and some bruises, and the passengers were considerably shaken, tho shock of the : collision being rather sharp, It is not' yet known what damage has been dono to the engine which still lies across the yard entrance covered with a tarpaulin, so aB not to alarm the passers-by, It will most likely be cleared away during the evening, Two trucks, also, left the rails and capsized, but the couplings hung so as to bo easily loosed, and thus the main line. waß not blocked. All ingress to the yards or egress therefrom is, however stopped, and the engine which should have taken the 4.5 p.m. out Wairarapa train is a prisoner. Luckily a spare engine. happened to be outside at the time of .the collision, ond was able to take on the remnant of the damaged train to Upper Hutt. It is a mattei' for much thankfulness that tho consequence of the mishap were not more serious, and the reckless neglect displayed by the plate-layors in leaving the trolly on the line in front of the train deserves the severest repro-' bation and punishment. '