TELEGRAPHIC

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 4, Issue 1210, 23 October 1882, Page 2

TELEGRAPHIC

j PPS? ASSOpIATIOK 1 . nw OppNAp, this day. _ The largest procession of }laoti drays lince the break np. at Parihaka passed through this morning. The drays were laden with potatoes for distribution to tho various settlements or tf)g tyaimate Plains. It is said thai; there are hundreds of tons at Parihaka which cannot possibly be consumed, besides aoro3 upon acres that have not been dug up,

ATTEMPT TO WEECK A TRAIN.

.Auckland,.this day! An iattem'pt : waß':miide' to -wreck' the Onehunga train on Friday. A large'atone was placed;on ,tlie Papapa flag Btftioo,'':'lt'wa« just observed in tiine to prevent an' accident,

A STARTLING RAILWAY ACCIDENT IN OTAGO.

A MIRACULOUS ESCAPE . . ■ > s ' Dukedin. October 22. Alarming rumors still prevailed in the city last night wnn regara to a railway accident which occurred near Blueskin, about seventeen miles from Dunedin, These rumors v/ere that the Ohriatchurch express had gone over the cliffs into the sea; that there had been a collision between passenger; trains, and that numbers of people were killed and seriously hurt. The facts ascertainable this morning show that these rumors were greatly exaggerated, and the exact particulars of the affair are as follows The 4,15 p.m, train from town to Oamaru had reached the bottom of the incline, within a quarter of a mile; of Blueskin station, when the engine ran off the line. . This was just before reaching the Waitahi bridge, and between the embankments, The engine, immediately struck one aide of the embankment and turned on its side, being very seriously iamaged, and the goods-van noxt to .the ; engine is broken to pieoes, There were five passenger , carriage, containing probably eighty passengers. These carriages are all badly wrecked; but the principal accidents to life and limb are three, viz., a passenger named Guy, employed -.in Dunedin goods-shed, badly cut on the temple, and who is now in Dunedin Hospital, but not expected to be dangerously hurt; a woman cut about the head, through being propelled through one of the carriage windows; and a man somewhat severely hurt about the legs/ Dr. Maunsell went in a special train from Dunedin to attend to the injuries. The express passengers'were transferred,,and 1 got into Dundein about 10 p.m.. The effects of the accident are miraculously, alight. Fifteen yards further andi the engine would have gone over, the Waitah'i; bridge, when probably the 'most serious accident that ever happened .here would' have had to be chronicled.; The engine;. driver and fireman jumped oft, and" escaped almost unhurt. Why the engine, left the rails is quite unknown at present. It is possible that some of the online gear broke and got beneath the wheels, or the line may have been damaged at the spot, or something may have, got across the line; but- at present all is conjecture. Doub'leas a departmental inquiry will be held, The passengers on board the train dowibe the affair as having been orer in a moment. There was a jerk just as the engine left the rails, and another as it struck tho bank. After that all was ; confusion, and everybody was thrown off their seats and against each other. The express luggage has not yet reached Dunedin. Specials were run last bight' for the passengers, and another goes out thii afternoon.

LATEST. r Vv This day. Mr Dunbar, farmer of Waikouaiti was jhe person who reoeived injuries to his legs by the railway acoident on Saturday. He jvas standing on the platform of a carriago and fell between it and the engine. Two carriages received njatevial damage, and two oilier cjjrrlaoes and the yuard s van also loft the lino, but received no damage, and beyond little rougl) jolting, notljms unusual was experienced by the nocupants, Those who saw the accident say the escape of passengers was astonishing The strongest woodwork was broken into splinters, and the ironwork and couplings were broken as if they were pieces of hoopiron. Mi's Jaue' Finlayson, of Blueskin, and her son were bruised and out, but not seriously hurt, and Mrs Proctor, of Blueskin, also suffered from the shock, Some of the passengers received slight cuts and bruises. it the spot where the train luffc the rails there wasahunjf of p'ay several feet high, and W far nbthuijj which would suggest the .cause of {he accklbri(. has transpired. A gang of'men were at once puttowovk to cle'ir the' line, and at 8 a.m. on traffic was vo'aumed,