THE PEAT'S FERRY DISASTER.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2336, 30 June 1887, Page 2

THE PEAT'S FERRY DISASTER.

Full Particulars.

The Sydney Morning Herald of Wednesday last contains the following particulars of the Peat's Ferry railway catastrophe I t appears that an excursion train which left Sydney at twenty-five minutes past ten a.m. for the Hawkesbnry river collided with some contractor's trucks on an unfinished portion of the line at Peat's; Ferry at about half-past two, with the result that fearful injury was wrought to life and limb, and considerable damage done to rolling stock. When the train left lied fern' .station in the morning it was filled with about 400 excursionists, who were bent upon enjoying themselves on the Hawkesbnry. Everything appears to have gone smoothly until Ryde was reached, and thero it was thought by many of those who were in the train that the engine was not sufficiently strong to draw tho train, which consisted of nine carriages, exclusive of the locomotive, up some steep gradient. Two of the carriages appear to have been left behind at Beecroft, and the train then proceeded as far as Hornsby ; and, having arrived at this place, tho engine was detached, and sent back to pick up the cars that had been left behind. After a while they reached the station at Hornsby," and at that place, the train was, to use , a railway term, "made up," i.e., the two sections of the train were joined together preparatory to starting for tho terminal point of the railway at the Hawkesbury. Everything being ready, the train which was then very late, moved out of the Hornsby station towards Peat's Ferry, and- the holi-day-makers who had, to say the least of it, made the best of their lot, notwithstanding the delay that had occurred, began to lonic forward to spending a few pleasant hours in the vicinity of the river. Many of those in the train gave themselves up to the festivities incident to the .Jubilee celebrations, and snatches of well-known songs sounded out merrily as the train, bearing its precious human freight, moved onwards towards the tunnel and the incline which leads downward rieht to the river's brink. But suddenly there was a great increase of speed, and as the train emerged from the tunnel the driver appeared to have lost all control over it. From the official account of the accident it will be seen that the cause is ascribed to the failure of the Westinghouse air-brake, and from all that can be learned of the circumstances of the disaster this would appear'to have been really the case. The driver evidently knew that some disaster was likely to happen, and as the train sped down the incline at an ever-increasing rate, he sounded _ bis whistle continuously. The train oscillated violently, and the passengers grew thoroughly alarmed as the pace became teriffic. Very soon the train was travelling with what seemed lightning-like rapidity, raising a cloud of dust, and as it was all the time approaching the river, to which the descent for some miles is continuous, a disaster seemed inevitable. At one point it is asserted that the train attained a velocity of something like 70 miles an hour. It is said that the driver made a gallant attempt to save his charge from utter ruin by reversing his engine but it was all too late, for no human agency could withstand the frightful rush of the carriages as they swept on and on to apparent destruction. It is said that the guard Clissold put on the brakes, but that from various reasons they were rendered completely powerless, and tho train sped down the incline with a thundering clatter and a dreadful rush. Before it reached the Peat's Ferry station, however, a pointsman or porter in the employ of the Government rushed to the points, and holding to them bravely, he managed to "throw" the train on to a siding on which were two contractors' trucks and engine. It was exceedingly fortunate that this pointsman had the presence of mind to act as he did, otherwise the engine and the_ whole of the cars attached to it would it all probability have dashed into a train which was drawn up on the line near the Peat's Ferry station, or else the train] would have fallen into the river, and as a consequence a much greater loss of life would have occurred. As it was, however, the runaway train, directly it was diverted 011 to the siding, dashed ..into the contractor's trucks, which were standing there, with terrific force, and almost in an instant the first and second carriages were " telescoped," and shrieks of agony and terror resounded on every side. The engine toppled over the side of the embankment

shortly afterwards, and fell into the mud at the edge of one of the inlets of the river. The engine driver, Thos. Wilson, went .into the_ river with the locomotive, and was buried beneath the ponderous iron mass. ■His body was said to be lying under the engine last night. He leaves a widow and several children. A lady, whose name is said to be Miss M'Coy, was crushed to death. Mr William Rennie, manager for Messrs Amos Brothers, the contractors for the Homebush-Waratah railway, was also killed. A gentleman, whose identity had not been established at a late hour last night, was likewise killed through the collision, and a fifth passenger died soon after being admitted into the Sydney Hospital. The guard of the train, Alfred' Clissold, is reported'to,have escaped unhurt. A terrible scene of excitement prevailed at Peat's Ferry after the disaster took place, and the spectacle presented by the dead and injured was appalling. The shock h:.d come upon the passengers with such startling suddenness that many of them were dreadfully bewildered. Those persons who were uninjured immediately set to work making bandages and improvising a rough and ready kind of splint for the purpose of dressing the wounds of their less fortunate companions in distress. Considerable excitement prevailed at Hornsby and Ryde when the news of the disaster became; known. The first intelligence of the accident reached the

metropolis at about 2.40 p.m., and tl officials at once set to work to dispatch a .possible assistance to the scene of the acc dent. On the way down all the attentio which could possibly be given was shown t the patients, _ many of. whom were in pitiable condition, some having legs an arms broken, and their heads bandaged uv At Ashfield, Dr. Jackson placed a littl boy named Harold Brown, about seve years of age, on the platform. The lad who resides at Ashfield, had a terrible cu across the right cheek from the nose t the ear, and it was stated that he had beei struck by an iron bar. At about a quarte past six o'clock the train conveying th wounded drew up at No. 7 platform, at tin Redfern terminus. Crowd,s of the station and its locality in order to wit ness the arrival of the train and get i glimpse of the injured persons. The seem was a very striking one. At the same tiini trains were arriving from the suburbs, anc landing thousands of passengers who were going towards Circular Quay, to witness the harbour illuminations. The Spectacle in the vicinity of the train which brought the wounded persons down to Sydney was an utterly deplorable one. Women were running up and down the platform crying aud wringing their hands. Husbands were seeking their wives, and ' brothers were seeking their sisters. Here was seen a stalwart mau who limped along with his.leg bandaged up and there a poor woman moaning piteously, her dress torn, and lookas through her nerves were completely unstrung. Tho interior.of the American cars and the other first-class compartments looked more like an hospital ward than anything else, as in nearly every one of them wounded persons were to be seen reclining on hastily improvised couches, or resting on the seats, or on blankets on the floor. Some .of these were very pallid, and wore a frightened and bewildered look. Many of . those who were seriously injured had their, j limbs bandaged, after which they were immediately removed to the Prince Alfred or the Sydney Hospitals. Several of those who were only slightly injured were able to' proceed to their homes in cabs. Through' some mismanagement, however, some of the wounded were allowed to sit about on the platform, in the cold night air for nearly an hour, without being attended to, and in one case a lady and gentleman, both having had their legs broken, had to remain in the car- ! riage for the space of an hour before they j were taken away fyou} the rqjlw'ay station.