LATEST PARTICULARS. - RECOVERY OF THE BODIES. SCENE OF THE WRECK. - Tasmanian News (Hobart, Tas. : 1883 - 1911) - 23 Jul 1886 (original) (raw)

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Fri 23 Jul 1886 - Tasmanian News (Hobart, Tas. : 1883 - 1911)
Page 3 - LATEST PARTICULARS.

The great excitement caused by the

accident has by no means abated, and

this morning trains were well filled

by passengers desirous of viewing

the scene of the disaster. It

is at a distance of about 200 yards from

the North Bridgewater Station, and on

the Hobart side of the swing bridge,

which is opened to allow vessels to proceed

up the river. Just at the point

where the accident took place the bridge

is guarded on both sides by girders, and

if the engine had gone ten yards further

the whole of the train would have been

precipitated into the river beneath, and

probably many more lives lost. As it

was the engine turned over on to two

beams crossing each over in V shape,

which serve as guiders for craft coming

through the bridge. The dome of the

engine is knocked off, but the other parts

are intact, though she lies on the beams,

wheels uppermost. From particulars

obtained on the spot, which we have every

reason to believe to be thoroughly

reliable, it appears that the bridge

was opened at about a quarter to

five last evening to allow a boat to

pass through, and was afterwards closed,

and all made secure. At 5.30 p.m. the

ordinary train passed over it in safety,

and at 6 p.m. the Midland train

passed also in safety, so it does not

appear probable that the bridge was not

properly secured. In addition to this

the station-master at North Bridgewater

(Mr Roach), who is also caretaker of the

bridge, is declared by all to be a most

careful and trustworthy officer, and one

in whom implicit trust may be placed.

When the express was due, he and

Constable Booton were standing

on the curve just above the

station, showing the green light,

which in railway signalling means "All

right, come ahead slowly” This signal,

we understand, is always shown at

Bridgewater when the line is all clear.

As to the rate at which the train was

travelling when crossing the bridge there

seems to be some doubt, as some allege

that she was only going at eight miles

an hour, while others assert that she was

going fully 14 miles an hour. However,

be that as it may, the train went on to

the bridge, and by the appearance of the

sleepers, came off at the north end of the

swing bridge and bumped along to the

other end, where she ran off the sleepers

CONSTABLE BOOTON'S STATEMENT

is to the effect that he was stand

ing on the curve with station-

master Roach whom the express passed.

She appeared to him to be going at a

good rate, perhaps 14 miles an

hour. Mr Roach showed a green

light, and the train proceeded on to the

bridge, and when just upon the

swing bridge started to jolt and jump as

though the brakes were hard on, and the

engine off the line, and bumping along

the sleepers. He and Roach next heard

the crash and the steam escaping, and

immediately they rushed up fearing that

a disaster had taken place. They

assisted to get the passengers out,

and after that heard cries of help from

the water. The constable and Messrs

Keats, Mulligan, and Montgomerie then

went into tbe water up to their chins, while

the Messrs McVillly, Nelson, Ricketts,

and Hughes got a boat and succeeded in

rescuing an old gentleman named Wm.

as when rescued he was some two feet

under water. The manner in which he

was saved was rather remarkable, as he

had round his neck a white scarf, the

ends of which floated, and so attracted

the attention of the boat's crew to it.

They thought that it was rather remarkable

to see a scarf floating, and one of the

crew got hold of it, and tried to pick it

up, and in doing so, hauled up a man

named Wm. Gunn, of Green Ponds.

Wm. Gunn said: I am 74 years of age,

and belong to the Green Ponds district.

I was proceeding to Hobart in the night-

express and all went well till reaching

Bridgewater. I was riding in a second

class carriage next to the engine, and was

half asleep, being very tired through having

to get up very early in the morning. I

was awoke by feeling the train jump and

jar, followed immediately by a severe

shock and crash as of the engine rolling

over on to the bridge. In the carriage

with me there were poor Turner and his

mate. Turner went out one door and his

mate out of the other door in the carriage,

I was the last to go out, and before getting

out I got hold of my carpet bag and

tried to make my way away from

the train, but in doing so I fell through

the beams and went into the water.

When in there I heard cries of "A boat,

a boat!" and "Help, help" from another

man who was also in the water.

Being in my younger days a strong swimmer,

I struck out, and while making as I

thought for the shore, I heard a voice

call out, "Here’s a boat! Where are

you ?" It was pitch dark and so I called

out, "Here, here," and sank back exhausted,

till I found myself in the Derwent Hotel.

There I was treated very kindly by the

landlady, who did all in her power for me.

says that when poor old Mr Gunn was

picked up he was perfectly insensible,

and apparently dead, but after he had

been taken to the hotel and the usual

means of restoring animation resorted to,

life was apparent in about ten minutes.

The residents of the district are loud in

their applause of Acting-Sub-Inspector

Oakes and Constable Booton, both of

whom worked like true Britons to alleviate

the fears and distress of

the passengers. One want which

was felt very severely was that

of telegraphic communication between

North and South Bridgewater, and

another was that of the necessity for

the placing of life buoys and grappling

irons on the bridge, to be used in cases

of accident. As it was, neither of these

articles were obtainable, and the grappling

irons had to be brought up from

Hobart in the special train.

says: I was in the same carriage with

poor Turner, and we were returning

from Launceston to Hobart. We came

to the latter place on Sunday last in the

S.S. Elderslie from Western Australia.

Both of us were natives of the old

country, and were the very best of

friends. When we heard the train jumping

we concluded that she was off the rails

and Turner, and I made for the door of the

carriage. He got there first, and I turned

round and went for tbe other door, out

of which I got out on to the bridge and

thence on to the causeway. There was

great confusion at the time what with

men and women shouting and screaming,

and the steam blowing off, and cries for a

boat, and the darkness, we hardly knew

THE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT

there seems to be a great diversity of

opinion as to the cause of the unfortunate

accident. Some people assert that the

bridge was not properly locked, while

others think that there was what is known

to railway men "a false joint," by which

is meant the rails not meeting properly.

However, the bridge rails and those of the

regular line are 2ft away from each other

and seems hardly creditable that a

careful man such as Mr Roach is generally

acknowledged to be should not

have noticed this, and still further that

two trains should have passed in safety.

An inquest is to be held this afternoon,

which will doubtless solve the mystery

THE RECOVERY OF THE BODIES.

Constables Booton, Quintal, Hogan,

Montgomerie, and Acting Sub-Inspector

Oakes, were detailed for the duty of

searching for the bodies of the missing

men, Shaw (the stoker), aud Turner (the

passenger). They started soon after the

arrival of the special train last evening,

but after an hour’s work were obliged

to desist on account of the strength

of the current and the darkness of the

night. This morning, however, they resumed

their task and found both the

bodies close together. Although only

immersed for one night, both bodies were

much swollen and otherwise disfigured

by crabs and other fish: Shaw, who had

been a seafaring man all his life, except

for the past five years, was an excellent

swimmer, but his forehead showed the

marks of a nasty blow, caused, doubtless,

by his being shot out of the cab of the

engine on to the woodwork of the bridge.

Of course the line is entirely blocked,

and the passengers of the trains going

above Bridgewater have to get out at

South Bridgewater, and proceed across

the bridge in coaches, then get into

another train at the other side of the

viaduct. Mr Grant, the manager, and

Mr Cundy, the locomotive superintendent

of the T.M.LR., are both on the spot with

a gang of workmen, engaged in clearing

the line, which will be no light task, as

the engine and tender alone weigh over