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1892
30 April 1982
THE TARANA RAILWAY ACCIDENT.
Sydney, April 28.
The inquest on the victims Tarana railway accident was opened to-day. Upon the application of the friends of the deceased the Coroner, with the consent of the Jury, allowed the bodies to be removed, except the one of a woman, who has not been recognised. Every effort will be made by the police to secure identification, and the body will be kept back for a reasonable time. Arthur Cashidy deposed that he was a passenger by the train to Nyngan, and left Sydney on Tuesday night. He was in the lavatory compartment of the brake-van when the accident happened - a little after 1 o'clock in the morning. The lights went out, and he felt the carriages being crushed against the side of the cutting. He knew then that their carriage was off the rails. There were three persons in the compartment besides himself. They were the friends of witness, viz., George Dishington, Henry Doig, and a stranger, who has since been identified as Ware. The carriage was a single-seated one. When the carriage collided against the wall the -lights were immediately extinguished. He was sitting on the opposite end of the carriage from the bank. His three companions were asleep at the time. Witness held on to the carriage-window with his left hand, and with his right hand he grasped to find out if any of his friends were there, at the same time calling out to the two men whom he knew. There was no reply. He did not see them again until they were discovered jammed between the rock and the carriage. The carriage had to be raised by screw cranks in order to release the bodies. The whole of the side of the carriage next to the cutting was torn to pieces, and the carriage was dragged about 100 yards. Only a few seconds elapsed from the derailment of the carriage to the stopping of the train. The train pulled up wonderfully quick. It was travelling at about fifteen to twenty miles an hour upon a slight incline, he thought, and a slight curve. George Dishington's relatives resided in Chicago. The witness had known him for about five years. He was twenty-six years of age, and was originally a clerk in Glasgow. Since he came to the colonies he had been engaged as a clerk and general station hand on Earnsclough Station in the province of Otago, South Island, New Zealand. Witness had known Henry Doig since childhood. He was about twenty-eight years of age, and was born at Green Island, a suburb of Dunedin. He was employed as a draper at Messrs. Sargood and Co.'s, of Dunedin. Recognised the bodies of Henry Doig and of George Dishington, also that of the other fellow passenger. Both Doig and Dishington were single men.
John McDonald, a farmer, residing at Spicer's Creek, on the other side of Wellington, recognised the body of his mother, Mrs. McDonald, aged forty-three years. She had been absent from home in Sydney for a fortnight. He received word that she was returning by the mail train on Tuesday.
Thomas Bath deposed that he was a goods guard employed by the Railway Commissioners. He recognised the body of Charles Kersten, who was an assistant guard of the train. Kersten was in the postal-van carriage. Witness was in the guard's-van. On arriving at the 117-mile post on Wednesday morning one of the vehicles about the middle of the train got off the road and caused the postal-van and the brake-van to come off too. The vans went against the side of the rocky wall, cutting and smashing a part of the carriage, postal-van, and brakevan. No one was hurt in the compartment witness was in. Guard Stone and Guard Willow were with him when the smash happened. The train was travelling at the rate of about twenty-five miles an hour, the usual rate of speed over a curve of twelve chains radius. The whole of the brake-van was thrown off the line. A part of the van was used as a lavatory carriage for the convenience of passengers. A lady with two children was in the ladies' lavatory compartment, but witness could not say how many males were in the gentlemen's compartment when the accident happened. He assisted in the rescue work. Guard Stone picked up a child which was slightly injured and handed it to witness. At the time he left to go ahead to protect the train eight dead bodies had been found. After the derailing of the train it travelled about ninety-seven yards, and was pulled up in about ten seconds. He knew nothing else of the accident. Could not give Kerston's age. The cause of the accident was a broken rail. The train was travelling smoothly before the occurrence. The sharpest curve on the line was one of eight chains. The break in the rails was just at the beginning of a curve. The train consisted of seven cars in all. Two and a part of the sleeping carriage were derailed. Witness did not know the weight of the train or of the Baldwin engine. The speed was not excessive. The train was fifteen minutes late, but they were not trying to make up time. Trains made up any delay by stopping a less time at stations.
Alfred Thompson, a grazier, of Rylstone, recognised the body of his brotherin-law, Charles Augustus Jethro Talby. The witness last saw him at Rylstone platform on Tuesday night. He then left to catch the western mail train at Wallerawang. He was travelling by himself. Deceased was thirty-six years of age, and resided at Rylstone. He was a grazier, and was married. He leaves a widow and a family of five boys.
At the conclusion of Thompson's evidence the Court adjourned. A. special train conveyed the Jury to the scene of the accident during the afternoon.
Though the actual information has not yet keen received it is now.almost certain from telegrams that have reached the Bathurst. police that the body of the unknown victim of the disaster is a Mrs. McDonough.. Mr. McDonough, her husband, resides at Kiama, and was known to have taken a passage for her and their infant child for Molong by the train which was wrecked. Her father, who resides at Molong, and her husband have both started for Bathurst, and the body will be definitely identified tomorrow. When her body was found after the accident a novel entitled "The Day Has Come," which she had been reading in the train, was discovered open at her side1 .