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From: "Daryl Crabtree" <>
Subject: [AUS-VIC-NorWest] SUNSHINE RAIL DISASTER
Date: Fri, 21 Dec 2001 23:16:19 +1000


WEST WIMMERA MAIL
Friday April 24,1908

RAILWAY DISASTER
ONE TRAIN RUNS INTO ANOTHER AT SUNSHINE NEAR MELBOURNE
AN AWFUL CATASTROPHE
The most terrible accident that the state has yet encountered occurred at
Sunshine Station ( formally known as Braybrook ), on Monday night, when the
Bendigo express dashed into the rear of the Ballarat train as it moved along
the platform, smashing three first, a second class carriage, and a guard's
van into fragments. It is believed there were 140 passengers in this part
of the train, and of these 41 were killed, and 78 more or less badly
injured.
The Ballarat train, crowded with holiday passengers, was a very long one,
and unable to let all the passengers for Sunshine alight at once. They had
got out of the first half of the train, and the rest of the carriages were
just drawing alongside the platform when the Ballarat train ran up,
disregarding both signals, and the terrible collision occurred.
Instantly the air was filled with the agonised groans & screams of the
hapless crowd not killed in the smash outright, and to add to the horror of
the scene, the debris caught fire, and some of the wounded were burnt
severely before the fire was got under. The crash of the collision was
heard through the town, and an anxious crowd hurried up, and gave willing
help to remove the dead and injured. The local fire brigade answered the
firebell so quickly that the fire was soon under. The stream of water
poured over the dead bodies and wounded for a time. The accident happened
at 10.35pm and at 12.20 the undamaged part of the Ballarat train started for
Melbourne. It had to travel slowly because the carriages had to be pushed
ahead of the engine some of the way, and care had to be taken not to shake
the injured.
Directly news of the accident reached Spencer Street, Doctors and Nurses
were rung up, and though many of the doctors were out of town, or engaged,
only 35 minutes elapsed from the time the message came till the ambulance
train started with doctors, nurses and members of the St John's Ambulance
Society with stretchers, rugs, first aid appliances etc. Though no time
was lost, the wounded suffered terribly before they obtained medical aid,
and the sight, as the rescuers hurried up and down amongst the wreckage with
their lanterns, was so awful that even the strongest nerves broke down.
Many of the poor mangled wretches died as soon as they were lifted out.
Some were so jammed in the broken timbers that it took a long time to get
them out. Some of the dead hung by their chins to the broken hat racks.
One man had his head quite torn off. Most of the injured had broken limbs.
The doctors say the sight was more horrible than that on a battle field
because the faces of men killed in war are usually peaceful while the faces
of these victims wore a look of fixed agony showing how they suffered before
death came as a relief. The wounded showed great self control. One old
man under the floor of a carriage with both legs broken helped his rescuers
by putting chocks under the boards to help lift them up. One badly injured
mother thought only of her little son who was with her and piteously asked
was he alright. The doctor soothed her by saying he was, and she could not
see his body close by. In the fire brigade was a Mr. LAFFAN and when
helping to lift the bodies out of the debris he found those of his two
sisters Amy and Ada. The corpses were taken to the waiting rooms at
Spencer Street, and all day a pale anxious crowd of inquirers swarmed around
the doors, and were admitted a few at a time to identify the bodies, some
of which were so battered about that recognition was almost impossible. By
evening, only 8 bodies out of the 44 laid out were not identified and these
were taken to the morgue. These most likely were from the country. So
harrowing was the grief as the relatives found and removed their dead that
few in the crowd of spectators were able to restrain their grief in
sympathy. In Ballarat and Bendigo the gloom was intense, heartfelt
sympathy for the bereaved ones being felt by all.
CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT
Driver Leonard MILBURN, of the first engine of the Bendigo Express, is one
of the best drivers on the Railways, and he states that when he saw the
signals against him, he applied the brake (Westinghouse) and it refused to
act. When at the home signal he saw the tail lights of the other train.
One of the Bendigo passengers says that the brake was applied, but only as
the engine crashed into the other train. The brake had worked well before
the train reached Sunshine, and the representative of the Westinghouse Brake
Co. demands the fullest enquiry into the statement that the brake would not
act.
Chief Commissioner TAIT had the brake examined after the accident, and
it was found in perfect order.. One theory current is that MILBURN seeing
the signals set for the Ballarat train, and being late, put on speed,
hoping to get through before the Ballarat train got in, and put on the
brake when too late. Premier BENT was appalled at the disaster, and says
that someone has blundered. The Coroner will hold the inquest on the
catastrophe on May 4, and meantime, the officials concerned are suspended.
A late wire states that 61 deaths are reported.


Daryl Crabtree
Gladstone
C.Qld
Australia
www.ballaratgenealogy.org.au/goroke/index.html


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