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Extract from The Rangoon Times Christmas Number, 1921
BURMA RAILWAYS
Two Serious Accidents
BURMA RAILWAYS
Two Serious Accidents
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The Railway disaster of July 25th 1921 was the worst in the history of Burma, entailing as it did 161 casualties, of whom 104 were killed and 57 injured (20 of them died subsequently) and damage to engines, rolling stock and the permanent way to the approximate cost of Rs. 1,00,200. The accident occurred at 10.35 p.m. in July 25th at mile 99/10 between Tawwi and Penizalok stations on the main Rangoon-Mandalay line. The Up-Mandalay Mail train, which left Rangoon at 5 p.m. on the afternoon of July 24th, was in charge of the late Driver Mr L.W. Gibbs and it crashed headlong into a Down-goods train. The two trains were running at a combined speed of about 50 miles an hour and so the force of the impact was terrific.
The driver and first fireman of both trains were killed and the second fireman of each train was injured. On the night of the accident it was very dark and there were intermittent showers of rain. The result of the collision was that the two engines and some of the leading coaches were overturned or telescoped. The overturned carriages fell into deep water in borrow pits, whilst the leading ones were partially under the engine. Some boiler mountings of the engines were knocked off, thus allowing much steam to escape and this caused a very great deal of the injuries to the passengers. The force of the impact between the two trains caused the electric lights of the mail train to go out, which added greatly to the confusion and difficulties of rescue work. The actual cause of the accident was just south of an open girder bridge of two spans of ten feet, through which a very heavy volume of water was rushing, also the country on either side of the line was flooded. This made the work of rescue and of clearing the line for the passage of trains very difficult, but the line was finally cleared by 5.15 p.m. on July 28th. One of the standing features of the disaster was the heroic conduct of the late Driver Gibbs, who was in charge of the engine of the mail train. He died bravely at his post, having done every mortal thing a man could do to reduce the force of the impending collision. He was found, after the accident, lying dead amidst the wreckage of his engine and grasping in both hands his “reversing gear,” which he was apparently in the act of moving from fore to back gear when the collision occurred, as it was fund in mid-position. The vacuum application handle (large valve) was also hard on and the regulator was closed. The late Driver Gibbs was born on April 1st 1883 and entered the service of the Burma Railways on the 1st May 1901 and became an Engine-Driver on December 15th 1908. Another outstanding feature of the accident was the courageous conduct in succouring the injured displayed by Mr J.W.R. Richmond, a first-class passenger on the mail train ; and also the remarkably fine rescue work accomplished by other European passengers and by a Japanese Doctor, who was also a passenger on the train. |
L.W. Gibbs
The Second Railway Accident Near Thedaw On October 15th 1921
Owing to the sudden floods between Thedaw and Samon Stations (mile 325/19) on the main line between Rangoon ad Mandalay, the engine and three third-class bogie-carriages of the Mandalay Express train were derailed and partially overturned at 3.50 a.m. on Saturday, October 15th. The cause of the trouble is attributed to the bursting of an irrigation tank, situated two miles west of Thedaw station. When the embankments of the tank gave way, the water flowed across country and breached the railway track at miles 325/19 on a curve in the line. On reaching the flooded portion of the line, the driver of the Rangoon-Mandalay Express train, which had left Rangoon at 12 noon on the previous day, applied his brakes but the engine and the four leading carriages were derailed. The engine capsized and the carriages canted over.
No casualties were caused, either amongst the passengers or the train staff. Shortly after the derailment occurred, the floods caused two more breaches in the track behind the derailed train. However, it was found possible to take back the passengers of the Express train to Thazi junction.
The heavy floods have done considerable damage this year, and, about the same time as this trains derailment, breaches of the railway track were caused between Myitha and Minzu, between Minzu and Kyaukse and between Meiktila and Yegyo on the Thazi-Myingyan branch line. Our views of the scene of the accident give a pretty good idea of the extent of the floods and of the damage done.
Owing to the sudden floods between Thedaw and Samon Stations (mile 325/19) on the main line between Rangoon ad Mandalay, the engine and three third-class bogie-carriages of the Mandalay Express train were derailed and partially overturned at 3.50 a.m. on Saturday, October 15th. The cause of the trouble is attributed to the bursting of an irrigation tank, situated two miles west of Thedaw station. When the embankments of the tank gave way, the water flowed across country and breached the railway track at miles 325/19 on a curve in the line. On reaching the flooded portion of the line, the driver of the Rangoon-Mandalay Express train, which had left Rangoon at 12 noon on the previous day, applied his brakes but the engine and the four leading carriages were derailed. The engine capsized and the carriages canted over.
No casualties were caused, either amongst the passengers or the train staff. Shortly after the derailment occurred, the floods caused two more breaches in the track behind the derailed train. However, it was found possible to take back the passengers of the Express train to Thazi junction.
The heavy floods have done considerable damage this year, and, about the same time as this trains derailment, breaches of the railway track were caused between Myitha and Minzu, between Minzu and Kyaukse and between Meiktila and Yegyo on the Thazi-Myingyan branch line. Our views of the scene of the accident give a pretty good idea of the extent of the floods and of the damage done.
Scene of disaster showing the debris and line repaired
for clearing away the wreckage |
Wreakage of the goods train at bridge 138
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Near bridge 138