The Maui news. [volume] (Wailuku, Maui, H.I.) 1900-current, 1922-09-29
Runaway Train
Of Nine Cars
Crash At Paia
Loaded With Pineapples, Cars
Slip Brakes Near Pauwela;
Clear Track Prevents Loss
Of Life

Two box cars of the Kahului Rail
road Company were completely de-
molished Four receive damages to
the extent that it will be necessary
practically rebuild them, four fiat
rs were slightly damaged about
out 1000 cases of pineapples were
naged more or less and the rail
ID companies warehouse at Paia
rown nearly five feet oceanward,
result of the crashing of a run
yay train of nine cars loaded with
lsed pineapples into the warehouse
building at Paia about 9:35 o'clock
Wednesday morning.
No loss or injury of human life
occurred
Catastrophe Averted
A horrible catastrophe was narrow
ly averted. But a short half hour
or so before the smashup, the early
morning train from Wailuku and Ka-
hului, bearing a hundred or more
school children of all ages had dis
charged its precious burden of human
life at Hamakuapoko and returned to
Kahului, passing the station at Paia
where the accident occurred but a
few minutes ahead of the crash.
Engine No. 8 of the Kahului Rail-
road had pulled the loaded cars onto
the main track on the hill just above
the Pauwela depot where they were
left temporarily while No. 8, in
charge of engineer A. Morris, hauled
train of empty cars to the Pauwela
cannery. In the interval of but few
moments before the engine returned
eli hrol olync
and started down the track towards
Paia, rapidly gaining momentum. The
distance from Pauwela to Paia is
about 4. 1 miles and the track at that
point has a downard grade of about
8 percent. 1t is estimated the run
away train had gained a speed of be-
tween 40 and SO miles an hour when
the smashup came.
Quick Action
All possible efforts were made by
the railroads employees to avert a
serious mishap. Engine No. g. re-
turning from the spur, sped down the
track in pursuit but with the few
minutes lead gained, the speeding
cars outdistanced the engine. Learn
ing of the runaway the station agent
at Pauwela Immediately telephoned
Hamakuapoko but as the agent
there was receiving the message the
cars sped past that station. Paia and
the main office of the railroad COM
pany at Kahului were then notified
and it was decided to turn the run
away train onto a spur track at Paia
that makes a sweeping curve around
the Paia Mill in back of the alcohal
plant at a steep uphill grade. The
in, ft,oc oil c1n cd hut of hn n ioh
rate of speed the runaway cars were
travelling the train failed to take the
switch, jumped the track and crashed
into the warehouse and overturned.
Clear Debris
The warehouse building was badly
damaged, Fortunately the depot that
is about 20 feet across the track was
not injured. The track at the scene
of the accident was torn up.
Wrecking crews and a crane were
dispatched from Kahului about 1C
o'clock and by early Wednesday af-
ternoon the work of clearing the
wreckage was well under way and the
track being relaid as fast as the road
bed was cleared. 1t will probably
take all day Thursday to repair the
damage.
1t is believed the pineapples were
insured.
Damages Slight
Yesterday afternoon William Walsh
superintendent of the Kahului Rail
road was reached on the phone. He
declared the damages will not exceed
three or four thousand dollars
Damages done to the cars were prac
tically nil, he said, as the trucks o
the cars remained intact after the
crash and the wooden work of the cars
is a small factor of expense.
Greatest damage was done the pine!
of which some hundred cases wer,
smashed and broken and for whicl
the railroad company is responsible
Walsh declared
Easily AVerted
That the accident was brought OF
by the carelessness of a brakeman
and could have been avoided, is tn
assertion OF Walsh. Emphatic rule
are issued by the company covering
the braking of cars in the Pauwel;
and Haiku districts, he said. OF tn
nine cars left standing on the track
y al least four or five should have beel
securely braked but only two car
had the brakes applied. In that dis
trict wooden blocks are furnishe,
brakemen to further safeguard tn
trains but in this instance only on
was used.
How long the carelessness of braE
ing cars in the Pauwela district ha
been going on is not known, Walsl
added, but he said he did not thin
that on Wednesday was the first tim
il had occurred"
Accidents such as the one at Pal
happen only once. Then they ar
Nmedied. There is no doubt bu
What it was brought about by pur
carelessness," declared the superb
tendent