DURING shunting operations on Tuesday night last, when a train of over 1000 tons weight was being manoeuvred, an accident occurred, resulting in a loaded 10 ton truck leaving the rails and mounting the platform.
At the time the staff was working at full pressure in order to clear the “down” road for the passenger train.
Owing to the darkness, and the curve in the road, great difficulty was experienced in signalling the crew.
A train of this weight acquires very great momentum, and a driver requires ample time in which to pull his train up but owing to the conditions prevailing at the time, sufficient warning evidently could not reach the crew.
Although every possible effort was made to avert an accident, one truck crashed through the dead end.
This accident could not have happened if the train had reached Seaford at its schedule time, 3 o’clock, and if it is a case of office economy to make this train work at stations down the line, it has proved an expensive experiment.
The sand trade is booming, and not only is day shunting very necessary with such heavy trains, but the staff should be increased to deal with the work.
Seaford has the biggest revenue on this line and the smallest staff.
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THE gunboat Protector has joined the Australia at the Naval Base, Westernport.
The collier Biloela has also been at Westernport, but has now left for Sydney.
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THE Minister of Public Works states that 88 ratepayers at Langwarrin have signed the petition regarding severance from the Shire of Cranboume and annexation to the Shire of Frankston and Hastings.
The voting showed:
Against severance, 51; for severance, 37 – a majority of 14 for staying as things are.
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SEVERAL picnics have been held at Frankston Park lately, all being well attended.
On April 5th, the Photographers’ Association put in the day at cricket here, and on April 7th the Presbyterian Sunday School Mordialloc had an outing.
Last Saturday, the Painters and Decorators’ Union conducted sports here.
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ABOUT 40 years ago, Mr. W. Wauchope, manager of Adamson, Strettle and Co. Pty. Ltd., Dandenong, was a noted amateur rider, and rode several winners for Mr. M. Holt, of Berwick, the father of Mr. Jack Holt, the Mordialloc trainer, who has charge of Eurythmic, Blue Cross, etc.
Mr. Wauchope, who acted as steward for the horse events at the Somerville show, won four races in one afternoon on a mare called No Nothing, at Beaconsfield.
The mare was owned by Mr. Andrew Brunt, of Cranbourne, who is well-known about here.
Mr. Wauchope was also a prominent cricketer, and in 1896, when A. E. Stoddart’s English X toured Australia, and played the Mornington Peninsula at Dandenong, he made 66, against the bowling of Lockwood and Richardson.
Mr. Jack Saddler, of Frankston, played in that match.
England made 195 (Stoddart 95) and 5 for 155 and the Peninsula made 225.
The game was drawn.
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THE Cranbourne Shire Council some time ago circularised shire councils, including the Shire of Frankston and Hastings, with reference to a compulsory contributory scheme for the insurance of dairy cattle, so that when the cattle were destroyed upon the outbreak of pleuro-pneumonia, compensation could be paid to the owners.
The Cranbourne council recently outlined the scheme before the Minister of Agriculture, who promised to devise a scheme on the lines suggested.
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A CRIMEAN veteran, Mr. James Nisbet, of Point Nepean, Mornington Peninsula, died in the Austin Hospital, Melbourne, on March 25th.
He was the son of Capt. James Nisbet, of the battleship “Revenge”, and nephew of General Gordon Petrie, of Burmah, India, and was 87 years of age.
For many years he was an engine driver at Point Nepean.
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WE were unable to publish in last issue all the speeches delivered by members of the deputation which waited on the council re the bowling green site.
We now record them in this column.
Mr Munro, ex Mayor of Hawthorn, said he was a yearly visitor to Frankston, but he did not enjoy himself to the fullest extent because there was no bowling green in the town.
For that reason many visitors went to Healesville, Sorrento, Lilydale, Queenscliff and other places where bowlers were catered for.
Mr Munro complained that he was compelled to roam about Frankston like a wandering sheep. (Laughter.)
He was pleased when he heard Frankston was to have a bowling green.
He was utterly dumbfounded at the modesty of their request in relation to the land asked for on the foreshore.
He had inspected the site, and found it a kind of swampy morass, which badly needed improvement.
They had the chance of making it one of the greatest attractions the town could possess.
He instanced numerous cases in which bowling greens had been made on Crown lands, among them being the Melbourne green, Carlton, South Melbourne, Victoria green, Flagstaff Gardens and others.
The Hawthorn City Council had purchased land at a cost of £10,000, and constructed bowling greens, tennis courts, swimming baths and other attractions for the public, and now the city was reaping the benefit of their enterprise.
People knowing the advantages offered had purchased properties as near as they could to Grace Park, as the area was now called, and many beautiful homes had been erected in Hawthorn because of it.
Mr Munro said that the point had been stressed that the land at Frankston was wanted for the children.
He asked consideration for the older children. (Hear, hear.) He was 76 years of age and was as ardent a bowler to-day as ever he was.
He hoped the opposition to the site would be withdrawn.
Personally he did not think they were asking for enough land – they should apply for a bigger area. He could find plenty of picnic places along the foreshore, and superior ones too, to the area in question, and he sincerely hoped that all would co-operate in helping to form a bowling green, and thus give the old fogies a chance to enjoy themselves.
Mr C. Dalman said the council had already granted the site and the deputation wanted to know if in view of the letter from the department, the permission to occupy was withdrawn.
Councillors in chorus assured Mr Dalman that there was no withdrawal.
Mr T. J. McMurtrie said a bowling green was wanted in Frankston and the spot under discussion was an ideal place for it.
The people were behind the council and would back them up.
He was astonished that any opposition should be shown, for at St. Kilda no trouble was experienced in getting sites on the foreshore.
They would grant land there for anything.
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FROM the pages of the Frankston and Somerville Standard, 15 April 1921