Community & Business
20 November, 2024
Tribute to honour rail crash victims
THE lives of two Queensland Rail employees killed in a Kuranda train crash more than 100 years ago will be honoured and remembered at a special Memorial Service to be held in Cairns next Saturday.
The service, to be held on 30 November from 10am at the Cairns Cemetery will be attended by descendants of the men killed in the accident and honour the Locomotive Steam Engine Crew 298.
The tragedy occurred around 9am on 25 November 1918 when the Kuranda locomotive derailed near the Barron River Falls.
Author and administrator of the Mareeba History Facebook page, Michael Musumeci, has been researching the 106-year tragedy involving Engine No 298 which was heading to Cairns from Kuranda on a return journey when it left the rails, crashing into a wall of rock due to excessive speed.
On board were three Queensland Railway employees – Thomas Patrick Duignan (Engine Driver), Evan William Whiting (Fireman) and James Patrick Foley (Guard). The Engine crashed on its left-hand side, causing serious damage and the boiler to break. All on board suffered horrific steam burns and serious injuries at the time of the derailment.
The series of events after the initial crash brought about a rescue effort in an attempt to save the lives of the men, but it was futile, as distance and medical aid was so far away.
The injured were transported via rail to Cairns, but sadly Evan Whiting died a short time later after arriving at the Cairns Hospital. Thomas Duignan also suffered horrific steam burns and died that night on his hospital bed with his wife by his side.
James Foley suffered serious injuries, and after a long painful recovery, survived the incident.
Mr Musumeci said he was inspired to research the incident after meeting Thomas Duignan’s granddaughters, Eleanor Duignan and Myrl Prestipino.
“Without a doubt his granddaughters were instrumental in ‘lighting the match’ to trigger the research,” he said.
After the incident, both men were buried side by side at the Cairns Cemetery but as the tragedy began to fade, the grave of Evan Whiting was left unmarked.
“As a researcher I tried to think of Evan’s mother, who not only had lost a 22-year-old son in the tragedy, but also another son, Private Archibald Whiting, who lost his life to gunshot wounds on the battlefield in Belgium, in September of 1916, during World War 1,” Mr Musumeci said.
“The devastating news and tragic sorrow she lived through was something a mother should never have had to experience.”
The research continued, and a written request for a grave to honour Evan Whiting was made to the Australian Federated Union of Locomotive Employees State Secretary Michael McKitrick.
“Within an hour of the request, Michael made contact and assured me that he would take my request personally to the executive team, and reply back in due course, which they did, approving the construction of a grave and plaque,” Mr Musumeci said.
“I was very impressed. Their motto of ‘traincrew representing traincrew’ was a statement they stood by, even after 106 years – a tragedy long forgotten was just as important to their members then as it is now.”
Preparations for the commemoration on 30 November are nearing completion, and with the help of volunteers, the Duignan and Foley graves, as well as two other graves, have been cleaned and painted.
Evan’s grave will also be unveiled on the day, by his great niece Linda Bristow and members of the Australian Federated Union of Locomotive Employees who will be travelling to Cairns to mark the special occasion.
“Without the help of so many families and individuals in regard to this tragedy, the story would never have been told the way it will be,” Mr Musumeci said.
“I have collated this rare opportunity into a small booklet to share to others, once the service is completed.”
Descendants of the Duignan, Whiting, Foley families and members of the general public who wish to attend are welcomed to attend the service commencing next Saturday 10am within the Martyn Street end of the Cairns Cemetery. Please bring water, a chair and a hat.
