OUR photo this week is from the Bathurst District Historical Society Gregory glass plate collection. It features the procession for the funeral of Charles Bradley, who died in a railyard accident at Bathurst on February 12, 1918. The Bathurst District Band is led by the deputy-bandmaster W. O'Dea.
The band played for both funerals of the two railway men killed at the locomotive works the day before.
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The photo shows the band members marching up to meet the hearse to join the funeral procession.
War was still raging in Europe and in the Middle East in 1918 when this photo was taken in Bathurst.
The New South Wales Government Railways were under some pressure to transport soldiers and supplies to Sydney and around the state.
Railway accidents were not uncommon, but to lose two men was a tragedy, especially in Bathurst.
Both railway men were buried the day after the incident, on Wednesday, February 13, 1918.
The funeral for Walter Hoskins moved from his late residence at lower Russell Street at 4.15pm.
The Bathurst District Band marched in front of the hearse and played the Dead March.
The cortege was a long one, which showed that the greatest sympathy was felt for the bereaved widow and her family of six children.
The burial took place in the Kelso cemetery.
The remains of the late Charles Bradley were taken to the Bathurst cemetery for interment later in the afternoon.
The Bathurst Times reported on the engine accident on February 12, 1918. "A few minutes after the men had resumed work at the loco sheds in the eastern end of the Bathurst railway yards, a double fatality occurred. Mr. Charles Bradley, leading fitter, with two fitters' laborers, Walter Hoskins and George Tooby, were engaged coupling the 'big end' on engine No. 1295, which was an improved North British type of the T. class.
"News of the sad railway fatality soon became the topic of conversation around town and expressions of keen sorrow had been expressed on all sides.
"It appears they had the big end down and were engaged, with the aid of two large crowbars, in pinching the piston.
"They had levelled the piston some distance until it came in contact with a high head of steam, which violently forced it back, with the result that the bar which the men were handling struck them with lightning rapidity.
"Bradley and Hoskins were both struck on the head with the bar. It was deemed that death was instantaneous. The third man, Tooby, was struck in the body just below the arms and was hurled back several feet. Two fingers were cut off and he was rendered unconscious."
Dr Busby was communicated with and he was quickly on the scene. In the case of Bradley and Hoskins, life was pronounced extinct, while Tooby was ordered to the Bathurst District Hospital with all possible haste by horse and cart.
The latter's condition was very serious and it was thought it might prove fatal.
A crowd of railway employees gathered at the scene within a few seconds.
The sight of the unfortunate men's heads caused three young fellows to faint. They were taken home on stretchers.
Charles Bradley was a widower about 40 years of age, residing in Havannah Street, and had been engaged as leading fitter at the Bathurst sheds for many years. He was a fine tenor singer.
Walter Hoskins was a middle-aged man who lived with his wife and six young children in Russell Street.
Ven. Archdeacon Howell and Rev. W.M.M. Woodhouse visited the scene shortly after the occurrence and before the bodies of the dead men were removed to the hospital morgue.
Superintendent Mills was attending to matters from the police standpoint, in view of the coroner's inquiry that would be called.