MAIN TRUNK SMASH

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XLIV, Issue 9874, 23 July 1923, Page 8

MAIN TRUNK SMASH

ONGARUE ENQUIRY,

EVIDENCE OF RAILWAYMEN. (Pef PjPSSS Association.) TAUMARUNUI, July 20, The Ongarue enquiry was continued to*-day. D. K. Dyne l , fiifavay official, saad the boulder was at right angles with the front of the eiSgine. He heard no official complaints, / and heard no complaints from the LfyurecL There were plenty of officials distinguishable to whom complaints could* haw been made. Ho overheard a complaint by a clergyman, but this was unfounded. He did not notice any water runlting dawn the water table. He had plenty of tools and men at the wreck.

Augn'S- R, Ross, guard at TamAarunui, deposed that he heard of the attoidmrt when <s>iMg on duty at 6.15 a.fft'. He received instructions from Dyne to l run a train iky the slip with tools a®#Ambulance equipment. He left Taumarunui between 6.38 and 6.40 sP.te. with the first relief train, which arrived at the sdip : at 7.25 a.m. Wiifthts noticed the boulder on the line, alid that the smoke' box and lamp, write spattered wAAb ffitud. He was in uniform, but no eteUpfeints were made t?>' him about the Handling of the dead. None was rougstly' Handled. The dead

were shown as riftich respect as possible in the circAtesAances There was no complaint ahtflit 1 insufficient tools. The relief train Is# for Taumarunur at about 8.40 a.ml- He' suggested that the dead and injured” should not bo placed on the same He did not hear anything about/' Unchecked luggage. Thomas Durry, gudM, stationed at Tauma.runui, said he 'WSi$ informed of the accident at 7 a.m.,••and instructed to go out with a setAffd' relief tram. He gathered all the cushions and other material he could Thrt&’ nurses and Ame- doctor went with the'second relief jgraih,. which arrived,,at tile - slip at B.XO A.m.. Witness coupled aj» _ the twoxReference was given to the- injured in* conveyance. When tile) second rehad arrived, all fcfij# dead and injured had been remove#? from the wreck. He did not hear rri clergyman nuaiinpx » complaint. Jolin Denahy, storeman art Tarnnarunui" station, said that he' s ' made arrangements for of the dead and injured. He got care, stretchers*, and bedding. Everything was in aider by the time the* first relief train arrived. With a- porter he removed' the luggage from thovvan. All the unclaimed luggage was Alien to the ■ office. He called out to passengers to? claim their, belonging svat the office: They were instructed'not to collect any charges for luggage-. He

was in< charge of the luggage up till 3 p;m. v and no charges were marie- that he* knew of. If there had been any argument about the charges lieHWOuld have li«u-d it. j Denahy said lie was told to lift the | luggage off the station platforms as 9 1 good' deal of it. belonged to) the injured, i He suggested to one passenger that it ■ would be advisable to store ttffiriug- ' gage;. as there was a, chance of pilfete 'ing. Witness made no reference to ! making a charge of storing, i Alexander Laird, District Coroner, deposed to opening the inquest • and .hearing evidence. Witness was ate the I scene of the accident at 10.30 a.m. I The cow-catcher was bent back. He heard' no complaint regarding the way the rescue work was carried out. There were officials and police present to whom complaints could have been made. Robert Crozier, ganger in charge of the Taumarunui section, said he procured equipment to go with the first relief train. There were plenty of tools. The cow-catcher was bent, and appeared to have been hit in the centre with something solid. The boulder was about a third of the size of the Kakahi. boulder. The latter weighed about ten tons. The Ongarue boulder was three feet high by live feet wide. When lie arrived with the* first reliei

train lie helped to relieve two injured men. avlio Averc jammed betAveen the seats, and also removed dead from the debris. They had to take tho first dead out of the Avindows, there being no other way. A medical man helped to, shift the dead. Witness heard a certain clergyman romark that the dead should not be removed Avitliout a stretcher. There Avere plenty of tools and men for the Avorlc of rescue. The slip was a small ono, but it was full oj boulders, otherwise the train Avould have gone through it. He had knoAvn trains to go through slips. He heard no complaints as to a shortage of ambulance appliances. It Avas not a bad section. There had been rain off and on for 16 weeks prior to the accident. Alfred AY. Kirton, stationmaster at Taumarunui, deposed to having arranged Avitli the officer in charge for relief measures. Enquiries Avere made as to Avhen a train Avould be run to take the passengers on to Wellington. A statement that a relief train would leave Taumarunui for Wellington at 10.20 a.m. Avas incorrect, and no one had authority to make it. At 1.45 p.ni. he made tho announcement that a train would leaA r e at 3.10 p.m. Theie was a large amount of left luggage brought to the station, and witness instructed porters to hand it over to the owners on application without charge. He remembered informing the Department when be was stationmaster at Mosgiel that a doctor Avho had attended at a "Gordon Road crossing accident sug-

gested that a supply of dressings; bandages. cotton avool, gauze, and disinfectants should be provided on trains. Mr Sterling bore explained' that this suggestion AA'as the genesis of the provision of ambulance equipment on trains. . Walter J. Enticott, Methodist clergyman, Taumarunui, said he Avas a passenger on the AA'recked train. Witness and” Dr. Bathgate took part in the rescue work, and found a shortage of tools at first; that was until the guard came along about ten minutes later with implements. Mr W G. Riddell, S.M.: I suppose the time ?eemed very long ? Witness: “ Yes, it seemed long _ with nothing but our bands to Avork with.” First-aid appliances Avere brought forward by the guard. There was no iodine and no picric acid, but there was lysol. There seemed to be no splints in the box. Witness said he considered the dead AA ? ere treated AA r ith everv reverence. James H. Currie, engine-driver, and Charles L. F. Green, fireman, deposed to having driven the 4.17 p.m. train on tbe day prior to the accident past the scene of the accident. There AA r as no sign of a slip. Douglas G. Laiv said he received

word of the accident at 6.30 a.ni i) and communicated with Okahune. Robert M. Isaacs, District Traffic Managor, Okahune, said f he received word of the accident at 6'.30 a.m. He considered the arrangements for the running of relief trains from Ohakune the best that could be made. It had been tho wettest season since trains were put through the Main Trunks Phillip G. Roussell, chief clerk to the District Traffic Manager, OhakunCsaid that any delay occasioned in the running of relief expresses was in the interests of passengers. The train was run as soon as advice was received that the line was safe at Piriaka.

William Robert Davidson, District Railway Engineer, Ohakune, said that the Ongarue section was classed as the safes?/ in the district, and nothing to speak of had com© down for twenty years. Pumice country gave no indication of impending, slips on account of its noil-adhesive nature. He considered it necessary for 1 him to inspect the line before allowing the relief train to run south. He arrived at Taumarunui shortly after 1 p.m. on the day of the Accident, Uri produced photographs showing that ih© driver would have a view of the cutting where the accident- occurred 1 for about 52 yards in daylight; and half that distance at night. ; t To Mr MarehbanfiriY Witness said considered that everything htlfnan- ! ]iy possible was being dbrife’ to rhiiAffiise the* danger of slips coming done.., { T® Mr Riddell: Witness* s&id 1 iff was ia' mechanical impossibility for the jboufi’er to be carried ~twtf and^ 1 a-Bsflr •chains* unless it came dowff' iff front'' 6f ;tl!e' esu^ne. j James* W. McLean, postmtstpr, • pWdiiced’ * weather chart showing' that the raikMl for the month priftr 1 to the’ hccidbiif was 8.9 inches, which was exjeptioiiavir h<ftvy. , .. 11 WiiliartP Frederlick Camphetf v ., fi#ntffu of tfie* wrecked train, said that imfiiedlatbiy" before the collision' pfiiveri wAs shut oft.- "Witness was keeping a ’looli-OUt- hut he did not see ’nijythtilg before*' the crash came. At'firtt' there' was a’ sound like ifletal tlra'wffieels';' ■ then a loud report. He thought it rtas- the smoke-box being, smashed,' beuamse all the fire shot effit. in teethe' cabb Witness described ins exptelhneeS after the smash. To<' Mr" RidofelT: Witness said Ye thought the hotfl'dfer must have conte downrjust As-th'eyr got to that spot. Adid i.c/b’'sound as if it struck the engine anywhere eIW hut in the smokek°To Ivff Marchoauks: Witness said the engine ‘ seemed? to leave the road right Ivay;’ Hb 1 Hoard the driver put the brakb on, and then the crash. | Ivan UFasoffj on the wrecked’ train, ertimated that the •train was-travellmg’ at ahoiit 18 to 20 miles arrhbur af the; time of the ciash. James Afct, another passenger reflated his'experiences; and said he re ceived every attention- from the railSy people’ of j Taumarunui and the Hospital authorities-.. . . j At this stage the- Commission adi "jounied ttyAncklATfdl.