FALL FROM A TRAIN.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XLVII, Issue 10805, 28 December 1926, Page 8

FALL FROM A TRAIN.

RAILWAY GANGER’S DEATH.

EVIDENCE AT THE INQUEST. (Per Press Association). GREYMOUTH, December 27. An inquest concerning the death of Thomas Patterson, railway ganger, was held to-day, before the acting-Coroner, Mr F. H. Gilmour, and a jury. George Drurv, railway guard, said the ballast train left the Qmoto subsidence at 2.44 a.m. on Christmas Day, and deceased, who had finished his shift, was alone in the guard’s van, one door of which was open. When the train was leaving on its return, to Omoto shortly after 3 a.m., the body at Patterson was found lying alongside the line. The speed of the train at no time exceeded about four miles per hour. Witness asked if he had any idea how Patterson met his death, said he might possibly have gone to sleep during the journey to Greymoutli and on arriving there, if in a dazed, sleepy condition, might have fallen from the van. He had not been struck by the ballast train and no other train was running at that time in the morning. There was no rough shunting or jolting of the train. Frederick Henry Eggleton, inspector of permanent way, said Patterson was a ganger with 36 years’ service with the Department. For the past four days he had been working at Omoto. He was supposed, to finish his shift at 6 o’clock on the evening of December 24, but owing to a. misunderstanding on deceased’s part he continued to work on the night shift, finishing at 2.45 a.m. on Christmas Day. He started work at 6 a.m. on December 23 and 24, and worked twelve hours on eacli shift, including meal hours. The last shift he worked was 21 hours, but that was on account of a misunderstanding. The formean of the jury: Is it usual for men to work such long horn's? Witness: On a rush job like that at Qmoto it is sometimes necessary. Senior-Sergeant McCarthy: Did Patterson make a complaint to you or anyone in the Department about long hours ? Witness: None whatever.

The Senior-Sergeant: Had lie) spoken to you at 6 o’clock that night he could have got off?

Witness: Yes

Percy James Patterson, son of the deceased: You were in charge of the work and knowing there was a misunderstanding why did you allow my father to continue working? Witness: He did not ask me for leave, and I wanted every man I could get to proceed with the work. Mr Tregurtha: It was urgently necessary for the work to lie done that night? Witness: Yes.

In reply to a juryman, witness explained that it was optional for men to work double shifts if they wished to do so. v After a retirement of half an hour the jury returned a verdict that death was due to a fractured skull accidentally caused by a fall from a railway van.