A MOTORMAN KILLED.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 284, 30 November 1910, Page 6

A MOTORMAN KILLED.

TRAM ACCIDENT TK HOBSONSTRJ3JET. CRUSHES BETWEEN TWO CABS DEATH WAS INSTANTANEOUS. A motorman in the employ of the Auckland Electric Tramways Company, by name Thomas Albert Thompson, was killed in Hobson-etreet laet night by ■being crushed •between two cars.

Tae accident oocuxred about a-quarter to eleven last night, immediately in front of the Prince of Wales Hotel. Car jS'o. 71, driven i>y the deceased, broke down on the rise in Hobson-street, a little above tie WelJesJey-street corner. iVhat actually happened' was that the controller, which is in the nature of a switch making the circuit to divert the current from the overhead wire through the motors to earth, got out of order and fused. Probably, as it was night, there would be a few sparks and flashes, caused by the fusing, the consequent partial interruption of the current, and the burning of the insulating material. The mishap put the car out of action, and it became necessary to remove it from the rails by having it drawn or pushed to the Ponsonby barn by another car. Car No. 70 was running behind 71, and the motorman, Frederick Christmas, stopped hie car with the object of coupling up with 71, and , pushing it up the hill. Thompson was linking up the two cars by the couplings, when another car, driven by Motorman Ernest Dawe, struck No. 70, and caused it in turn to bump into the disabled car. Thompson was stooping down at the moment of the impact, and his head wae crushed between the two car 3. Death must have tieen instantaneous.

Deceased was about 30 years of age. He was about 6ft 2in in height, and altogether a well-built athletic young man, the biggtst man in the service of the company. He has been four years a motorman, and he must have been known by sig.it to frequent users of the trams in the Ponsonby district.

An eye-witness of the accident told the following story of the affair to a "Star" reporter this morning:—"l was walking down Hobson-street at 10.45 pjn., when the front platform of a tram car bound for Ponson-by suddenly became envelop.! in sparks and flashes of flame when just opposite the Prince of Wales Hotel. The ear stopped immediately, and the motorman (Thompson) shortly after leaped from the platform, which was then ail ablaze. Meanwhile the conductor was doing his utmost to reach the "back platform to remove the trolley pole from the wiree overhead, but he was delayed by the excitement that existed amorg passengers, of whom there was a large number eager to get off the car. When the current was cut off by polling the trolley pole, the motonnan aprnug on to the front platform, and soon had the blaze extinguished. I spoke to Thompson, and asked him if he was injured, and he replied that he had not been ■burned. Hie car, however, was put out of action, antf the passengers all alighted fiom it. Another Ponsonby car, No. 70, then came up from town, and at the corner of Wellesley-street I informed Us? motorman that a car ahead was in tron bit, a fact which he did not then appear to have noticed, for car 71 -was in darkness.

I "Car 70 crept up slowly to the scene and steps were immediately taken to couple it up with the derelict. This was i almost accomplished, w.ien a third car, No. 58, for Grey Lynn, came round the Wellesley-st. corner. Though travelling at a slow pace, it bumped into the rear of second car. At that moijent Thompson was in a stooping position between h»s own and the 3econd car, fixing a coupling, and his head was crushed between the buffers of the two cars. Death must have been instantaneous. Those around t*ie unfortunate motorman uttered agrnising cries of horror, and many j turned away so faint and ill that thpy had to sit down and rest. One young fell.-rw standing by mc wae :amptetely upset. Dr. Cooper w«s called jp to comply with formalities, for, of coarse, be could do no more than pronounce life extinct. There must by this time have been over one hundred people preseaf, including many ladies, and when tho awful trath dawned trpon the crowd, tha excitenvent gave way to manifestations of sorrow and grief. The body was removed to the footpath, and the police, who rrrired shortly afterwards, conveyed it to the morgue." THE DfQTJEST. An iwruest was opened this Afternoon before the City Coroner. Mr. J. R. Reed watched the proceedings on behalf of William TCrnest Dawe, motorman of ear 58. Mr. W. Coteman and Mr. W. A. Styak on behalf of the Tramways Company. Mr. Wilson (District Engineer) on behalf of the Public Works Department. Mr. E. J. Prendergast on behalf of the deceased's parents, now resident in England, and Mr. R. Matthews, of Mr. J. R. Lundoa's office, on behalf of deceased's wife, also resident in England. Dr. Hooper stated that the injuries sustained by the deceased were compound comminuted fracture of the skull and contusions of the brain, Ttay were each that death nrast have been instantaneous. BSchaTd Matthews, solicitor's clerk, was called to give evidence of identification. He stated also that deceased had told him that he was married and that his wife lived in England. (Proceeding.)