TRAM DISASTER.

Auckland Star, Volume LI, Issue 4, 5 January 1920, Page 4

TRAM DISASTER.

SMASH AT WELLINGTON.

THREE KEN KILLED.

TEN INJURED. RUNAWAY ON STEEP GRADE. CRASH INTO SHED. WELLINGTON, Sunday. A shocking tramway accident occurred on Saturday evening at the corner of Brougham and Pirie Streete, resulting in the death of three men. ' Several others were injured more or less seriously. THE KILLED. The namee of the killed are:— JOSEPH SMALL, motorman, who was driving the car. JAMES ALFRED McEWAN, aged 44 yeare, a carpenter, who recently came from Pahiatua. JAMES EVANS, clerk at Base Records. THE INJURED. The names of the injured arc:— ERICA EVANS, daughter of isir. J. Evans, who was killed; cuts on ecalp and bruises on leg. F. E. QUAYLE, conductor; cut on back, contusion of left Sidney, and injury to face. His condition is not considered serious. MRS. HONORIA EVANS, -widow of Mr. J. Evans, who was killed; suffering from shock. ANNIE HANNIGAN, aged 12 years. Her parents reside in Ashburton. Cut on back. EDNA HAIGH, aged 12 years; cut on right eye, eelbow, and arm; Buffering from shock. R. W. RANGE, fire brigades man; sprained ankle, bruised. A. McSPAY, fire brigade's man; sprained ankle. FRAXK NEAL; injuries to iboth knees and hands. M. HOWARD; slight injuries. A. WADE, purser on the Mararoa. It is assumed that the motorman must have lost control when the ear left the Kilbirnie tunnel 'bound citywards, for it dashed down the steep grade and left the rails shortly before reaching the bend. It then crashed through a fence, burst its way half into a motor shed, and turned over on the near side. The crash of the impact, the shrieks of the imprisoned passengers, and the criee of the injured could be heard for a considerable distance. The front part of the car was wrecked and the motorman was found hanging over the switches with his neck broken. A woman passenger stated subsequently that she noticed the motorman leaning forward over the switches as the car rushed down the hill, and the suggestion was made that he lost consciousness. The conductor cays he applied the hand brake at the hack of the car when no notice was taken of the emergency bell, but the brake-ihen had no effect. Considerable difficulty was experienced .in extricating the passengers.

20 PASSENGERS ABOARD.

CAR GETS TERRIFIC SPEED. A PEDESTRIAN KILLED. (By Telegraph.—own Correspondent.) WEUJNGTOX, this day. The runaway'car was part open and ■part closed, it was proceeding to the city, and had to pass through tile Hataitai tunnel, which is about a quarter of a mile long. The line on the city side of tlie tunnel rune at a fairly steep slope for about twenty •chains, then turns to the right into Brougham Street, and continues downhill towards Courtenay Place. The car, Which had about twentylive passengers aboard, ran through t'ne tunnel and entered the Pirie Street slope at a speed of ten or twelve miles an hour, stopped near the tog of the slope and restarted. The car gathered momentum as if swept down the till and was travelling at a high speed on the line where it makes a dip just before reaching Brougham Street and runs level or at a slight upward gradient 'before making the turn. The car, it is stated, was now travelling about sixty miles an hour, and rocking fearfully. It jumped the rails at tlie turn. Observers say that the car fell on its side as it reached the footpath. A stout gateway and a wooden motor shed were on the other eide of ■the footpafh, and they were wrecked. The conductor states that the first alarming thing he noticed was the falling of the motorman's cap. He could not see the motorman,* but noticed immediately afterwards that the speed was becoming excessive. Then he heard some passengers scream. He applied the 'handbrake from the 'back of the car, hut this apparently had little or no result, and the crash came within a, few seconds. One of the men killed was not a tram passenger. He was walking , along Brougham Street, and was run down by the car after it left the rails, though he apparently saw it coming, and tried to get clear. The car fell on him, and his body was terribly mutilated.

THE INQUEST ADJOURNED.

(By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, thie day. An inquest on the bodies of the three victims pf the tramway fatality -was opened to-day. After formal evidence had been taken, it was adjourned till Monday next. It was stated that the motorman (Small) was in good health at the time of the accident.

STORY OF AH EYE-WITNESS.

PASSENGERS THROWN OUT. CHRIQTCHURCH, Sunday. A Christchurch girl, Miss D. Osborne, made the following statement to the purser of the Mararoa in regard to the Wellington tram accident: "I intended ;boarding the tram at Austin. Street, but it did not slacken speed, and as it daehed past I exclaimed, "The motorman is down.' I called to the conductor to go forward, but do not know that he caw mc. As the car paeeed the next stop a child appeared to jump or to be thrown out, and a few seconds later a man aUo fell or was thrown out of the car. "The car, gaining speed, left the rails at the curve and dashed into the corner building, overturning with a terrific impact." One of the injured was Mr. A. Wade, assistant purser on the Mararoa. A wireless message has been received et&ting that he is progressij&g favourably.