RAIL DISASTER.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 98, 28 April 1938, Page 15

RAIL DISASTER.

SPEED OB! TRAIN.

EVtDENCE AT INQUIRY.

ALLEGATION DISCOUNTED. ! (By Telegraph.—Press Association.)' WELLINGTON, Wednesday. An allegation that the Wellington to New Plymouth excursion train, which was wrecked in a cutting near Ratana on the morning of March 26, was travelling at an excessive speed shortly before its derailment, was discounted to-day by another passenger, who had volunteered to give evidence before the board of inquiry set up to investigate the cause of the disaster. Seven lives, including that of the fireman, were lost as the result of the disaster, and several people were injured. The board consists of Sir Francis Frazer (chairman) and Messrs. F. W. Furkert and H. L. Cole.

Mr. H. F. O'Leary, K.C., with him Mr. F. W. Aickin, railway law officer, is representing the Department, and Mr. C. G. Watson appears for the Enginedrivers' Association, Mr. Watson is also representing the driver of the train, Mr. E. Percival.

Before the hearing of evidence tte chairman stated that the Minister of Railways, the Hon. D. G. Sullivan, had extended the time within which the board was required to report to May 31, the driver of the train not being sufficiently recovered to permit his making a statement to the board. Visibility of Notice. James C. Bell, driver in charge of a train from Wanganui which passed over the scene of the derailment at 1.40 a.m. and pulled into the Turakina siding to permit the excursion train to pass, said the train wnen it passed was travelling at the usual speed.

Witness said that the fog on Ttatana Flat was not so dense that in his opinion the driver of the train would not be able to see the radius board or the speed restriction board.

In reply to a question by the chairman witness said the driver would only see the notice boards a distance of 15 to 20 yards off.

Sir Francis: If he saw the radius board at a distance of 15 yards, and was not exceeding 35 miles an hour when he saw it, in what distance should he be able to get down to 25 miles per hour?—l should think in 100 yards to 150 yards, assuming he was travelling at 35 miles an hour and immediately applied the brakes when he saw the radius board.

At what speed should he be travelling when he got to the point of the derailment, 170 yards away?—He would be down to round about 25 miles an hour. Passenger's Statement. A passenger in the last car. Henry Arthur Hare, a hotel porter, of Wellington, who volunteered to give evidence, Paid the train was rocking just before the accident. He thought it was off the line and running over the sleepers, but he did not have time to switch on the lights. He heard the locomotive whistle three times, the last whistle being particularly long. This might have been due to the whistle jamming. He had passed over the line three weeks previously, and on the morning of March 26 did not consider the speed of the train to be any more than on the previous occasion. He estimated it at between 25 and 30 miles an hour. I

Sir Francis: When was it you heard rumours of a third man being on the engine?—lt was before the arrival of the doctors, about 3.45 a.m.

You did not see this alleged third man?—No, I did not. There was no sign of anybody in dungarees until the arrival of the relief train.

Witness added that he spoke to practically every passenger in response to a request from the train control at Wanganui asking him to ascertain whether the passengers desired to continue their journey or return to Wellington.

Long technical evidence was given by Mr. A. S. Wansbrough, designing engineer of the chief engineer's branch of the New Zealand Railways. He said the overturning speed of the AB class locomotive on a six-chain curve would be 56 miles an hour.

In his prepared statement witness said the reduction in speed called for by the notice board at the top of the Ratana grade was only moderate, even if the engine-driver failed to observe the speed restriction of 20 miles an hour, as the prescribed speed of the train should not at any time be more than 35 miles an hour for any part of the distance of 6} miles before reaching the place where the accident occurred, or for a further distance of 9J miles after passing it. The cross-examination of Mr. Wansbrough's evidence was deferred until a later

The inquiry will be resumed to-morrow morning.