"SIGNS INADEQUATE"

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 108, 10 May 1939, Page 12

"SIGNS INADEQUATE"

FERRY LANDING.

CORONER'S VIEW. DEVONPORT TRAGEDY. SAFETY STEPS URGED. HOW VICTIPr.S WERE TRAPPED "I think that those in authority should forthwith take soiiip steps to guard n.iruiiist the possibility of this kind of accident occurring in the future." declared the city coruiier, Mr. F. K. Hunt, after lie had heard lengthy evi ilenco today on the doulilo drowning tragedy that was a ncquel to wedding celebrations on the North Lahore on the night of April 11. The, iuqiicet was concluded by Mr. Hunt, wlio added to his finding of accidental death by drowning a, rider urging the provision of better safety measures at the Devonport vehicular ferry landing. The victims, who were crapped in a motor car which plunged into the harbour from the i % nd of the Devonport vehicular ferry landing, were Mi«s Elizabeth Maud Swanston, aged 21, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. R. N. K. Swanston. retired banker, of Takapinii, and Miss Margaret Mary Beale, aged 'it), daughter of Mr. .f. B. Beale, solicitor, of Tauranga. Both of the young women had attended a wedding at Devonport, at which Miss Swanston was one of the bridesmaid*, and a reception afterwards at Takapuna. They were on their way to a city cabaret, travelling in a car with three young men, whoii the tragic accident occurred. Arriving at the ferry wharf, two of the men left tho car, one of them doing so in order to make a telephone call. When the vehicle made its fatal plunge

from the end of tho landing, the driver, Mr. Janice Roes Faulkner, aged 30, of Tauranga, who vrma groomsman at the wedding, escaped, but the two young women could not be rescued in spite of desperate efforts by their three companions, who dived repeatedly.

•Up* Met Aoeq*ate.» After searing tbe evidence, the •oioner remarked that he had been htopped in the street by several people nml had also received a number of letters from others on the subject of the incident. These people had wanted to tell him of liii'ky caenpea which they luid had at the same ferry landing. "This accident wu« indeed a most tntjric and unfortunate one," added Mr. Hunt. "It in not for me to nay whether Illume ie attachable to anyone, anil I am going to give a finding that the**unfortunate young women died by accidental drowning through the car in which they were travelling falling into the harbour at Devonport. Tho coroner weft on to say, however, thai ba intended to add a rider to his finding. Whether or not the warning light waa burning, whether or not the lettering on the light and oa the safety arm at the landing was sufficiently dintine*, did not mueti matter. The accident had clearly proved, that the fro signs provided were not adequate to guarJ the public against such accidents. "It seem* to me that it would be a perfectly simple thing to have two great arms or gates at the head of the ramp which would be closed alter vehicular ferries had left the wharf," he added. "We have a good example of that type of precaution at tbe Western Viaduct. I think that those in authority should forthwith take eome such e>t«ps to guar.l against accidents like this in the future, and even, if neceeeary, have a man on duty there, particularly at night." Finally, Mr. Hunt eaid the young men ill the party were to be commended for the great efforts they had made to save the victims of the tragedy. He hoped it would be the last such accident the public would bear of. Counsel who appeared for the relative* of the two women concurred in their satisfaction that no blame at all could be attached to the driver of the car, Senior Sergeant Dun ford appeared for the police t Mr. T. J. Fleming and, Mr. Trevor Henry for the relatives of Miss Bealet Mr. H. P. Richmond for the relatives of Miss Hwanston; Mr. P. Jenkins for the driver of the 6ar; and Mr. Lkle Aldcrton for tho Devonport Steam Ferry Company. Drive* , * Evidence. •Tames Roe* Faulkner, company manager, of Matakana Inland, Tauranga, •aid he was 30 years old, and had held a license to drive a motor car since he was 18. On the evening of Tuesday, April 11, be attended the wedding at Devonport and later the reception at the Mon Desk Hotel, Takapuna. At about 10.45 p.m. he left to drive four of the other guests to Auckland. Mies Beale occupied the front seat, between Mr. Baron and witness, and Miss Swan•ton and Mr. Crump were in the rear eeat. "When we reached the vehicular ferry wharf at Devonport, a vehicular ferry had just left for Auckland," witness added. "I stopped the oar at the end of the trafflo lane on tho wharf. The ticket collector came up for the tickets, and I bought ticket* for the car and ptnisengers. I asked him when the next boat left for Auckland, and he said in about a quarter of an hour. The time then was just after 11 p.m.

"Mr. Baron left the car and vrent to the telephone box. While he was away another vehicular ferry came in and a lino of cars came off it. Mr. Crump left the car tr> telt Mr. Baron. The la(live remained in the car. "When this ferry came in the ladies RHg'_'csted that we should catih it without waiting for the other passengers, as tit that hour of the night the service was rather infrequent. They said that if tin- others missed the boat" they could catch a passenger boat and we could pick them up tit the Ferry Buildings in Auckland. "After the last cur had left the vehicular ferry, I waited :i little time to sec if the others returned lip fore driving cm to the ferry. I saw no stop f»ign showing at the top of the rump. I drove down the ramp in low gear. Tlic ferry appeared to me to be at the platform. I did not see «iny stop signal across the ramp. "Open the Doors!" '"I then felt a bump," witness eontinned. "This must have been caused by the cur running on to the apron at the end of the ramp. The car wae over the end of the railings before I realised the ferry was not there. "Someone called: 'Open the doom! , I cannot *ay how far off the ferry was when the car went over. I thought all the time that the ferry wax at the ordinary place at the end of the ramp. "My car sank to the bottom. I tried to open the door on my side, but could not. Water came in ami I held my breath a<* long as I could. Then I swallowed some water. I tried to kick the windscreen out, but could not do so. I also leaned over and tried to open the rear door on the driver's side, but I could not. "I finally got out of the ear through the window on my eide, which was open. and then I opened that door. Then again I tried to open the rear door on the driver's aide, but I couldn't. It wae catching on a pile. "At that stage I could not hold on any longer, and I came to the surface. where I wae pulled out of the water by someone. I wanted to go down again. but onlookers prevented me from doing so. Mr. Crump and Mr. Baron dived repeatedly. I was perfectly sober all evening." Mr. Jenkins: Your lights were burning! Witness: Yes. ! You have been driving all kinds of care for many years, haven't you!— Ye*. Have you ever driven thie kind of car before?— Yes. " Busybodiet'" Talk. Witness added that he certainly would not have driven on to the ramp if he had seen a light burning. He saw neither a light nor a "stop" signal. Senior Sergeant Dunford: It is alleged by m>lllo busy bodies that on the day you drove un to attend the wedding you had an accident between Tauranga and Auckland. Is that truer Witness: That i* not so. Gilbert Oscar Baron, farmer, of Katikati, one of the occupants of the front seat of the car, stated in the course of his evidence that the ticket collector had told the party that the next ferry would leave in about a quarter of an hour's time. It was then juet after 11 o'clock. Witness went away to telephone, and while he wm dialling his number Mr. Crump came to get him. They walked along the wharf, and someone said a car had gone over the edge. Witness rushed back to tell someone to send for the police and a doctor, and then, with Mr. Crump, divad several time* without success. He saw no red etop light at the top of the ramp, no* any signal across* the ramp. All the people in the car were quite sober. After corroborating part of the evidence of the earlier witnesses, Xoel Crump, hank elerk, of Devonport, the third male member of the party, said it was about 11.13 p.m. when he went to the telephone to get Mr. Baron. On returning he thought the ear must have gone on to the ferry, which was then moving away from the ramp. He was told, however, that the car had gone into the sea, and he immediately attempted to dire down to it. "I must have dived about 12 times, but without result; the water w w too deep, witneaa said. To Mr. Jenkins, he said that when he was diving he could see that the lights of the ear were burning.

Procedure on Ftny. George Oscar Knaggs, Mate on the vehicular ferry (the Kaglehawk) which the. car attempted to board, aaid it was the laat trip the terry wm making that night. Aβ usual, be stood on the ramp and directed the cars off the vessel and then operated the switch at the end of the gangway to raiae the flap on the end of the .ramp. "The arm with the 'Stop' sign on it has to be pushed out horizontally before the switch box can bo operated," witness added. "When the flap is down at the end of the gangway the arm lies over th* switch box. Aβ soon ae the arm is put In the horisontal position it automatically operate* a 'Stop , light at the top of the gangway." Witneu said be carried out-the usual practice in this connection. He then returned to the vessel and oast off the mooring lines. There was then no sign of any car coming down the gangway. When the vessel bad moved out about 30 to 40 feet to go to it* mooring nearby for the night be heard, a crash, and looked around to see a car coming down tbe gangway. It bad no lights burning, and it went straight on into the water. Mr. Fleming: How long ha* it been the practice for thfe ferry to pull out •ad berth for the night after arriving at PeroitportT Witness: It depend* on tbe time-table. We may get orders to make another trip. ■ i Is it your positive opinion that the crash you heard was caused by the car striking the discT—Yee. The master of the ferry, Matthew Scott, said be saw the flap raised and the stop eign in position. The veeeei had jnoved out about 80 feet when the mate called to aim to the effect that a car had gone over. Jamea Owen Doberty, an Auckland Harbour Board diver, told bow he wm lowered to the tea bed at the Devonport wharf at 2.43 a.m. on April 12. He found a ear lying on it* side, and be was able after eome time to make a hoisting line fast to an axle and a spring. The car was then raised and the bndie* of the two young women were found inside it.

"Ura» wm SMaiai." Thomae Clark, ticket checker employed by the ferry company, said that juet before 11 p.m. on April 11 he mw a car driven by Mr. Faulkner come on to the wharf. He not tickets for the driver, but the furry for Auckland had then juat left. Tbt rad atop light at tfaa

head of the ramp was showing. He was sure of that because when it went on he knew his day's work wait over. To Mr. Fleming, witneee said he wae positive that lie told the driver of the car that the next boat for Auckland left at 11.30. He did not think of warning the driver that in the meantime another boat would come in and put out again. Frederick Charles Stub!*., watchman at the wharf, told the coroner he distinctly remembered seeing the red light burning when the ferry was moving out to berth. "Harbour Board Property.' , An engineer, Alec William Walters, explained how he had examined a ear which was the property of Mr. Harold • Jatty, of Pan-American Airways. It was damaged by sea water, and the position of a number of dents and scratches which it bore was such that they could have been caused by contact with the disc at the end of "the arm at the Devonport landing, which lie had also inspected. All or any of the damage, however, might have been caused by grappling irons. Kvidence was also given by men who were fishing at the wharf at the time of the accident. While the coroner was giving his finding and the attached rider, Mr. Alderton, for the ferry company, pointed out that the landing facilities'were the property of the Auckland Harbour Hoard, and that the company merely held a license to use them. Mr. Hunt's reply was that lip was not directing bis remarks at the company, but simply at whatever party was in "authority. "I wish to say on behalf of the relatives of Miss Heale that we arc convinced that no bin me at nil i- attachable to the driver of tlip ear," declared Mr. Fleming at the conclusion of the inquiry. Mr. Richmond, for the relatives of Miss Swanston, asked to be associated in that statement.