THE RAILWAY SMASH.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14991, 11 June 1914, Page 7

THE RAILWAY SMASH.

INQUEST ON VICTIMS,

TABLET PORTER'S EVIDENCE

.FR*—S ASSOCIATIO.N* TEI.TBCRAM.) AUCKLAND. Juno 10.

Tho inquest as to the circumstances , by which tho three victims of the AVhangamarino railway disaster lost their lives was resumed at the Magis- - trate's Court buildings this mormns. ; before Mr F. V. Frazer, S.M. | Chief-Detective McMahon represented tho police, Mr Selwyn Mays the, * Railway Department, Mr J. C. Martin i the tablet porter (Donaldson) and tho J signal adjuster (Cruickshank); Mr JR. Reed, K.C., the engine-dnver . (Stone); Mr Black appeared for Mr C. If. Bell, of the Morccr railway staff. ■ and Mr Stewart for Mrs Orton Stevens. The General Manager of Railways (Mr , E. H. Hiley), the Chief Traffic Inspector (Mr Buxton), the Auckland Traffic Manager (Mr Bowles), the secretary of tho Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants (Mr Mack), the Traffic Superintendent (Mr C A. Piper), the signal engineer (Mr H. J. Wynne), the chief engineer (Mr J. Burnett), and the president of the Amalgamated Enginedrivers' Association (Mr Kennedy), were also present at'tho enquiry. AVilliam Donaldson, the tablet porter, who was in charge at AVhangamarino at tho timo of the accident, was tho first witness called this morning. Ho stated that ho had been in the railway service about six years. Ho had all the apparatus considered necessary, except the electrical repeater. Ho got ah advanco signal about 4.39 on tho morning of the disaster, from tho tablet porter at Te Kauwhata that tho north-bound ' Main Trunk train express was going through. It was the usual signal that tho express had passed To Kauwhata station. Mr McMahon: At what timo previously had you handled tho south sigi__l lever ? Witness: About midnight. It was then all right. Just prior to twelve o'clock that night I had stopped a train. That proved your signal was working correctly ?—Yes. Did you notico any irregularity in tho light of tho signal at midnight?— No. After I had nut tho signal back ; to danger, I saw the light. No other trains had passed north sinco tho midnight train, and I left the lever locked at danger. .AVhat were you doing between -midnight and 4 o'clock?— Well, I allowed train No. 231 to pass south at 1.55 a.m. I also attended to the lamps at the station. Tho next train I expected was No. 81, duo from Mercer about 4.15 a.m. There is no schedule time at Whangamarino for that train, but that is tho time sho usually comes through. On the morning of May 27th she did not arrive till about 4.45 a.m. I did not note the time in tho book, as it is not usual to do so until the tablet has boon received from tho driver and inserted in the machine. It is uot usual for the express to pass a goods train at Whangamarino, is it? —No,; To Kauwhata is the usual crossing station. AVhat did you do when you got the warning from train No. 81?— I took tho key and unlocked tho points into tho siding. ■■Where did you consider tho express was at that time? —I .knew sho was then somewhere between To Kauwhata and Whangamarino. Did you look in the direction of the south signal?— Yes, I glanced towards them', but saw nothing unusual. If your signal is set at danger, a white light would be visible, would it not? —Yes, ordinarily a white light would bo visible from tho back if the signal were at danger. There was a slight black fog. between tho station building and the semaphore that morning. Tho fog was lying about midway between. Did you see your back light ?—J can't recall seeing it, but I knew it was showing when I last shifted the signal levor. Mr Frazer: When did you see it last showing? AVitness: Shortly after midnight. About how far were you distant from the signal then? —I was nb-*<ut half a train length from the building in the direction of the signal. I had gone up to give tho driver of the midnight train bis tablet. I then saw the back light of the signal, which is 604 yards distant from the station'building. Mr McMahon: Now. when you could not sco this back lis-ht owing to tho fog. what did you do? Witness: I thought it was all right, I was quite satisfied that the signal was showing red. You trusted to tho signal being in order on account of it having shown properly at midnight?— Yes. It could have been out without, you seeine it throu-rh tho fog?— Yes. it is possible it could have been out without my seeing it. About how much of tho goods train had got through before the crash?— I don't know; I was sitting on the lever, and the incoming express was hidden from mc by tho trucks of the goods train. Did the goods train have all her lights rieht?—Well, tho engine did, but I could not see the rear van lights from where I sat on the lever. Did you hear any warning whistle given by the goods train when sitting on your lover?— Not to my recollection. You do not know what time the express arrived at "Whangamarino?—No, ' I Was sitting on the lever, and the next I knew was waking up from unconsciousness with a broken"arm. In answer to a question as to tho nature of the signal apparatus, witryss explained how it worked. It was, he explained, a cold morning on tho dato in .question, but he liad never experienced any trouble with the signal in cold weather. About last Christmas some alterations wero effected at Whangamarino to the siding, but this was the first occasion upon which, to his knowledge, the fiignals i had worked defectively. " j Mr McMahon: AVas tho signal showing any droop at all prior to the accident? Witness: On a couple of occasions, over a month ago, I found the signal arm with a slight droop, but I adjusted it myself with weights at tho lever. I am referring to the platform lever, not to the one on th© stick. # Did your adjustment bring the adjusting pin into the last hole?— No. So that, if a further droop had-oc-curred, you would still bo able to adjust it r—Yes. I suppose you know that a cold night would have an effect on the wire? Yes. Did it occur to you that on this*, tbe coldest night of the year up to that i timo, the wire might get a little bit out of order?—No, I did not think tho ■ cold would contract the wire to that . extent. Notwithstanding tho fact that the , signal arm had dropped previously?— No, I put that down to th© cold of the dawn. As a matter of fact, when I adjusted the weights previously I had to loosen them again before I could get the signal to work. AYalter Parkinson Garner, a passen- , ger by the wrecked express, stated that almost immediately upon the train ] stopping he got out. There was

plenty of fog about. About twenty minutes hater witness looked back in the direction of tho signal. Tho fog was hugging the ground, and he considered it would have obscured tho back light of the signal from tho station building. Ho could not sco it from whero ho was. Mr McMahon: A littlo later. I believe you were speaking to tho firemen on the goods train? AVitness: Yes. And you both went down to look at the south signal? —Yes. How far did you havo to walk before seeing anything of tho signal? —I could see nothing until I '•ot within abor-t 50 yards of it. The night was very dark. \Ve went past it and down the line to obtain a good view of it. I suppose wo went about 20 yards past it. AVhen wo looked up tho light was showing green, with just a slight tingo of red at tho top of the light. Afterwards we went under tho stick, and after talking it over we considered it best to put the signal at danger, lost anyono should be behind. So tho fireman readjusted the .signal, and we returned to tho scene of the wreck. The engine-driver of tho express, John A. Stone, was called. Mr McMahon: How far back can you see the south signal at AVhangamarino? Witness: A good long distance back. I was in the dip beyond when I saw it on tho morning in question—say, about two hundred yards away from tho signal. ~ , Mr McMahon: Did the light appear to be a full clear ahead light? AVitness: Yes, there w.as not a sign of red.