TRAMWAY SMASH.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16547, 12 June 1919, Page 7

TRAMWAY SMASH.

enquiry ooncluded. THE CORONER'S RIDERS. The adjourned enquiry concerning the death of William S. Brunton, who died from injuries ro-eived in the tramway accident at Heatheote bridge, on May 15th, was resumed yesterday, before the Coroner, Mr S. E. McCarthy. Sub-Inspector Mullaney appeared for the police; Mr F. W. Johnston for Motorman Road and Conductor Baunton (who were running the Sumner tram on the occasion of tho accident); and Mr J. J. Dougall for the Christchcrch Tramway Board. Dr. Arthur Bushby Pearson said he made a post-mortem of the body of Brunton on May 18th, at the Christchurch Hospital. There were no signs of external injuries. There was an old scar over the right hip-joint. There waß considerable bleeding in the tissues of the scalp. There was also marked bleeding on the surface of the brain. The skull was fractured on the left side, extending from the middle of the temporal bone downward and inward to the middle line. There was laceration of the brain in the front and on the right side. Tho other organs of the body wore healthy. The cause of death was hemorrhage, due to laceration of the brain and fracture of the skull. Mr Dougall said he had no questions to ask witness. He admitted that there had been 51 persons injured, most of them receiving only slight injuries. Mr Johnston Bald that the*notice of the inquest was very short. He was not gifted with second sight, and it was impossible for him to forecast what was in the Coroner's mind. In the light of Mr McEnnis's evidence, he would liko to have an opportunity to call evidence to disprov9 his theory, especially as he came forward apparently as an outside witness. He haa been informod, however, that he was really the Tramway Board's witness, and was subpoenaed by them. The Coroner said he was not thero to adjudicate on any question of alleged manslaughter or the question of damages. The enquiry was only into the death of deceased to ascertain if thoro was any matter affecting the general public arising oat of the evidence. He had considered the position, and had his finding ready. It was:— I find that the deceased, William Snmuoj Brunton, _ died at the Public Hospital, at Christchurch, on May 17th, 1919, by reason of hemorrhage due to the laceration of the brain and fracture of the skull, being injuries inflicted by a trailer attached to the 4.10 p.m. tramcar from Sumner to Christchurch, in which on May 15th the deceased was travelling, having jumped the points between the Heathcote bridge and the Arms Hotel, whereby the said trailer became derailed and was overturned. BIDEB3. (1) The evidence as to the speed at which the tramcar was travelling is in-1 conclusive, but the fact that the trailer jumped the points and after overturning was dragged on its side for a distance of about 17 feet, is indicative of excessive speed. (2) The train consisted of a motor and two trailers, each with an upper deck, and was controlled by a motorman and one conductor. (3) The train was built to seat 136 passengers, whereas at the time of the accident it was carrying about 260 passengers. All the passages, in-j eluding the stairs leading to the upper deck were blocked. There were about 90 passengers on the overturned trailer, of whom 51, including the deceased, were injured, most of the injuries being slight. (4) The conductor was in the middle rehicle when the hindmost trailer became derailed. Had there beon a conductor in the derailed car at the time of its derailment, the death of the deceased and the injuries to the other passengers might have been averted. As it wa3 valuable moments elapsed before the conductor became aware of the derailment, and when that knowledge reached him the car in which he was for the time being travelling was so overcrowded that he could not reach the buzzer, and he had to relv on his whistle, which the motormnn did not hear.

(5) Tlie practice of running an overcrowded tram consisting as this one did, of a motor and two upper-deck trailors controlled by only one conductor, albeit it is authorised on the Sumner line bv the Tramway Board Order-in-Council, is an extremely dangerous one. - . . (6) That some provision should be made limiting the number of passengers which each tram vehicle can lawfully carry.