WELLINGTON TRAM FATALITY

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 16732, 15 January 1920, Page 8

WELLINGTON TRAM FATALITY

THE CONDUCTOR'S EVIDENCE. (PRESS ASSOCIATION TELE3RAM.) V.'ELLIXGTO.W January It. The inquiry into the recent from fatality in i'irie street mi resumed thi3 morr.hig. before Mr P. L. Hohir.gs, S.JI. rrcili-r.tl: Kmest Quayio. conductor on the tram v.'h!:b, w.-.5 said he joined the a nior.tii bef r_' the accidents He previously a m.'tor-'.ar dr.vcr. Ho eervti v.:;'n the" Xow Zealand forces on Gallinoli and in I'r.'.n.'O far over t»vo years. ' Ho vras

::ot vour.kd. end had r.ot differed from sfcocl;, hut stiflercd from enteric fever. Hj vas ir.va'.i.lea heme on account of pleurisy, and in September. 1317, •i» ui.fit for furt.-ur act-vo service. Before j-'ir.in? th" tr.rnway *ervice 1 e drove a motor lorrv in Pa\n:ritc«n Xorih. He had r.o*. suffered from a..v nervou* complaint, and on joiuir:;: tl.e tramway sen ice was passed as medically fit by Dr. McKvedy. He was nlaccd in charpe of a car a? conductor. tie had Ha previous Ho received his training a* a frtliic'.or on different run*, including :r.«trunion as to how to niar.ipu'ate the hand bribe at tho rear of the car. so as to nnolv :t in case of emergency. His i>rriod instruction wj four day?, of eipht hours a day. I'.ef.ire p~in? on a« a condur'.or he passed an rx.iniin.it in. but did not po out on a cp.r for the purpo*o of osmnin.iti T. He wa* then sent o-.t on t v e liilt>irr?io nnd Lvall IJay trip. The rn'y instruction he pot "wax that, in case cf eniergmcy he should apply ihe hand 'orr.lte. At hi> request the motorm.in liai shewn him how t» oneratc the mechanic and air brake. If hi* attention had been drJ'.vn to ti.e rccidcnt to the motorman. hi« duty v.*ru*d b? to apply the brakes on tho front ct the car as emn 33 possible. He would consider it hi* first duty to tlie inetorman, if the latter were disabled. If at the rear of t!:e car, and unable to set to tiir» fror.t. he wru'a r.np'y the hand brake. He h id been in»truetc:l not t"> go on to the

fr-->n* platform of it-o car. On the da" in question ho had fir-red o; at 2.10 p.m. Mctorman Sm.i!l v.-.:s in charge of the car, and rj nested io be nil rirht. Ho mad? no complaint. The tra"r conditions were quite ordirinjy. Km :I! had never e mplainrd of the strenuous natr.ro of !r> duties, or aa to tho condition of his henith.

As to ;he ocfUTff;, witness paid that when-. conin~ through the tunr-d he had about 27 The car vis only ha'f full. lie noticed notninc cxr<-ntion;!l when coming throiiL'h tlic iunrt-1. VTb.rn ihc car reached the c:tv end o: ibe tunnel ii stuped to f!;ir!:cn for tho conipu'fory stnr>, and the car stnnpcd. There was n> d iubt in hi? :n:nd that tho car did stop there. Any evidence t> the contrary was nii'tnkcn. Tbe car v.-.-a stopped by (he mn'ovman, who n-.ml have coitro'lei !ho H —ilrc;». A .*na-n and « littlo irirl pot nut at thnt ?top. "the car r'-staried iri an«wer to witness's sipnnl, nnd commenced the descent e>{ (he hill. V.'itnc?* rtnained a! t'le back of 'he car and dealt with his running sheet. The snccd of the ci:r wa-s nn'y rruinarv then, and the car s'ackened, At the second sfoTpinfr place. -\ustin street, it came nracticd'v to n rtands'i:l. AV innos figtvi'l'd to j;o on, ns no ore wanted to rot on li the rar. Tbcn he had no ind'eat on cf anything wtoh>» with tbtcar. The tir«t indi:r.tion wag in «ei'in:» the motornnn's r-rvire cap bein£ b'"\m nlor.c; (he road rime thirty vards n'ter passing Austin °(reet.. lie vis t'trn on the rear platform. 11a looV«;i through the compartment of the car. which was then bogi'miii" to gather speed. }f» did n> * sen the motorman. the front door bo'.tip clos:d. He was si're ho 'ooked for him. lie rune tho bell o-ice, which should have indicated a stop. The car did not stop. • Then he pave fivo b«lls. :m rmerjr:ncy s(<--p. There was no response. He saw a hat llyin; up the hiVrido beforo {riving the emergency stop. Tho car seemed then to have junmrd forward. He did nit then see a"v movement the nn-t of tho pasfongers. Ho next noticcd a woman in tho front comnnitment. She jumped un r.rd waved to witness. He was quite cool and lenked out to ascertain the position. The car had then n terrific paio on. Witncs9 applied tho hand hrake at the rear. Ths car was then w-ll out of control, having developed speed in a very short disinnce. Afler applying the h-nd hrake tie nu'lcd down ill? t'o'ley pole. The hand brake bad some cfTr-ct on the r.pood, and steadied the car fomewhat. Ho know nothins of what took p ace in tho front of Ibe car. Tho car left tho rails at street, 210 feet from where ho ann'icd the i •ake.

Mr .T. O'Shea. pivj-nrinjr for (he City Council, snid that if the hnrd b-nke had not steadied the car there would have been no car and no pcnnle. Mr Fir th* first fortnight, if 111" nretlrred. v.-ll V-v* r.othir.7 about an air braio or magnetic b:rk' ;•» rl'?

Qunylc: Yes. that is ao. rouii'ii' "1 'I-. -' ho had no experionco with tif.y of the brnk"i. cs-ont tho hand !h" rn motion. Tho enquiry waa adjourned.