TEAM ACCIDENT.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 147, 16 March 1908, Page 7

TEAM ACCIDENT.

TWO CARS COLLIDE*

ALARMING OCCURRENCE IN TINAKORI ROAD : A. NUMBER OF PASSENGERS INJURED.' fiCENfe Ot= EVCIfEMENT 'AMD . CONFUSION. Wellington has bc<m fortunate in tho ib-. • frequency of serious accidents in connection .with"'its tram*servico,ihut : a'repetition bf tho accident winch .occurred in Tiriakori Road at • about 4-.50' p.ni. yesterdhy, whon> two cars ' collided; is tho last'tbing ta bo deseed. Two 1 J ' of the 'Hew\ : .big' ; 'feidc-d66r ' , palaco cars' had; filled with passengers at the Botanical Gardens (whore thb Garrißonßatid had been playing during the afteriiobn), and,- leiiviiig shortly after, onh. another, traversed nearly tho, ontiro length of, line iii Tlnakori Road at an- averago distaiieo of hbotit thirty,or forty yards .froin olio another. . Jlifefc before reaching the 0 eol-go Stfcot • btoppllig-Jllacb' a passenger: on: Mlb ' frbilt iiaf ■ rang, the ' boll* . and 'the BaP ptilled Uj) iii front of PtiUbfson't . grocery slorO (which Is • feitlifltod Oil. tii« CDihbl\of Gdbrgd ijbreet and I'ilidkoti tlbad), . 1 . 'i THE-STORY: OF THE COLLISIOfJ. ■ The'gentleman, who Jang tho bell was Mr.. Feahij of 126 Tiiiakori R-oad, atid, as lie took ih r tii'js, wli'dio. .Situdttait jUat .aftdr'-"' Stepping ftem-tho .car,-hij.is. &k c6kri|)oteiifc aa . anyone to describe the: iicculeilti . Speaking to,,a DoMiNit)},- irepresetitatitej lio fifrid:-r-- ." I rang'the Bfell lh the ofdfitaty Way, - ''and £otoUtdftta car ( shdH&d lifted, fny boy out, Whcr) I safe tho bthcf bar ap* . . at a good fbtc Cf Sfileed.flfOrt ■ behind, ' I sHW that & collision WRB liv . just HBd tlftte to grab Illy • boy ; feridJ got <tA the footpath twhbrt the Smash occurred." "Jho oar yoii wCfe on was qulto sta« ; ftofiary at the time of the accldcnt?". i "Oh, yog; I just had time to get-clear : -when .tho collision occurrod. l can't.say

. -. what must havo gona wrong." , vv! ' ■ A SCENE OF CONFUSION. Tho'iinpact .heaird 1 for' a", quarter of. i -mile-' round. • ,'lt was so'■great iithaV : smashing 1 the glass windows, 'it pushed' the• stationary- car about, twenty-five, yards' down, the" iino, iv and played havoc, among its pas- „• sengers. Tho seat® in the palace cars aro fixed cross-scats, so that when tho car was 'rammodi'fTom"j)behind it practically hurled-ita occupant,) at' one 'another, ■ and while some.. ,were trying to., extricate• themselves .from the, confusion;,,of tumbled hunianityj; others ■■■ at.the''rear..of the' car'found' themselves ;mort . jor-gless 1 ;' cut,'; about by' flying'- splinters .of . ;glass,< and, all were trying to realise', what liad,;'oc6.tirl'feliActing Oil- impulse, some of the' passengers struggled to. the. outside',,and' • jumped' oiit; ' 'TliiS hVas ,very ; unwifso, as' the [cat had lieen' 'SMl'6 '•iiAls&us;''' muL! aa.-v they:. got "out,-..irrespective ,of tho manjier in jwHishXthbylaiighted;-' ,'ni6st. ; of.' thom ..foilnd the,' front' car passenger's ; vJero.'. from being 1 violently jerked forward, from a sta- . tionaiy, position, the jback- eat* .-passengers •suffered little'ileSs;.fr&m ;beitlg,pUlled up m , such'a'startlingly : abriipt;ffifa ; nJi6i'.. . ; : THE iNdUßlstii

■ TJ.iero .ik alfl'&yS.tijtill—a nio'rrteiitor two! • of.; siis'f>sndbd diiimatjbli^'&fteir.}all r 'iiccidont.. • :it occurred: jr«stitfda^, t sbrf6t»'-.theUninjured;' ■ r 'begaii' toVthililr.' of: tb6.''iiljUredi' : tffltl the', by- . • , :resulti . v tte /case^'A-'iManyi/wero^ .tlib'.'faCe and' ihaiidanl)y ;, splmtersr:of: tllo shield and partitions that word shattered by t-hs inlpact, , aild fi good tfeil of blbbd vfa§ flowifig; tjthera •J-liiostly : AYOßM-^iiffel-ei.'ffofii shook;only, ■ahd; ttok five, 6f,to]l;.miriutC3*to ■ pull round..Blood..streamed from tho .sid-B -of. A\man's iio;s6 lliat had boon laid' open, and tho bridge ;/ 'of_; a ■ woinali's itfjS6 bled prolusoly froii; a ; blb>% how received'sho did. not luiowi' In 'dome;casbS;. noses ibled "frotri the. fcirco• of !■ the. '~ .impaoijMleiy'4ftEput''iwinng a blow at all., CONCUSSION OF THE-'BRAIN. 1 . The iiibßtis&Hpus' case one' of. concua- ; 5 .. : . sion of thW brain .sustained by a 'two-year-pip';; 'boy named Nyebofg (residing at No, 12 Tory 'Street)j; .wljo,was travelling with his- mother,' :'P:' :jrfrs.: J'Nyebbrg. Ho p'as sittiilg opposite a;' •Miis-.Neilaoii, who ' was throwiPright,at - the;,. i ■.boy by tlid.Sudden movement oil the calf.'.j- As ; ! indicative ofth<3. violeiico.bf tho .impact,''tliei. 7. : , bov sustained a' Blight ■ tonpUSsioli: of the'.' brain* and.Miss Nralscn-idiii Spiitc.cif her front*, tfcethj which latter made a scar on tho -boy'sfprpyad.tiiatiWiii last;for. sfirhe tlme..;

THE DOCTOR'S STATEMENTi

,! DA Ilenr.Vi ivlio attended to tlio most serf, ous cases, informed a.Dominion reporter that) >■ liono of the passengers Wero injured seriously* V Tho oaso j of the • boy-Nyoborg Was, perhaps, tho worsti At ja .lato-hbur Inst night tbo .. boy-was 'doing tfcto' Two young meai, named ■Mowatt' anil : Ledger, residing ' in- Pirie Street, : ! received minor.injuries, (tho former a gaslf over the"eye and the latter, a out at thoback . of tho oaiv "Another of. his, patients..'was; Sir. ■ Harris ■ 'of tho . staff ,of. Mackay,•' Stoen, /and' Caldwell, who had.also sustained a cut ovor 0110 oyo. Those. Wera.tlio niost- serious casts,' ! [ but, tliero: woro,;qthW, ; minor in juries that :i ; Jiariiy'caile?:l for a doctor's services. Tlio iiljufod '.ivero accommodated ..ill.: .the residences of. Mossrs. M'Mfmnawajy Boys, Ludwig) and Wheeler, in Tinakori of MrSi Swiiidale'j 6f GcorgO Streit. '{ V ;'; ' ' THE OFFICIAL REPORT.

vfflio official report .states that-palace-car ■. NO' '57-, 'driven by^MotorinanvMills,':-left Karbri nt 4.20 p.m. for Newtown./ Tlid c!ii . ■ left tho Botanical Gardens at 4.35, being ( delayed there for somo up pa&'. : ¥engors "Wlidrhad beenpromeiiadiiig iii tho' • • gardens where a band was playing.. . Car . No 07, nl cliargo of Motornian Gregg, had left tho Gardens a few moments before No. G7. Both cars stopped at■, the llill Strcob loop to allow nil up cat to pass. When MlllsVcar left Ilawkestono Street, the other Car ffaS ■ -soiiio" waV- 1 alidad. Afterr proceed- ; ing -tomb distftlico, Mills noticed ■ that t the • front 'cat' it - Geol-ge Street, ano I oonsoqiientlv apphcd"his ! .brakes ; m an attempt tb'■ stop" his uar:Tho brakes, it is stated;' gripped the -wheels, but; .tho wheels skidded. When Mills found it impossible ,to stop .the car,; he ; started; gonging ,\i;ithr tho intention p^.lotting Mptormanj Gr.oggv in. .{.ho / front car start his;car.' and.get outVof : tlio ■ way. Gregg immediately started his car, but ho -had-! only moved ;/& -.Very-; short* dis- ' ■ tanco when his car v struck; violently by - No. 57. With the shock iihd tho sound of breaking glais< tiierofwaS a'great: commotion' ■ several passengers

jumped out on to the road. . A child named ■ Nyeberg, , two years .'of age, ; received con- . ; eussion' of-tho brain,* and., a considerable number of other passengers suffered lesser ~-.-v.-. injuries, mostly from broken glass. Motor- : ' man Mills remained at his post until the exoitement was over.. DAMACE TO THE CARS. Both cars were., severely- damaged,; and ; .. had to bo taken back to'th<J car-sheds: "The <• buffer-.- of each .oar, and the .under-work .of , the .oar bodies ■ suffored, sovorely from the j collision, and. a number /of ; windows-wore ~ shattered. '/ THE -, I ;. A representative; of Dominion callod '. . at' ; the residence,of Motorman Mills-about, . > > 8.30 last night,' but was informed that .it was impossible to seo' the - carman, as he • ■ had-.retired for tho night..; It is understood 1 ,V ■; that tho motorman maintains: that the salt water .used '• for laying tho . dust on tho ... .■ streets had made the rails greasy, , and was the. probahle cause of. tho brakes. failing to - grip..- -This ; x theory, was put - to- one -of the ; ■:; ?'- tramway he. was.; not "!iriclinod ;to.;hold twith-it. .itHe >rema'rked that there .' .. ■ had'been -heavy traffic on |the- line all' the afternoon, a three, and four"minutes' ser- ' v>cei:having .been ,maintained, and no com- ; • ; plaints> had been ;received. of; the line be- . ing slippery. The .brakes on: car No.' 57. had -.- acted all the . down from ..Karorr and -/■had given no trouble previously. ; . .Motorman Mills is a reliable and had,.been m the service of the Corporation ;■ ; , ■ since r soon'. after tho ' electric ; trams began :to run.;; His previous record-is a good 011^. " t;he scene. *.y '■■■ -.The., sceno -of tho^accident' ls -well iknown' - .to ~ residents. / Tmakori Road ruiis„fn','a . perfectly-straight line-from . the

. mam. ontrance.-of-the -Botanical. Gardens to Thorndon Quay,: and. the tram-lino traverses the'road as .far,as the Molesworth 1 Street . intersection, -about.-a;.-couple-' of hundred , . yards to tho vnorth, of3,which -the. accident occurred.' ; From.- about ; th« i Hawkestona Street junctioji .to George Street thero ''is a 1 .-gentle; slope -down; which- tho "cars usually - - glide .at, a;.rapid pace'. Tho Georgp Street junction is not a compulsory -stopping place-- ■■■'■ Tliero is >a notice- affixed to ■ a tramway pole ; which .says:—" On; request stop'here." CONTIGUITY OF CARS.

r.,,; ■'; The.':-,Eledfrical ■■ .Engiiieer x ;: '(Mr , . ; .•..Stuart' r Richardson) said■ he ; had nof seen' a report iof the accident,, and theroforo could not say , . \ . anything about it. .There was,, however, a . - regulation,which provided-that carswqre ... . not 'to approach witbn 40- yards; of 'one' an'- 1 ' " other , while-'running; - Each of-the 'new , . palaco cars (they were' built in"Wellingtbri)' h'ad ; three brakes-r-tho hand, ratchet, .brake; . Newell magnotio' brake (which becomes ' .- ; a-- magnet : and :attaches.*^^itself\to'- : thci-- : faii)> and; the; electric'.brake;', thatVrevefse's tho' motor. \ r . ,V; An inquiry, will. bo ..held into the cause I ef the accident. | 'V.'.";'.:"-'!:. ' U-, j' A i ? V-iV-tJi Vl" !" "K V' ; '- !',- \\