A PLATELAYER'S DEATH.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 563, 19 July 1909, Page 10

A PLATELAYER'S DEATH.

NEAR NCAHAURANCA.

SOMEWHAT WRAPPED IN C MYSTERY; A platelayer,, named John Cumminss, who Jresided' at Petone, died at tho hospital ori Saturday afternoon, as a rosulW of'injuries received through being struck : by a'train: earlier in tho day. Prom tho evidence given at the inquest, which opened yesterday, it appears that deceased, and three other plate-" layers who 1 had been sheltering in a/shed for some time, woro' on their way to tho spot where they woro .required to work, between Ngahauranga and Petone. v Owing to the fact that Cummings waited.to-speak; to a ganger ho got behind, and ' his fellow workers waited for him to conurup. • It'then seems that deceased stopped to examine a joint which ho considered to be faulty, but, as to the circumstances immediately surrounding the occurrence evidence has not yet tendered. After the accident,' Cummings was put on to the train. Dr. Gilmer, who happened to be a .passenger, did what was possible under tho circumstances, and, upon Petono being reached, Cummings was removed to'the porters' rooms, and later sent to the Wellington Hospital. Interrogated by the police as to the cans© of tho accident, he said:—

I was working on the line esamining a joint. I did not notice the traincom- ' mg, and . the engine-driver did not sound, his whistle, .though 1 he must.havo ■■■■-. had, a clear view of me for a quarter "of : , a:mile before the train struck me.". ; On examination at the hospital his-injur-ies were found to bo serious, and at he succumbed. Deceased was 42 years of age, and was .a widower with seven children.. An inquest was; opened before Dr. M'Arthur, S>M., yesterday afternoon. Ser-geant-Darby appeared on behalf of'the police; Mr. E. A. Dawson represented the Traffic Department; Mr...8. Cavanagh the Maintenance Department; Mr. G. A. Pearson the Locomotive Department; and Mr. Thos. Cummings (son of the deceased) represented the relatives:,..

The first witness was Robt. Wm. Drain surfaceman in the employ of the Railway . Department. He stated that the'gang remained in the sholter-shed from 7.40 am.until 11.55 a.m. They proceeded along the'line (in the same direction as the train was proceeding) to the spot where they, had towork. Three of them—O'Dea,, "Whitehead, and along the maintenance lmeoutsioVthe fence, wiilst Cummings came on behind; but witness did not know whether he walked msido.or outsido-the fence. One train passed them, but there was a second tram from town somo ten minutes or so [j After the first train went by, Whitet?i, a ? k < L wltness waited . .behind a tank; whilst O'Dea crossed the line and went to-' wards the sea., When +hey! observed thV second-train approaching Cummings was not m sight. This tram slackened down, and stopped opposite whore they were standing. ;Aa.,ne. went, towards the ..fence,-..- a fireman called out: "Here.' is one of •, your, .mates." Then -.he ■■'saw Cummings lying three or four feet from the rails ; on the! road side of the line. There •wm a clear ran of about 100 yards; np to : the piice where Cummings was picked. up. It r,rA.rV UaI { Z a train > approaching siirfacemen, but 'h.e,:did'.'not.hear a whistle on that occasion. - ' ' /To Mr. Pearson: When they looked' back was about half a mi] e away. It was much SHi* 0 he l T ■'*"»" stooping ove? a rail-than when standing up.. from they were they couid-not have seen'S mings examining a.joint. .Alfred, Whitehead,: another member 'of " ; Hia ' gaug, corroborated the evidence^given. by ill previous witness. ■ b'vou uy xne Stephen O'Dea, who was also a member of the gang,, deppsed that he last-saw Cum mingstwo or three minutes afte S rt& train, \

ganger ' rtatcd th a* ho told wis w tu"" P T IOUS night tbai a 1? was wet they wero to assemble at Ninh.n ranga. When he loft them at 980 m the Sfft" 1 lle Quoted-C,to proceed to work when the weather cleared Curamings was awaro that spooials w f ?r n ' running that day. specials were/ To Mr. Pearson: If tho dnvor did not see Cummmgs, there was no nwcsatv for' him to whistle at the spot f ° r •lo Mr. Kavanagh: Deceased woo „. quamted with the rule wSch that men should'kecp ck,of the mo H a tram was within four hundred yards thepost-mor-tern, deposed that deceased had sustained « severe fracture of tho pelvis/ which h,d lacerated some of tho internal omans and hage. Around tho base of the brain there Stent" 0 Th« iT^'TJ 0 a extent. Iho nature of the injuries inrlr the.middle of the back. Deceased was more likely to have been bending down than U acTdenr StandmS " P at tho *™ °< iiwL?' H i ? mi ? h ' medlc al superintendent at the hospital, also gave evidence i'urther hearing of evidenco mil +-U