DEFECTIVE BRAKES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 738, 10 February 1910, Page 5

DEFECTIVE BRAKES.

v,;^.^v;; ; --^-,.;<;;,/:•; .- : "J- ; : %" : t :; 7;Z ; GOODS JK ] -iiEST Engine'vbeakeless,' : ,':thb'-v:'; .•, : y ■v'-'V SECOND 'WEAK; By TeleerßDb—Prc»s Aejociation—OoDTTieht ;, ■:^K ; :. ' : ''w'-.;■.-'' Melbourne, February 9. j:[-: :; In .connection ■ with the piling up of the. : • gopdsi train;. engines'; against, the ; ... "deait.y end"vat.Beaiifort, .resulting! '•':in three>. deaths,; GronnJ. the '.'driver -of the leading oiigine, and. has ■made. , : i : statement '.'. 'v>: ii j;.'; r - 1 .; ffe■. says'tha);'he; Jouid"a leak the ; ■brake ibefore' he'6etji6ut.^frop ; 'B.aUarat ;• 'j£' 'fitter;v'patohed. up^ : th'e ; hole ■ with' ; spun ) : to; fger' repairs;.. at\ : yarious"'; : ;ppiiitsf is but ••' the' seyeral' r stations-..'ivere notijfurnished.v with -proper; appliances. '.■:■' :/ •-: ."•:"' .'.■ ••.,' j iv' the., state '.of:) the" engine,".;but as' there ■ : was: no 'other available he' , had to:go '. oni .; 'At' : Stbvfeli 'the : : fitter Had. not ; sufficient \- material to ; complete'the' repairs,' and.he•• had.to'; take the-train bacf to. BallarajS.y.". ;■)' He i;consulted ; yith. Coward, : driver.. of the second; engine ' (who-,.wa6;.killed in '■ the and. asked 'him-4hough 'it f ; .was'-.-contrary •:' to. . take:.' qharge;.of.' the ■ train, from | Coward's,' en-:,; gine, owing : to the., defective condition of ■; (Jronn'sVengine;. :: -;; ■ ■ ■'.-'::;;.r., ',■■■] ;■■■': v; J;

.{the}';, defect; iii. creased, and;his- engine'was;. practically without:brakejppwer. : . Q n reaching:Beaiifort•''the';' signals 'were all,'right'but,-on'; approaching the. station the -train. got put of ■ control s and';• 'dashed; the "dead-end.'';"; ■■: '■' i;' v v-' , -.; ■-■ ■',■>*■'■ '■£■.' V ■:-■«?■ •/,

: '.[Accprdirig" to : -.'previdns.'.cablegrams; ,"it]' appears'thatitne engine (that-is, Cfrprin'ai', the; leadilig engine) .was pfacticallj,. with-:;! out brake;power' on'.the fatal-i-'jonrneyin. ,The railway, officials, admit: ,'thatj.the;,; second, engine was of low.brake! power." .. Grdn'n's statement '.to-day-'indicates that': it was this:- second ..engine, with; the. 16w.'.' ; powered' 1 brake,', that had. charge- of' the:•;. train; .' .Complaints have'.been'made ..that ■'.■ 'the-crew !:.of the train had been-on duty.:, for :.eighteen hours ..without '-.'a breaK.., Coward is stated to have'remarked toV his wife:.."There.is sure to bo i.'smish , -.' one:of these days; ;.,We _'haTe.-.t0.;w0rk... so loni? that we are often half asleep" on.' : the: job/'] ■:■:;■■;. ..,;: : ;: ; !/■,.{.:/. \y': ; . : y:'^