NOT DRIVER'S FAULT

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 69, 18 September 1936, Page 10

NOT DRIVER'S FAULT

MAIN TRUNK MISHAP ! "EVERYTHING POSSIBLE DONE" INQUIRY ADJOURNED "I am satisfied that there was no negligence on the part of the Railway Department and that no blame attaches to;the driver, who did everything possible to stop the train immediately the slip became visible. I congratulate the'driver.and the fireman on escaping' with their lives. Their escape was one of the most extraordinary features of the whole mishap," said the Coroner, Mr. E. Gilbertson, when today adjourning until October 9 the in quest into the death of Arthur Frederick. Bush, retired carpenter, of Blenheim; aged 80. According to medical evidence Mr. Bush died of pneumonia and heart failure associated with shock resulting from the accident to the Main Trunk express near Paraparaumu, on August 30. The Coroner said that he was interested to hear the evidence of William' Howell, farmer, of Paraparaumu, who endeavoured to stop the express. Mr. Howell was indisposed, and would not be available until early next month. His evidence, though interesting, would not, however, affect his opinion that neither the Department nor the driver of the train had been in any way negligent. Sergeant P. Munro appeared for the police and Mr. F. W. Aickin for the Railway Department. Arthur Frank Norman Bush, son.of 'the deceased, and carpenter, residing at S'aumarunui, said that on August 29,1936, he left Taumarunui with his father somewhere about 9.30 p.m. by express for Wellington. They travelled in a carriage at the front of the train. Nothing unusual happened until shortly after the train passed through Paraparaumu about 6.30 a.m. on August 30. While the train was travelling at the ordinary speed he felt the brakes suddenly applied, and a terrific bump was felt. The next he remembered was when the enginedriver was looking for injured passengers. Witness was then standing in the'carriage which had been telescoped. His father had been' sitting next to him prior to the accident. Witness did not know where his father had been found, but saw the engine-driver and some passengers carrying his father to the floor of the telescoped carriage. The carriage in which he and his father were travelling was lying wrecked beside the overturned engine.

DISPATCH TO HOSPITAL. ' About a quarter of an hour later a doctor arrived. His father was then carried to.a shop where a doctor attended to him. An hour or so after an ambulance reached the scene and his father was taken to hospital. He was conscious up to the time of arrival at had enjoyed good health up to the time of the accident. He was eighty years of age and had been a retired carpenter living at Picton To the Coroner: My father spoke on the way down to hospital, frequently 3 °S gl Aickin: You used the word "telescoped." Would it not be more correct to use the term "stripped? 9 W?tness: Yes. The carriage was stripped of the sides and roof. WitnSs added that everything possible was'done for his father. . Maurice Efford Bush, engine-driver in the employ of the New Zealand Government Railways, and son of the deceased, gave evidence of identincato a question by the Cor-oner,-witness said that he had driven trains over the „.ene A ms'UP thousands of times and. he had never noticea:the slightest tendency of the hillside to slip there, in the past. , THE DRIVER'S EVIDENCE.

George Albert Wilsher, first-class driver employed by the New Zealand Government Railways, stationed at Taihape, said that for the past 12 to 14-' years he had been constantly driving express trains.' Drivers were tested periodically for sight. He had good hearing and suffered from no physical disability. . •'•,»_,. . At 2.6 a.m. on August 30 he left Taihape driving train No. 227, AucklandWellington, express,- the engine, .weighing 136 tons, being in proper working order at that time. Before leaving Taihape the brakes were tested and found "to be properly efficient. Time was maintained throughout the trip and. before leaving Palmerston North the brakes were again tested and found to be in order. •

At the time of passing through Paraparaumu at about 6.25 a.m. visibility was bad owing to driving wind and rain. Although daylight had broken the sky was overcast and weather conditions were as bad as they possibly could be. He was keeping a sharp look-out when passing along -.the straight stretch of line immediately south of the station. When rounding the bend a few chains on the south side of Paraparaumu he saw, approximately a train-length away, a large slip across the line. Witness stated, that at that time he would be driving at the usual speed of approximately 45 miles per hour. '

. Immediately he saw the slip he shut off steam and applied the emergency brake.' The distance was too short in which to stop the train, with the result that the engine and four or five cars ran into the slip, hitting it heavily. The engine became derailed and was thrown;over, on the right-hand side of the line, and fell down a small embankment The front car of the train ran past the engine and in doing so caught the end of the tender, completely , wrecking the car. No parts of the engine upon derailment became dangerous either by reason of escaping steam or broken parts, and ; he and the fireman Cooke scrambled out, regaining the main line near the wrecked leading car. FIRST AID RENDERED. •He noticed an elderly man bein,g assisted from'the car wreckage and! having- a first aid certificate, he rendered assistance to the man, both of whose legs were broken. There were some other passengers • who were suffering from shock and injury. No departure, said the witness, was made >on this occasion, from the usual vigilance when driving the train. Had the;slip occurred on a straight piece of-road it could have been avoided because of the look-out he was keeping. As. it had happened on a bend, it was impossible to stop the train before it struck the slip.

Witness said that he did not see a man running over the paddocks in an endeavour to stop the train. Had the man.been on the railway witness said that.he could have seen him as the whole of this attention was centred on the. line.

The railway line had not been interfered with by anybody and the slip had caused the accident. The slip had been brought down by the heavy rain. The electric headlight of the engine was in operation at the time; visibility and weather'conditions were exceedingly bad.

The Coroner: How far away was the Blip: when you first saw it? Witness: A train length away. On

this train there were 11 carriages, including the engine. The distance would be between 400 and 500 feet. The Coroner: This would not normally be supposed to be a dangerous part of the line. Witness: No. I know it well, having passed it innumerable times during the past 25 years. It is not a place where a slip would be expected. The Coroner: I know it well also. The hill is certainly not very steep. Mr. Aickin: What time did you go on duty? Witness: 1.10 a.m., at Taihape. Mr. Aickin: And you had had ten hours' rest before? Witness: Yes. The Coroner: And, of course, you had no liquor? Witness (with a smile): No, definitely. One could not obtain liquor at that hour on Sunday morning. Mr. Aickin: And there is a fine for taking liquor on board? Witness: Yes.

Mr. Aickin: What prevented your seeing the slip further back up the line?

Witness: Two factors, the first being that it occurred on a part of the line below the level of visibility . when leaving Paraparaumu station, and the second, it ccurred on a bend that prevented the slip being seen in any case until one was practically upon it. Mr. Aickin: After the accident you found that both the brakes had been applied? Witness: Yes,- both the special air brake on the engine, acting independently of the train, and the automatic brake on the train were found to be on after the accident. I applied the sand on the line also. Mr. Aickin: If sand was found on the line 200 feet back from the point of impact, that would indicate that sand had been applied practically at the same time as the brakes.

Witness: Yes. WEIGHT OF THE TRAIN.

Mr. Gilbertson: What would the total weight of the train be? Witness: Four hundred and thirtyfour tons.

Mr. Gilbertson: In what distance should the train be able to stop at 45 miles per hour? Witness: Comfortably, in twice its own length. Mr. Gilbertson: Would the line be more slippery at the time of the accident?

Witness: Yes. That was why I sanded the line immediately. Mr. Gilbertson: Why did you examine the brakes so frequently on the way down? . ~ , ~ Witness: It is the usual practice. Every time the engine is taken off the train, the brakes are tested. This rule is imposed by regulation. Dr. J. D. Willis, tfouse surgeon, Wellington Public Hospital, gave evidence that the death of Mr. Bush was caused by hypostatic pneumonia and heart failure, associated with shock result ing from, an accident. The inquest was adjourned until October 9.