FATAL RAILWAY ACCIDENT

Evening Star, Issue 15139, 22 March 1913, Page 12

FATAL RAILWAY ACCIDENT

AT MOSGIEL JUNCTION. A DANGEROUS CROSSING. A fatal accident occurred at Mosaic! Junction on Thursday evening, the train which left Druiedin at 5.15 p.m. running down a horse and trap at the crossing where the trains enter the station, with the Tesnlt that Robert Adair, 31 years of age, residing at 6 Osborne street, South Dunedin, the driver of the vehicle, received injuries front which he died almost immediately, while three children—Edith Dorothy, and Violet Trevethans, aged 9, 7, and 4 years respectively, also occupants of the trap, daughters of Mr and Mrs Trevethans, Gordon road, Mosgiel—received injuries which necessitated their removal to the Dunedin Hospital. The facts of the. accident appear to beperfectly p'ain. Adair was driving from Saddle Hdl to Mosgiel, and approached the crossing at a fast trot, apparently unconscious of the approaching train'until it was within a few yards of him, and then, presumably, acting on first impmsc, he attempted to swerve round and go back, but before he could complete this movement the collision occurred. Had the driver gone on lie would undoubtedly have cleared the crossing in safety. Passers-by rendered assistance expeditiously. The three children were conveyed to Dr Allen's residence, where they were attended by Dr M'Caw, and later on sent in to the Dunedin Hospital. Adair was picked up in an unconscious condition and carried into Mrs Trevethan's house nearby and lingered for a little under an hour. At Mosgiel yesterday morning the district coroner (Mr C. C Graham) conducted an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death. 'The inquiry brought to light the fact that, although the crossing has been singularly free from accident, it is nevertheless a dangerous one, a shop at the coiner of the road obscuring the approach from Saddle Hill from view. James Graham Adair, patternmaker, lesiding at 22 Regent street. South. Dunedin, said he was father of the deceased, who was an engineer. Witness knew nothing of the facts of the accident.

In reply to Senior Sergeant King, witness said that deceased had been accustomed to drive horses. Louis William' Saehtler, locomotive engine driver on the ' Government Railway;-, deposed that he was driver of the train when the accident occurred. The train—a passenger one—left Duneditt at 5.15 p.m. On approaching the crossing the fireman sang out "Pull tip!" Witness applied the brakes. After being struck j (lie horse and trap "came over" to his > s.ide of the engine. j Senior Sergeant King: That was the : first you saw of the trap. j Witness : Yes. ' Had yon whistled when .you appioached ' the eiossing?—Yes. ' Witness, continuing, said that he pulled I tip in half a- train's length. He whistled ; both at the distance signal and at the j crossing. j Senior Sergeant King : What distance; would yon be from the. crossing? i Witness : About 30 raids. | Is this the first accident yon know of at the crossing?—l believe there was one previously. At what distance have you a view of j the Saddle Hill road?— Coming from the north we have no sight at all until we are right at it. There is .a good distance from the corner of the shop to the line?— There is just the width of the road. flow long have you beer, driving on the line ?—Twelve years. Mr Adair : At what speed did you approach the crossing? j Witness : About 15 or 20 miles an hour, i And what speed does the express ap- i proach it ? j Another witness : Forty-five miles an | hour is the maximum, but there is a re- j structiou on the line. ! I understand there is a crossing-keeper ■ when the express goes through, and none j for the ordinary train.—l believe that is so. Mr Adair said he had asked these I questions to show that although the autho- j rities did not have a crossing-keeper for ordinary trains they had one for the ex- j press train, so that they evidently re-! cognised the crossing was dangerous. | Robert Inglis, locomotive fireman o:; the Government Railways, said he war on the engine driven by the bust witness. As the train was approaching the crossing ; he saw the trap coming on to the line. ! It got on to the line as witness sang oiu a warning to the engine driver, at the , same time aplying his brake, while the j driver applied the emergency brake, but ; too late to stop before the engine struck ! the trap. The driver of the trap did not I appear to be looking when he got to the crossing, and then when he saw the train ; he attempted to swerve and go back. Had j he not done that he would have got over. '■ Station-sergeant King : Do you consider ' it a dangerous crossing?— j Witness : Yes. 1 do. ! For what reason ?—There is a very poor view, and only a short distance from the shop to the crossing. Did the brakes act properly.—Yes, very smartly, vls there any particular speed for cross- '' ing the road ?—There is a restriction of 25 miles an hour. The Coroner : And what speed were you L going ? —Aibout 15 or 20 miles.

Joseph Benjamin Snell, storekeeper, residing at Mosgiel, said, he was coming from the station and was abont IJ, chains from the crossing when he noticed a trap coming down tho road at a pretty good speed. That was what made him take notice of it. As he got to the crossing witness saw the engine coming at the trap. The trap was still going about the same speed, with the driver looking towards the station. A yard or two from the line he attempted to pnll up, having evidently recognised his danger. When on the' line the horse apparently swerved round to the south. The engine seemed to quiver and slacken off, and then struck the trap with a sonnd like an explosion. If the driver of the trap had not attempted to pull up he would have got clear. As the engine pased witness a child was lying on the footplate. Mi-Adair : Do you think there was anything likely to attract his attention towards the yards ? Witness : I did not notice. Mr Adair said he had been told that there was an engine shunting in the yards, and this probably attracted deceased's attention from the approaching train. The Coroner : That is vctv probable. A man crossing the road would very likely look towards the station. This witness also said that it was a. bad crossing and very dangerous. Dr Alexander Todd M'Cnw deposed as to the injuries sustained bv deceased. These would be fatal. The Coroner said the evidence was perfectly plain. The deceased himself was partly to blame for driving at such a fast pace at a crossing which, as stated by witnesses, was a dangerous crossing. At all railway crossing which were dangerous precautions had been taken by erecting notice boards. There was no ' blame attachable to the driver or fireman. They had acted promptly. He would return a. verdict that death was due to injuries received by being accidentaly run down by a train. The coroner added that as it had been pointed out that the crossing was a dangerous one, he would call the altentiou of the railway authorities to the fact. It was evidently recognised ns dangerous. ;is a crossing-keeper was posted there for the express. Inquiry this morning olici.t-vl the information tht the two young-rr children are. doing very well .and that though Edith had not recovered consciousness her condition was improved.