ONGARUE INQUIRY

Evening Star, Issue 18333, 21 July 1923, Page 3

ONGARUE INQUIRY

THE EVIDENCE CONTINUED.

RELIEF MEASURES,

The inquiry concerning the Ongarue di.sa.stcr was continued at laumaiunui yesterday. , I). K. Dyne, railway official, under cross-examination, said the boulder was at right angles to the front of the engine. ITo had heard no official complaints, nor had he heard of any complaints from the injured. There were plenty of- officials distinguishable to whom complaints could have been made. Ho had overheard a complaint by a clcigyman, but this was unfounded. Ho did uni notice water running down the water (able. Ho had plenty of tools and men at the wreck.

Angus R. Ross, guard at Taumarunui, said he hoard of the accident when lie was going to duty at a. quarter past 6. He received instructions from Mr Dyne to run a train to the slip with_ tools and ambulance equipment. Ho left laumarunui between 6.38 and 6.40 a.in. with the first relief train, which arrived at (lie slip at 7.25. Witness noticed the boulder on the line, and also tiiat- the smokc-hox and lamp were spattered with mud. Ho was in uniform, but no complaints were made to him about the .handling of the dead. None was roughly handled. The dead were sliow-n as much respect as possible in the circumstances. No complaints were- made about insufficient tools. The relief train left for Taumarunui about 8.40. _He suggested i hat the dead and injured should not be. placed on the same train. He did not hear anything about unchecked luggage. Thomas Drury, guard, stationed at Tanmnrunui. said he was informed of the accident at 7 a.m., and was instructed to take the second relief train. Ho gathered all the cushions and other material. Three nurses ■ and one doctor went with fiie second relief train, which arrived at the slip at'B.ls. Witness coupled up the two trains. Preference was given to the injured in conveyance. When thn second relief train arrived all the dead and injured had been removed from the wreck. He did not hear the clergyman making a complaint. John Denahy, storeman at Taumarunui station, deposed that he bad made the arrangements for the transportation of the dead and injured. He got (he cars, stretchers and bedding, and everything was in order by the time the first relief train arrived. With a porter he removed the luggage from the van. All the unclaimed luggage was taken to the office. He called out to the passengers to claim their belongings at the offire. They were instructed not to colled any charges for the luggage. He was in charge of the till 3 o’clock, and no charges wore made that lie knew of. If there had boon any argument about the luggage he would have heard it. Ho was told to lift the luggage off the station platform, as a good deal of it belonged to the injured. He suggested to one passenger that it would be more advisable to store the luggage. > as there, was a chance of pilfering. Witness said he made no reference to making a charge for storing the luggage.

Alexander LairdUdistriot coroner, gave evidence as to opening the inquest and hearing evidence. Witness was at the scene of the accident at 10.30. The cowcatcher was bent hack. He heard no complaints regarding the way tho rescue work was carried out. There, were officials and police present to whom complaints could have been made. Robert Crazier, ganger, in charge of the Tannianinui section, said he procured equipment to 'go with tho first relief train. There were plenty of tools. The row-catcher was bent, and appeared to havo been struck in tho centre by something solid. The. boulder was about onethird the size of that in the Kakahi slip. The latter weighed about ten tons. The Ongarue boulder was 3ft high by sft wide. When ho arrived bn helped to relievo two injured men who were jammed between the seats. He also removed the dead from the debris. They had to take the first of the dead out of the windows, as there was no other way. A medical man helped to shift the dead. Witness heard a certain clergyman remark that the dead should not be removed without a stretcher. There were plenty of tools and men for the work of rescue. The slip was a small one, but full of boulders, otherwise the train would havo gone- through the slip. He heard no complaints as to tho shortage of ambulance appliances. It was not a bad section. There had been rain off and on for sixteen weeks prior to the accident. Alfred W. Kirlon, station master at Tannianinui, gave evidence in regard to having arranged with the. officer in charge fur relief measures. Inquiries were made when a train would he run to lake passengers on to Wellington. r lhc statement that a relief train would leave Tnumarumii for Wellington at 10.20 a.m. was incorrect, and no one had authority to make it. At 1.45 p.m. witness made the announcement that a train would leave at 3.15 p.m. There was a largo amount of left luggage brought to the station, and witness instructed the porters to hand it over to the owners on application without charge. Witness remembered informing tho department when he was station master at Mosgiel that a doctor, who had attended at Gordon road crossing accident, suggested that a supply of dressings, bandages, cotton wool, gauze, lysol and other disinfectants .should bo provided on the trains. Mr Sterling here explained that this suggestion was tho genesis of the provision of ambulance equipment on trains. Walter J. Enticott, Methodist clergyman at Taumarunui, gave evidence that he was a passenger on the wrecked train. Witness and Dr Bathgate took part in the rescue work, and found a shortage of tools at first. That was until the guard came along about ten minutes later with implements. Mr Riddell: I suppose tho time seemed very long. Witness: Yes. It seemed long with nothing but our bands to work with. First, aid appliances were brought forward by the guard. There was no iodine, and no picric acid, but there was lysol. There seemed to bo no splints in that box. Witness considered the dead were treated with every reverence.

James 11. Currie, engine driver, and Charles L. F. Green, fireman, gave evidence as to having driven the 4.17 p.m. train on the day prior to the accident past tho scone of the accident. There was no sign of a slip. Douglas G. Law gave evidence of having received word of tho accident at 5.30 a.in. Witness communicated with Ohaknne.

Robert M. Isaacs, district traffic manager at Ohakune, said ho received word of the accident at 5.30 a.m. Witness considered the arrangements for the running of relief trains from Ohakune the best that could bo made. It. had been the wettest season since the trains were put through the Main Trunk. Phillip G. Russell, chief clerk to the district traffic manager, Ohakune, said that any delay occasioned in the running of relief expresses was in the interests of the passengers. A train was run as soon as advice was received that the line was safe at Piriak,\. William Robert Davidson, district railway department engineer, Ohakuna, said that the Ongarue section was classed as the safest in the district, and nothing to speak of had come down for twenty years. It was pumice country, and gave no indication of an impending slip on account of its hon-adhesive nature. Witness considered it was necessary for him to inspect the line before allowing a relief train to run south. Witness arrived at Taumarunui shortly after 1 p.m. on the clay of the accident. He produced photographs showing that the driver would have a view of the cutting where the accident occurred for about 52yds in daylight, and half that distance at night. To Mr Marchbanks: Witness considered everything humanly possible had been done to minimise the danger of slips coming down.

To Mr Riddell witness said it was a mechanical impossibility for tho boulder to have been carried for two and a-half chains unless it came down in front of the engine. James W. M'Lean, postmaster, produced a weather chart showing that the rainfall for the month prior to the accident was B.9in, which was exceptionally heavy. William Frederick Campbell, fireman of the wrecked train, deposed that immediately before tho collision the power was shut off. (Witness was keeping a good lookout, but ho did not see anything before the crash came. At first there was a sound like metal under the wheels, and then a loud report. Ho thought the smoko-box was being smashed because all the fire shot out into the cab. Witness described his experience after the smash.

To Mr Riddell: He thought the boulder must have come down just as they got to that spot. It did not sound as if it struck the engine anywhere else but in the smokebox.