CABLE CAR FATALITY

Evening Star, Issue 18667, 23 June 1924, Page 8

CABLE CAR FATALITY

SOMOLESOV'S SAD FATE

INQUEST FURTHER ADJOURNED

WITNESSES’ ACCOUNTS VARY,

The inquest on the body of Victor Herbert Kelly, aged five years and four months, who was killed tlrrongh being knocked down by the Momington cable car on Monday afternoon of last week, was resumed this morning. At the, opening of the inquiry last week evidence of°identiftcation and medical evidence was given. 'Die inquiry was held before Mr J. R. Bartholomew, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court. Mr H. K Barrowclough represented the City Corporation, Mr John Wilkinson appeared on behalf of the. father of the deceased, and Sub-inspector Fraser conducted proceedings for the police. The Coroner stated that it would he as ’-veil to take. the. evidence of the gripman after the other evidence had been heard. PRECAUTIONS AT SCHOOL. Edith Mary Homan, assistant at the High Street, School, said deceased attended school on the day of the accident, and left for home after the bell rang at 2.20 p.m. Deceased was a,n intelligent child, and appeared f.n be in good health. To Mr Wilkinson ; Some of the. children went, home towards town. She had never noticed dcooaccd lingering about after being let out. There were from thirty-eight to forty children in the class to which deceased belonged. ' James Waddell Smith, head master oi the High Street School, said special lessons were given at the beginning of each year with regard to the conduct of pupils going to and corning from school, and the rule with regard to street traffic was specially emphasised. The children were told to look up and down High street, before crossing the street, ami to keep on the pavement, and not to play on the road. They were warned not to run alongside the car or to jump on the hack of the car or trailer." In addition, the traffic at the school was controlled by witness and leachcrs practically at, all inlevvals. Pupil teachers were instructed to keep a watch on the children with reference to the traffic in .High street. Special lessons regarding the, traffic wc.ro .given after the form examination rind on occasions when infrine/nents had been reported to him. The, class to which (be deceased Won god had been warned by (ho infant, mistress a few weeks before the accident. To the Sub-inspector: There was some work on the right side of High street, going down, which witness thought might h.v.-e’ taken the boy across the. road. His way homo need not havo taken him across the road. To Mr Barrowclough : Ho did not remember ever having received communications from the corporation on the subject. Sometimes it happened that a pupil teacher went down High si reef, at the time the infants went down, but none went down on the day of the accident. YOUTHFUL EYE-WITNESS.

William Henry. Smart, eleven years of age, and attending the High Street School, said that at 2,20 p.m. on the day of the accident, the pupils were allowed out for ten minutes’ play. A lady came, along and asked witness to post a .letter. He walked over to the opposite, side and down High street in the direction of William street, where there was a. letter box. A small boy was walking 'down High street on the footpath between William street and Alva street The hoy started to run, and went on to the mad near William street, and another small bov talked to the first one. The car was then on the brow of the hill. The two boys talked for about two minutes. ami then, the first ono went to cross the road. When Jie left the, other boy he was facing down hill, and did not see the car. Ho turned round and the front of the car struck him. He, fell down, Ids head being ca ught between Iho step and the ground. Witness posted the letter and the school bell then rang. When witnews started to go up the hill the. car was about the middle of the flat piece, and the last he saw of the ear was whefi it was stooped at. the end of the flat. To tbo Coroner: Afler leaving the other hoy deceased went only a yard before he was struck. To Air Wilkinson ; Tie boys stood talking for two minutes. He did not hear the ear bell ring at all. The other boy went down the lull. He did not think there were any passengers seated on the outside of the car.

To Mr Barrowclongh ; He did not notice any other cans about. Deceased ran slowly, and did not look round first. ’ PASSENGERS’ EVIDENCE.

Isabella- Mary Wallace, who was a, passenger on the ear, said she was sitting in the centre of the outside sent on the- righthand side going down. A little boy was miming on the footpath on that side. He darted off the path In cross (he road Witness got a start when he. did it. because the. car was so close. Witness then lost sight of the boy, who must have got just in front of the car and no more. Shi felt a hump, and then she heard someone call on!-, and the car was pulled up. The car was (ravelling at, about tile ordinary .speed. The wind shield was up on the right side of (he car.

To Ihe Coroner: ft was a, cold day, but there was no rain. To Mr Wilkinson : There were four other ladies on the outside seat. To the Coroner: The hoy ran out at a slight angle. To Mr Wilkinson: There was a. bump, but not such a bump as would lead one to think the boy was under the ear. To the Coroner: fihe did not levy the bov scream.

Oswald Fossitt Holland, another passenger Siv the car, said he was standing on the step on the right side at the rear of the car. Near 'William street deceased ran over towards the car and with the car and then in front of it. Witness then lost

sight of him. He did not feel a. bump. Looking back, he saw a bag and a slate lying on the road. Near Maitland street witness looked back and saw part of the bov’s skull. The car then stopped. Tigbody came out before the, car stopped. Witness did not think the gripma-n could have seen the boy. as he was so small and Hi err was a wind-screen up. Witness had a clear view of the boy until ho got in front of the car. He supposed the gripman had as good a view as he had. To Mr Wilkinson : The hoy ran slowly towards Hie ear.

To the Coroner : He should think the l>ov saw the car. He did not hear any erv from the child. To Mr Rarrowclnugh : The hoy must have run faster than the ear to get in fiont of it. Ho did not feel a bump which would lead one to believe the boy was under the oar. It felt as if the car was travelling on gravel. He did not swg trust that the wind-screen blocked the gripman’s view.

Robert John Cameron, plumber, also a passenger by the car, said he was standing at the rear on the'' left-hand side. Just*at William street he thought the ropa had stooped, and expected the car to pull up. The ear did not stop, and the gripman was looking straight ahead. From where he was, witness looked back ami saw a red patch on the right-hand side of the line. Tie thought a dog might have been run over in the morning. At the intersection of Maitland street witness saw something come out from under the car, and saw it was the body of a, child. Tie’called out to the gripman, who turned round and applied the brakes. He did not notice the gripman talking while the car was coming down. It was a full car. CONDUCTOR SEES NOTHING.

Alfred James M'Dermid, the conductor of tho car. .said there, were from thirty-six to thirty-eight passengers aboard. As the car approached William street he was in the rear cabin collecting faros, and was still there when the car approached Maitland street. Witness heard Cameron call

out to stop, and the car was pulled up. Witness saw nothing of the child before the accident, and felt no unusual bump. To Mr Wilkinson : A gripinan would have a fairly good view coming towards William street.

DRAGGED 154 YARDS

Sergeant, M'Carlhy deposed that he proceeded to a house in High street and saw the body. Witness gave details of what ho found in an examination of tin; track. The body must have been dragged 154yds. Witness had since travelled in the ear and stood immediately behind the grip,man. There was nothing to prevent his having a good view of the lootpaths and road in front of the car, except where it was blocked by the apron of wood in front of the car of a height of 4ft 21 n. The gripman could not see the track directly in [runt of the car for about syds. Deceased was 3ft Bin in height. it took a. car 50scc to travel from William street to Maitland street. On the approach to William street there was a, clear view. GRIP .MAN'S EVIDENCE.

Reginald Arthur Otway, the gripman of the car, said he remembered passing William street. The up car passed at the intersection of William and High .streets. After leaving William street the car seemed u> slow up all of a sudden. He applied the brakes and released the gripper, thinking the rope was coming to a slap. After the car had slopped lie still heard the rope going, and looked back to see if the other car was still going. He took another grip, and proceeded to .Maitland street, •just before ho got to the .Maitland street, stop someone called out from the rear: Stop! A boy has been run over.” He did not look hack at (he moment, but instantly applied the brakes, released the grip per, turned round to have a look, and then jumped out. The conductor and hr proceeded to the body, which was carric to Cook's Private Hospital. He saw llwi the police were telephoned for, and then wont to report the accident to the manager. He had been engaged as a gripman for over twelve months, on the .Mornington line. Witness had a clear view of the road in front and a clear view on either side. He was keeping a sharp look-out when coming down tho hill. He saw some children coining down the Alva, street grade. He had a clear run to Maitland street. He felt a slight bump, but it was nothing unusual. Tire slowing up of (lie car was before the hump. He felt Hie bump afterwards. After the slowing up betook a, heavier grip, and immediately after that felt the bump. The bump was not so alarming as to lead him to think anything unusual had happened. To Air Wilkinson : It was perhaps owing to Ins giving so much attention to the other car that the accident occurred. It was his duty in the interests of the public to watch the other car. He know tlic times tho children came out of school. He, passed children on the footpath, and then gave hie attention to the other car. The wind screen did not obscure his view. EXPERT EVIDENCE.

Robert Leslie Kayo, assistant engineer of the Public Works Department, said he had made a thorough examination of the car which went over deceased. T3io brake test was satisfactory. Witness described tests which lie made of the other gear. It might be possible to have a sort of life saver on the front of the .Mornington car. but there were mechanical difficulties in the way. Another difficulty would bo found with tlie grading of the line. The statement of the sergeant with regard to the, angle of vision wan about right. To Mr Barrowelotigh : At the present time he did not suggest there was anything wrong with the design of the cars. FURTHER ADJOURNMENT. Sub-inspector Fraser intimated that this was all the evidence lie intended to call. The- Coroner said the present position was that the evidence of the three witnesses who gave direct evidence was at variance.. One expected variation in a matter of this kind, where the event happened so quickly, but it would be bettor if ho had further evidence.

The inquest was adjourned till next Monday morning for further evidence to be called.