RAILWAY FATALITY

Evening Star, Issue 23500, 14 February 1940, Page 7

RAILWAY FATALITY

STRUCK BY ENGINE WATERSIDE WORKER'S DEATH The inquest was concluded to-day concerning the death of William Patrick Dolan, a waterside worker, aged 50 years, who was knocked down by an engine on January 30 and received fatal injuries. Mr J. R. Bartholomew, S.M., sat as coroner, and Sergeant Sugrue represented the police, Mr Chapman appearing on behalf of the Railway Department. Albert John Watling, an engine driver, employed by the Railways Department at Dunedin, said he was the driver of the engine of a goods train, leaving Dunedin at 10.45 p.m. on January 30. When at Logan Point he noticed a man walking towards Dunedin between the rails on the down track, the line opposite to that which witness was on. Witness sounded the whistle. The man appeared to become bewildered or dazzled by the engine headlight and ran across to the uproad directly across the front of the engine, which was fitted with a powerful electric headlight. It was raining and there was a fairly strong southerly blowing. When witness first noticed the man he had his head down into the wind and was two or three engine lengths away. As soon as witness saw the man go to cross in front of the engine he knew that he would have no chance of getting clear. Witness jammed on the Westinghouse brake and thought the deceased was thrown clear by the cowcatcher at the front of the engine. The train pulled up in 16 wagon lengths. When witness first noticed the man the train was travelling at between 20 and 25 miles an hour. Had the man stopped on the down track along which he was walking he would have been all right. He_ appeared to be suffering from head injuries and was suffering very great pain. David Townley, fireman, said he did not seo nnyone on the track_ from his side of the engine. The driver blew the whistle and applied the emergency brake. The driver informed witness that a man had been knocked over. The train was travelling approximately 25 miles an hour when the brakes were applied. James Thomson, a waterside worker, said that on January 30 ho was working at the Raveusbourne wharf unloading phosphate from the s.s. Storviken, and finished about 10 p.m. Deceased was also employed in assisting to unload the ship. Witness was about the last man to leave the ship, and when he was walking along the wharf to meet the bus ho saw a man walking down to a convenience under the wharf. Witness thought at the time that this man would have to hurry or he would miss the bus, ami this he apparently did. In his opinion the man was the deceased. The Coroner said that the evidence showed that the deceased was walking along the railway track, where he had no right to be, and on the approach of the engine he became confused or rattled and was knocked down by the engine. It was obvious that no blame was attachable to the railway staff. A verdict was returned that death was due to injuries caused by the deceased being accidentally knocked down by a railway engine on January 30.