Railway Wreck Inquiry Continued At Blenheim Today

Greymouth Evening Star, 6 April 1948, Page 2

Railway Wreck Inquiry Continued At Blenheim Today

(P.A.) BLENHEIM, This Day. . The board of inquiry into the Seddon railway disaster commenced its Blenheim sittings this morning when evidence was heard from Picton and Blenheim station officials. It is not yet known whether the evidence of the engine driver, Joseph William Gurr, will be taken at Blenheim, but it is thought that it is more likely to be given at Christchurch, where he is now resting at his home after his discharge from hospital. The first witness today, was Robert Armitage Holmes, shift clerk at Picton, who recalled the time the train left Picton. He used the station clock to obtain the time, which he had recorded at 9.50 a.m. This would be correct to within 29 seconds. Question Of Time To Mr H. C. R. Wild (for the engine driver and fireman), witness said the clock would be reasonably accurate. ’He had since learned that the guard of the train had shown time which was two minutes later. The guard would be working from his own watch. Arthur Graham Shadbolt, railway clerk at Picton, gave evidence of having received a crossing order. . To Mr Wild, witness said that a check was made with Blenheim, not for the purpose of’checking the clock but for completing a crossing order He said he gave the crossing order to the driver of No. 104 before it left Picton. Leslie William Dixon, chief clerk, of Blenheim, said that on the day of the accident he was on duty, fiiist as transport clerk and then from 9.45 to 1 p.m. as transport clerk and train control officer. A special telephone system was devoted to train control. It had a loud speaker fitting. He had had occasion to speak with Seddon about 11.30 a.m. He spoke to Mr Bulman, station agent there. He had received the message of the arrival and departure of the train from Seddon and noted 11.25 and 11.28 as the respective times. Witness would not agree that Mr Bulman had given him 11.25 and 11.29. “Heavy Crackling Sound” At 11.32 the microphone recorded an interference. There was a heavy crackling sound, very loud and unusual. He turned down the volume control. The noise lasted about 15 seconds and then went off into a muffled buzz. “I received a call from the guard, Goodson, at 11.45 a.m. from Blind River, at Mr Costello’s residence,” said witness to Mr A. G. Wicks, representing the Cresswell family. Witness said the size of the train affected its running time. The knowlegde of the driver of the route also affected the times, any delays, say in going up Dashwood, would be made up later. If a driver was late, he did not necessarily have to make a report. A driver, having lost time, was not expected to make it up. The average time for the trip from Blenheim to Kaikoura was from 11.40 a.m. to 1.45 p.m. (Proceeding)