NO NEGLIGENCE

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXVI, Issue 236, 18 September 1936, Page 5

NO NEGLIGENCE

Recent Mishap to Main Trunk Express

CORONER’S VERDICT

(By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Sept. 18. “I am satisfied that there was no negligence on the part of the Railway Department, and that no blame attaches to the driver, who did everything possible to stop the train immediately the slip became visible. I congratulate the driver and the fireman on' escaping with their lives. The escape was one of the most extraordinary features of the whole mishap,” said the Coroner, Mr Gilbertson, when adjourning till October 5 tho inquest into the death of Mr Arthur Frederick Bush, aged 80, retired carpenter, of Blenheim.

The medical evidence was that the deceased died from pneumonia and heart failure associated with shock resulting from an accident to the Main Trunk express near Paraparaumu on August 30. ( The Coroner said he was interested to hear the evidence of Mr William Howell, farmer, who attempted to stop the train, but who was indisposed and would not he available until early next month. His evidence, though interesting, would not, however, affect his opinion that neither the department nor the driver of the train had been in any way negligent. Driver Wilcher, in the course oi his evidence, said that visibility was bad owing to driving wind and rain. He saw the slip when round tho bend. It was a train length away, and the train was going at about 45 miles anhour. He immediately shut off the steam and applied the emergency brakes, but the distance was too short in which to stop the train.

No departure was made from the usual vigilance when driving the train. Had the slip occurred in a straight portion of the road it could have been avoided, because of the lookout he was keeping. He did not see a man running across the paddocks in an endeavour to stop the train. Had the man been on the railway he would have seen him, as his whole attention was centred on the line. He was familiar with the line for 25 years, and it was not a place where a slip would be expected.