RATANA INQUIRY

Horowhenua Chronicle, 4 May 1938, Page 7

RATANA INQUIRY

EVIDENCE OIF GUARD.

BRAKES APPLIED BEFORE CURVE WAS REACHED

(By Telegraph—Press Association). WELLINGTON, Last Night, Giving evidence to-day before the Board of Inquiry set-up to investigate the cause of the Eatana railway disaster on March 26, the guard of the train, Mr. T. H. White, said the speed was not excessive. The train reached about 40 miles, an hour on the Eatana flat, but the driver made the ordinary application of the Westinghouse brakes and reduced to about 25 miles an hour before the curve. In the opinion of witness the locomotive left the rails at a speed of from 20 to 25 miles an hour.

Mr. F. C. Aiekin, railway law officer, Intimated in the morning that it had been definitely established that tho third man seen on the footplate at Palmerston North was a youth who had handed the driver a train advice. Mr. Aiekin said, before the adjournment late this afternoon, that he thought the identity of the man known as ‘ ‘ Mac ’ ’ might also be established. A man referred to as “Ted” by a witness had been located and was now in WhangaJiei. It was thought this might be “Mac,” but the opinion had not been confirmed. The man called ‘ ‘ Ted ’ ’ had made a statement to the police and wquld be called to give evidence. The inquiry will be resumed at 2,15 p.m. [tomorrow, when the evidence of three or four passenger witnesses will bo heard. Mr. G, G. G. Watson, counsel, for the driver, said he had not heard how Mr. Pereival was progressing in hospital. Mr. Watson intimated that counsel engaged on the inquiry had a number ot other engagements this month. The chairman, Sir -Francis Frazer, said that, when the present portion- of tne inquiiy was completed, it might have to be adjourned until sometime in June,,

Frederick Harry Taylor, an apprentice at the railway workshops at the Hutt, and a passenger by the train, said he knew that a witness yesterday said, in effect, that he. (Taylor) said a railway cadet travelled on the engine from Wellington. Witness said that ho was- with some other apprentices on the station at Wellington and before the train’s departure ho saw a young man on the engine’s footplate talking to the driver. Witness went to his carriage. He did not know the youth was a cadet. He presumed ho would have an opportunity of leaving the engine before the train started. Witness dozed, on and off, on the journey to Palmerston North, and Was asleep when the train arrived there. He awoke, however, and waikeu to the engine. Witness’ seat was in the first carriage) and he stood about 25 yards away. There were three persons in the cab—the driver, the fiieinan and a* man who appeared like a person who worked about the track. If the third person had grey pants on lie would have noticed it. Mr. Aickin announced at this point that he had ascertained from the Palmerston North station that a lad with grey pants and brown coat had delivered a train advice to the driver at the station. It was necessary for him to wait some time in the cab until th«j driver cleaned his hands. He submitted that this disposed of yesterday’s evidence. To further questions witness said the third person in the cab at Palmerston North looked like a train examiner, but witness did not get a good view of him. Witness denied making /any statement that there was a railway cadet in the 43ab who travelled from Wellington. What he said was that he thought there was a junior stoker or cleaner out of the running shed.. To Sir Francis Frazer witness said that at the time of the accident he •didn’t know it was a breach of the regulations for a third person-to be in the cab.

The train guard, Thomas Henry White, giving evidence, said that after the train examiner at Palmerston North told him the train was right, ■witness went up to the engine. The fireman was on top to assist with the taking of water. The driver came out of the cab and said* that a man from T'ordcll had asked him to stop there, and the driver asked witness whether lie should. Witness, “No. Go right on to Aramoho. We have no authority to stop.” Witness went into the first carriage and cheeked the tickets and, by the time he finished, the train was past iTurakina. He had also to count the

passengers; He added that he did not think of the possible cause of the accident until the more seriously injured pasengers had _ received attention. Coming down, the straight before entering - the curve the train was doing a fair speed. There was the ordinary application of brakes, before the curve. , The speed increased from the top of the Turakina grade. In the opinion of witness the driver '* took hold of the train near the cutting in order to enable him to proceed rbuhd-the curve at the prope" speed. * He estimated that when the engine left the road the train was doing 20 to 25 miles an hour. Over the Eatana flat/ . before the application of the brakes, the speed was about 40 miles an hour. • Witness added that he often rode on the Limited and was accustomed to high speed. .Fifty miles an hour on a * straight good track was a comfortable speed. The application, of the brakes was fully transmitted right through „ to the van. When the brakes were

applied he was in the van making out a running He continued writing and felt the brakes released. He had no experience of a jolt until the crash came.

“She seemed to leave the rails immediately he let the brakes go,’’ said witness. “There wa sonc bump before she stopped. lam satisfied the brakes were not on at that time. I did not hear the crash.”

Witness added that in his opinion the whistle was not sounded. He heard a peculiar sound as if steam pipes had burst, and thought this could have been mistaken for a whistle by the passengers. He lost no time in leaving the van and half way out looked at his watch. The time was 2.18 and this was entered in his book. He wa.i not above making an error under such a predicament. but the reading of his watch was 2.18.

Questioned about an alteration to the figures hi his book, witness said he was quite sure that after looking at his watch three figures wore entered.- The figure “8” was probably faint, and ho may have gone over it again. A mistake in the time could have been possible. To reach the scene of the derailment by 2.18 seemed slow running.

To Mr. Aicldn: If the train control officer in Wanganui was called at 2.2 d a.m., and if Hare and other witness did siot leave the scene of the accident, until 10 minutes after it had occurred and took; a further three minutes to reach* the telephone and open it, the time of the accident could be fixed at 2.12 a.m. He did not see any fog when he left the van. While at Marton he was close enough to the locomotive to see if a third man had been in the cab. He did not detect any smell of liquor on the driver, who was perfectly sober. Cross-examined by Mr. Watson, witness said he had not seen or spoken to the driver of the train since the accident.

Mr. Watson: You have said you may possibly have made a mistake in your book? —Yes.

You checked your watch in Wanganui subsequently and it was a minute slow? —It was a minute out one way or another.

There was no possibility of anybody getting in the cab at Marton without you seeing them unless they jumped up on the blind side. —Yes. Did you hear any- statement after the accident about a • tliird man on the engine?—l did not hear any such statement. I saw no. sign of a man in dungarees with no boot on. Did you have any difficulty in writing in the guard’s van just before the accident? —No; I would have had difficulty if the train had been (ravelling exceedingly fast.

Was the application of the brake effective in bringing the speed down to 25 miles an hour! —Yes. You never applied the emergency air brake or hand brake? —No. Witness added that when he went back to telephone some time after the b/Cci’d'OjM l . he noticed fog south of the This fog was of varying intensity.-; . , To\ Mr.' Aitkin: On a . good track, a train could do-50 miles an hour without the carriages swaying.