FATAL TRAMWAY ACCIDENT IN DUNEDIN.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LII, Issue 5826, 28 October 1879, Page 3

FATAL TRAMWAY ACCIDENT IN DUNEDIN.

~ Saturday’s Morning Herald says A fatal tramway accident occurred at about 2 o’clock yesterday afternoon in Cumberland street. A man named Meldrum, a driver in the employ of Messrs Hastie and Co,, was unloading a drayload of cement at the railway carriage factory of Messrs Findlay and Co., when the horse, an entire, i*; is stated, was frightened by the approach of tho compound engine and car Washington. It i olted across the road, the near wheel of the dray coming in contact with the kerbstone with such force as to make » deep indentation in it. The horse then ran along the street in the direction of the city. Before being brought to a standstill, the dray came in contact with a gas-lamp, and snapped it completely in two. Meanwhile Meldrum, on finding the horse start across the road, rushed after it, and when on the tramway linee WW overtaken by the Washington, coming carriage first and engine behind. He wae knocked down, the wheels passing over hie legs, and also mutilating his wrists. Assistance was immediately rendered, and the unfortunate man, after having his boots out from his feet, was taken to the Hospital in a state of unconsciousness. The injured man wae received into that institution about 3 o’clock, and expired from the effects of the injuries he had received about ten minutes past 5. The deceased was a married man, and leaves a widow and three children.

The following is the statement of the engine-driver of the Washington as to the occurrence:—! left the northern end of Castle street at 1.16 p.m. for the Monument. When nearing Findlay’s faotoiy I observed two drays' standing against the footpath waiting to be loaded with barrels of cement. The conductor, Charles Saxby, gave the signal with toe whistle when about forty or fifty yards distant. No one seemed to take any notice of the horses until the tram wae close up to them. One of them took fright and belted across the road. Somebody then rushed out and seized the horse, but he wae knocked down on the line. I saw the man’s danger and immediately reversed the engine? but not in time to prevent the front of the tank catching him. The first wheels of the engine never passed over him. At. the time of the accident I was travelling at the rate of two or two and a half miles per hour. One of the barrels, getting dislodged, got under the cylinder exhaust cook and smashed it.

[A verdict of manslaughter has been returned by the Coroner's jury against Mr Craig, Superintending Engineer of the Tramways.]