TRAMWAY SMASH.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVIII, Issue 18304, 14 January 1920, Page 6

TRAMWAY SMASH.

THE WELLINGTON ACCIDENT.

(Pes Press AssociATioar.)

WELLINGTON, January 13.

The inquest regarding the death of the victims of the tramway smash oa January 3 was continued tins morning. Archibald John Hunt, a returned soldier, said he travelled in the rear compartment of the tram r which did stop at the compulsory stopping place just outside Kilbirnie tunnel. Later.,when the car got out of control, he saw Conductor Quayle trying to apply the band brake at the rear, but without effect. Witness, who escaped injury, detailed the finding of the dead and injured. He added that the car did not stop at Austin I3treet, the second compulsory stop, but it seemed to slacken there. In answer to the coroner, witness said he did not hear the conductor ring the bell at any time as the car rushed down hill.

Alfred James French said he saw the conductor trying to put on the brakes after the car passed Austin Street. Personally he had not noticed anything unusual about the speed of the car up to that time.

Roy Stewart Emerson, Ron of SubInspector Emerson, said that he was in Austin Street when the car came down the hill. A woman wanted to get on at the Austin Street stop, but the car went by. The woman pointed to the motorman and cried out. Questioned as to what the conductor was doing, he said that Quayle was standing, with his arms folded, on the rear platform. The car ceemed to increase in speed when opposite Austin Street, and soon after, but before the actual crash, he heard shrieks.

George Frederick Ullmer, a resident of the locality, said he eaw the car come out of the tunnel, and he witnessed practically the whole of the episode. He had an idea that the car did not stop at the tunnel stop, but he would not swear to it. A few seconds after the car came out of the tunnel a black hat fell out. His attention was distracted for a while, and then when the car was near Ellico Avenue ho noticed that it was going at a high speed, and that a child fell or jumped out. He saw nothing of the motorman or of the conductor.

Andrew Cooper, motorman, said he was driving the car which was immedibehind car 105 on the run to the city. Witness 4 stopped at the mouth of the tilnnel while car 105 stopped at the outside. On the way down Pirie Street he saw the conductor of 105 trying to pull tho trolly poll down and aipply the handbrake. The var slackened Austin Street but went" off with a jump just after. It was not usual for the motorman to use the handbrake on an airbrake car. The airbrake was simpler to use than the magnetic brake. He confined most of his attention to his own car. In order to keep his passengers quiet he shut the door of his own car and told the people to keep quiet as everything was all right with him. It was a motorman's duty actually to come to a dead stop at every compulsory stop. He did not suggest that this was done by car 105 at Austin Street.

To Mr O'Shea: Car 105 drifted across Austin Street at about three miles an hour. Ijt pulled up almost at Austin Street. If he had come to almost a stop at a compulsory stop and the conductor rang two bells and there were no passengers in sight he would feel justified in letting his oar drift by instead of coming to a dead stop. Witness was asked by Inspector M'Dveney how he could explain the_ action of car 105 in, according to his own statement, slackening down at Austin Street, when other evidence showed that the motorman was at that time lying down and no one was at the wheel. His reply that the airbrake having presumably been applied at the tun. lie? the car eased off automatically did not satisfy the inspector or the Magistrate. Witness then pointed out that it was possible that deceased Evans, in endeavouring to assist the motorman, knocked off the airbrake, causing the car to bound ahead at a greatly increased pace. Touching this theory the Magistrate pointed out that the testimony of witnesses went to show that up to this stage there was no one on the platform except the motorman and he was lying down.

Recalled by Mr O'Shea the witness A. J. Hunt said that the fact that car 105 stopped immediately on the city side of the tunnel was fixed in his mind because of an argument he and his friends had about a mirror at the entrance to the tunnel. The car stopped there only two or three seconds

Walter Johnson, a little boy residing with his parents at 15. Pine Street, said that he was leaving his house when car 105 was descending the incline from above Austin Street. He saw there was no motorman on the car, and said to Mrs Avery, who was with him, "Lookl Ihere is no motorman on the car." The car was travelling faster than at an ordinary rate. The next thing he saw was a girl jump off it or fall out. The car was going faster then. He saw it turn over at the corner. It did not pull _up at the compulsory stop at Austin Street. Mrs Edith Mary Avery gave similar ovidenco. She first saw the car at Austin Street, when tho boy drew her attention to the absence of the motorman. As the car went past she saw the motorman lying on the front platform. The car was going rather fast, faster than usual. The conductor was on the back platform standing with his arms folded. Witness, to attract the attention of the * conductor, screamea *ut and waved her arms, but the car was making so much noise she did not think he could have heard her. She did not see the conductor apply tho brakes at all during the whole time the car was under observation. To Mr O'Shea: The car seemed to take a sudden jump forward about five doors from Austin Street downward. The inquiry was adjourned till tomorrow.