Inquest.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XL, Issue 7791, 16 March 1904, Page 2

Inquest.

An inqairy into the circumstances surrounding the death, of George Evans, who met with a fatal accident at the Terrace End gravel pit, was held at the hospital yesterday afternoon before Captain Mowlem, coroner ard a jury, comprising G. Jarrett (foreman), J. Bosanowski, P. Carmody, L. Home, A. Mclntosh and J. C. Tregurtha The first witness called was H. C. Smith, stationmaster, who snid deceased was an old railway employee. He was a ganger and had nothing to do with shunting operations. Witness derailed the events after the accident as to taking deceased to town where the injured leg was amputated and deceased's subsequent removal to tho hospital. James S. "Winton, guard, said he was j in charge of the engine and trucks of theballast train which was shunting in the Kravei pit a Terrace End. When the accident happened the full trucks were being "slipped." Deceased and witness were standing on the cowcatcher of the engine between the engine and the full trucks and witness wished to uncouple the engine from the trucks. The tram was moving at about six miles an hour. Deceased volunteered to help witness with the uncoupling, witness having a bad thumb. The operation was carried out safely but as the engine forged ahead, when the heavy weight of the trucks were taken' off the deceased lost his balance and fell between ths rails. The loaded ttu:ks were following the engine. Decsased fell on hi? hands with his head to ths truckG and they were ovex him before ho could recover himself. He appeared to have besn struck by the triple valve of tbe WesUnghouse brake," one of which was broken and another bent, though they are made of cast iron. He was carried fully eight yards and the valves must have thrownjbis leg across the line. Seven of the trucks went over him, witness preventing tbe rest by applying the Westinghouse brake.. When the wug-

gons stopped one of the wheels was on deceased's right foot. Deceased was still in the centru of the rails and hia legs' across them. Deceased was quite conscious and spoke several times. BEo had often assisted witness ia shunting operations and generally was a very willing man. There wag no one in charge of ' the trucks to put on the brakes in case of an accident, witness alone having control of the train. Thero was no other way of carrying out tho 3bunting than tho method adopted. Deceased had been in tho pit for a long time past. Mr Macintire said he received deceased at the Hospital. Dr Campbell was also present. Deceased was suffering from a crushed leg—the left, below the knee—dislocation of the right hip, the right great toe was missing and there were wounds on the head. He was quite conscious, but 'suffering very severely from shock, being almost pulseless. Ether was administered, the dislocation reduced and his leg attended to. His condition was too serious to amputate the leg higher up. Every effort was made to counteract the I shock, but without avail. Deceased j exoired at 7 p.m. Death was due to ] shock consequent upon the accident.The severed leg had heen dressed by Drs Wilson and Martin at the railway station. They also removed the crashed j portion of the leg. Considered deceased j I was in a hopeless state when he arrived j j. at the Hospital. ■. j Nicholas Ir. Kearns, firemen on the ballast engine on Monday gave evidence . generally corroborative of the guaTda' 1 5 statements. He added nothing could j have been done to prevent the accident when once the engine had left the \ trucks. It would haye been impossible B for the engine to bacK up and stop the D trucks. By so doing the waggcas r might have been thrown off the line and the affair made worse. The jury, without retiring, returned t a verdict of accidental death, no blame q being attachable to anyone.