FATAL RAILWAY ACCIDENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIV, Issue 7904, 24 March 1887, Page 6

FATAL RAILWAY ACCIDENT.

AN inquest was held before Dr. Philson, yesterday afternoon at the Hospital, on the body of Thomas Usher, who was run over by tho train at Papakura on Tuesday evening. Mr. Theo. CoopeV appeared to watch the proceedings on behalf of the Government. Charles Whisker was chosen foreman of the jury, and after viewing the body, the following evidence was taken:— .... . Charles Beamish, railway guard, living at Ponsonby, deposed that on Tuesday evening, about twenty-five minutes past eight, he was coming into Papakura with the last train from the Waikato. Deceased was a secondclass passenger, and had come on at Pukekohe. To all appearance he was perfeotly sober, and was by himself. When going into Papakura station, deceased stepped on to the platform while tho train was still in motion. He had hold of the verandah of the oarnago with the left hand and had parcels in his right. He.appeared to have swung ha round, and then lost his balance, and fell between the platform and the carriage with his legs across the rails. The wheels nearest to the platform crushed his legs, but did not pass completely over them as the train stopped at that moment. Witness was about ten yards from deceased at the time, and had a clear view of the whole accident. The man was jammed, and could not be rescued until the carriage was uncoupled and moved back. When this was done deceased was got out as soon as possible. With the assistance of the passengers his legs were tied up to stop the flow of blood, and he was placed in the guard's van. Two passengers attended deceased on the way down to Auckland, which was reached about 9.50 p.m. Witness spoke to deceased, but he seemed quite delirious, and kept shouting out. He did not blame anyone, but said that tho train went on again after it had stopped. Witness however denied that this had happened. He telegraphed down to Newmarket for a dootor, and Dr. Mackellar joined the train there, and at once attended to deceased. On arriving at Auckland he was at once removed to the Hospital on a stretcher. Witness was. of opinion that the acI cident was caused by deceased attempting to leave the train while it was in motion. Thiß was against the railway bylaws, which provide for tho infliction of a penalty of £10 for such offence. It was & very common thing for people to do, and it was almost impossible to stop them. To the Foreman : He had tried to get medical aid at Papakura, but there was no doctor resident there. To Mr. Cooper : Deceased resided at Papakura, hut witness could not say whether he was a frequent traveller. The by-laws were posted up at all the stations in large type. There had been very frequent prosecutions for leaving the train while in motion. More than a dozen this year. The nearest medical man lived at Pukekohe, which was nine miles south of Papakura. It would have taken longer to get the Pukekohe dootor than to take deceased to town. Dr. E. D. Mackellar deposed to attending deceased at Newmarket about nine o'clock p.m. He was lying on the floor of the van, supported by cushions, and was quite sensible, and able to answer clearly. He was rather cold and weak, and complained of much pain. There was some blood on the floor of the van, and on the cushions, and clothes, amounting to some ounces. There were no signs of excessive hemorrhage about the carriage, and he seemed to be suffering more from shock than anything else. The bleeding had been very efficiently prevented by straps and bandages. Witness cut off the trousers and socks, and naw that he had received a large lacerated wound on the right leg, coupled with a severe compound comminuted fracture of the same leg. There was also a compound fracture of the left leg,, with considerable protrusion of the bone below the knee. There was no suitable conveyance at Newmarket, so he had deceased taken on to Auckland and conveyed to the Hospital on a stretcher. He was taken into the operating theatre of the Hospital, and after a consultation it was decided to amputate both legs. To Mr. Cooper: He approved of the guard's action in bringing deceased into Auckland instead of waiting for the doctor from Pukekohe. More than usual care had been given to him on the way down, and the passenger who attended to him seemed to know what to do. Witness said that deceased suffered most severely on his way to the Hospital, as he was conveyed in a common express instead of an ambulance. He thought there should be some notice posted up at large works and stations stating where the ambulance was procurable. Dr. D. W. Balfour Wilkie, M.8., M.K.C.S.E., House Surgeon at the Hospital, deposed to assisting at the operation, which was done under ether at midnight. Drs. Haines and Lawry operated simultaneously. The patient was suffering from Bevere shock on admission, and he never rallied. He bad apparently lost a considerable amount of blood before his admission, but he lost none during the operation. Afterwards he gradually sank and died at three o'clock in the morning, death resulting from shock. Gerald Flynn, engine-driver on the Waikato railway, had known deceased for nearly nine years. He was formerly a cook, and latterly had been keeping a hotel at Papakura. He was about 60 years of age, and had left a wife and family. He had served as sergeant in the 65th regiment. Witness corroborated the guard's account of the accident. Constable Collis, stationed at Newmarket, deposed to seeing deceased in the express at the Hospital, and asking him how he got hurt. He said he was standing on the platform of the train at Papakura station, when it gave a sudden jerk, which pitched him off. He blamed none but himself for the accident, and said he wished he had died on the spot instead of suffering such pain. The jury returned the following verdict: —" That the deceased met his death by attempting to alight from the train while in motion, and the evidence does not disclose any carelessness on the part of anyone."