FATAL RAILWAY ACCIDENT

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 9238, 28 June 1893, Page 5

FATAL RAILWAY ACCIDENT

[ A WOMAN KILLED AT OTAHUHU. I Another horrible death, resulting from a railway accident, occurred at the Otahuhu Railway Station yesterday morning, the victim again being an elderly 'woman, Mrs. jno. Smith, of Mangere, aged seventy yours of aire, who was well known »nd respected. The circumstances, bo far as can be gathered, are aa follows:— When the morning train from I Mercer was approaching the Otahuhu Rail. 1 way Station shortly after nine o'clock yesterday morning, the stationmaeter And a Mr. White noticed a woman attempting to crocs the line to the station, and these gentlemen, with others who were standing on the platform, shouted to her to go back, warning her of her danger, but she kept on her way, either not heeding or nob hearing the warning shouts, and the train coming on to the station scarcely seemed to attract her attention ; but suddenly the unfortunate woman was struck by the cow-catcher and hurled against the platform, from winch she rebounded under the wheels, a number of carriages passing over her before the train was brought to a standstill. When extricated it was found that the body was fearfully mutilated, death apparently boing> instantaneous. Mr. Hudson, traffic manage* of the An, aland Railways, was oh the train at the time of the accident, and he at once sent for Dr. Bewes, of Otahuhu, who, of course, on arrival could only pronounce life to be extinct, and the mutilation v«s so great that it was some time before the remains were identified. An inquest was held in the evening, before Mr. S. Luke, J.P., scting-coroner »nd a jury, of whom Mr. John Todd was chosen foreman. The witnesses who gave evidence wore Messrs. Bold, F. Andrews, Alexander Duncan, Thomas Underwood (the engine driver), William Smith (fire2E»° y V» E,J r " rd G "«o (•tatloomaater), and Dr. Bewes. The statement of the engine - driver, T. U..c'erwood, showed that he made every effort to pre- I vent her crossing the Ine. as also did I the station master, rtfter hearing' the evi- I deuce, the jury returned a verdict that the I deceased was accidentally killed, and that I < no blame was attributable to any person in/ connection with the accident. They aide/ a a rider calling the attention of the r*ilw.tv i authorities to the fact that in the o/nionof the jury the railway-statiin was rotated at the wrong side of the line, a/persons d grtting into or out of thi train a/Otahuhu ( have to cross the railway 7 >| THE DREADFUL /CCId/nT AT J, OTAHUIU. f i TO TUB KJITOR.' SHl,—When the Otafshii railway station was built it was placei on that aide of the line next Otahuhu, butafter some years it was removed to the othe side ot the line, so „ that intending passengers had to cross the " line to get to the statio*. Why this altera- * tion took place no one ieems to know, and *' the only luely reason I e/er heard was that ? the owner of the proper* where th • station - N now stands had cut hit property up into * villa sites and the removal of the station o to that side would assist the sal« of them, p tor years past passengers have had to tread f ( over rough scoria to reach the station, and \ often, when there is a long train, and they t, happen to be late, climb as best they can on i to the train. Of course they luve grumbled l ami complained, but as it has ben impossible e to again get the station removdi, most of the ! passengers travel by Andrev's 'buses, and a only those who cannot help i'travel by train, t' I have no doubt but that Mrs. Smith has ii Bartered before through nit getting to the a Station before the arrival of the train, and « her determination to get ,n before the train « to day led to her poor bofy being mangled as „ it was. It can hardly beexpecterl that even t this sad accident will npve the powers that ,' be to have the station returned to its old J* !«-. we must have a fet M.P.'s and a judge b or two killed before thU can be done. Yet, •', injustice to the Rai'way Commissioners I l ' must state they were lot responsible for the n removal of the station : some one called the d Minister ot Roil way sis the responsible party. I -I am, etc., S. CocUKAsa Macky. v