COLLEGE HILL TRAMWAY ACCIDENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13396, 26 January 1907, Page 8

COLLEGE HILL TRAMWAY ACCIDENT.

THE INQUEST. EST lONS OF SPEED AND BRAKES. Ax inquest was held yesterday by Mr. T (ii'pshani (City Coroner) on the body of John (iravdou. who died from injuries received in a collision with a tram tar at Freeman's Bay mi Wednesday. Mr. .Martin appeared for tin' iiiotormau. and Mr. I'ullen for the deceased's relative*. Medical evidence was railed oil the question of the deafness ot (he deceased. It was stated by Hi Roberton that he had to speak loud to make the deceased hear, while Dr. Bardie Ned -aid that deceased was hard of hearing through old age, and had a form of deafness in his right ear. Dr. Roberton w.i" of the opinion thai it was possible the deceased'•= deafness might have been caused by the blow he received, bur it was improbable. Death was due to severe shock.

Ada Walsh, who was sitting on a verandah directly in front of where the accident happened. *aid she saw the deceased come from the direction of his home in Spring.street and cross over the tramline, and when a couple of steps from clearing tile down line a tramcar. travelling at a fast speed, -truck him. The car did not seem to slacken -peed from when she first sawit until it struck the old man. She did Hoi see the motorman use the brake, Witness at first, said emphatically that no gong was rung, but being examined by Mr. Martin she qualified the statement by saying .-he did not hear the gong. She knew the deceased was deaf in both ear-.

John McConn-cll. a carter in the employ of the City Council, said lie witnessed the accident. His attention was first attracted h« the ringing of the Irani gong, and locking up he saw an old man crossing the line slowly with his head clownand a tramcar approaching him from the direction of the Three Lamps. The car was- travelling between 14 and 2C miles an hour. The old man was nearly clear of -the line when struck, and another step or so would have taken him out of danger. It was his impression that the motorman first expected that the man would get clear, but subsequently saw that he would not. He could see the motorman apparently working at the brake, but it did not seem to make any impression upon the car. He thought, the car could have been stopped. The speed of the cars down College Hill was excessive and dangerous. When questioned by Mr. Martin'-the willies? said that he could not see whether the emergency or track brake was applied, but he saw the motorman twisting up the ratchet brake. lie did not impute any blame to the motorman.

Frank Hayes, butcher, of Jervois Road, said he was a passenger on the car in question, and was sitting in a front seat. The motorman rang tin- gong violently. When about. 40yds front the man lie saw hint crossing the line, and the motorman then applied the emergency, having previously used the ratchet brake and sounded the gong. The ratchet brake did not steady the car, which was going at about. 14 miles an hour, which speed he considered dangerous, The application of the emergency brake did not seem to stop the car, which slid along. In answer to -Mr. Martin witness said that assuming the track brake was on, the motorman did all re could, although he thought that, if more caution had been used by the motorman at first the accident might have been averted. Mr. Martin; By doing what'' Witness: By putting the ratchet brake on harder to steady tin? car. and thus not taking so much risk.

Further questioned the witness said the motorman was quite sober. Eight or nine miles an hour was a reasonable rate for cars to come down College Hill. Charles lipid, watchmaker, residing at Heine Bay Road, gave somewhat similar evidence. He was sitting inside the car, and he heard violent ringing of the gong and fell. the emergency brake applied. Witness did not consider the pace made down College Hill by cars was dangerous. Herbert Straker. motorman of the car in question (Xo. 9, Heme Bay car), said he had been driving on the College Hill line for six months, and had held a motorinan's license for upwards, of two years. He had pulled up at Wood-street, which was (lie stop before L'igram-street. He steadied the car coming around the curve to the usual speed of from four to five miles. The average speed that, cars came down College Hill was from nine to ten miles. Under favourable conditions, and assuming all brakes were in order, a car travelling at nine or ten miles an hour down a grade like that of College Hill could.be 5i,.;,,,,,.,! bv the emergency brake within about 20 or 30 yard.'. Witness first noticed the City Council's roller lvefore the old man, and was cautious on that account.

Sergeant Hendry: I thought von wore not frightened of anything after defeating l.he roller, (Laughter.)

Mr. Martin: Tin's time it was a fighting machine the Council had got. (Laughter.) Witness said thai when he first, saw the deceased the car was travelling about nine miles an hour. Roughly he was about ISO yards away when he started sounding his gong, and the old man was then on (he up track. Wii.ne.ss kept on ringing his gong pud expected that the man would si on. When fir.it he .saw til? Council's roller he had arranged his handles so as to he pre .pared to reverse the power. When 30 yards from I lie old man witness reversed the power one notch, hut his switch (automalic circuit brake) blew out. and he applied the emergency brake, but tin' car did not stop. His car, if anything, was travelling under the average -peed, wheich, he said, was ten miles an hour.

To the Coroner: lie considered the brakes in this case wore all right. To Mr. Martin: Tie would act exactly the same again if the circumstances were similar.

A good deal of informal discussion aro-e over a one-pen put by a juryman in regard to the time it lakes fur the emergency brake to work effectively. The morormim had Mated that, he applied the brake 30 yards or so 1.-cfu:e the impact took place,' ami that Ihe ear went about 20 yard.- after tie impact. The juryman contended that 'lOinething must be wrong when a * few minute- previously the niotorman had said that the emergency leak" should bring a car to a standstill on this grade in between 20 and 30 yards. A- there was not complete satisfaction over tin- point the further hearing was adjourned until ihi-, morn m-