THE BANKSIDE COLLISION

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13487, 14 May 1907, Page 6

THE BANKSIDE COLLISION

INQUIRY OPENED. , '' l STOLEN ' CIRCULARS. [by teleobaph.—press ASSOCIATION'.] - - .';■*,'.' Christcitobch, : Monaay. ; J , The, inquiry' . into -". theßankside collision opened to-day before Mr. Bishop, S.M., Mr. Beattie:: (chief mechanical engineer), and Mr. Buxton (chief traffic manager) 'Messrs/ Piper ; . (Christchurch . stationmaster), ; and Whitcombe (district traffic manager), were also present.;"•; Mr. Harper appeared for the driver and guard. Mr. J Hall represented the Railway Department. j Mr. Hall said he understood that a ruling bad been given on the scope of the inquiry .which had, been, extended to ascertaining the facta, in connection with the collision so far ; as necessary, and relevant. [ Reference would have to be made to the, rules and regulations.

I Mr. Whitcombe, the first witness, detaili "ed the' methods under which special trains I were run. After the accident witness inI terviewed the guard and asked why he had over-run J the crossing-place. The guard replied that he did not want to get anyone into trouble, but the stationmaster at Christchurch, when checking advices, never pointed out that ho had a crossing at Bankside. Witness asked the. guard if this was not shown in the train advices. The guard replied :" To tell the truth, sir, I did not think a ; volunteer train affected mine. 'I omitted to read my instructions through." Witness added' that he had not received communications 1 < from ' i \ the Amalgamated Society .of Railway Servants; lie should not have read them if he had. He knew they made a serious complaint about the nature of- the special train „■ advices.- The society's recommendations were such as to quite prevent" the running of special trains in emergencies. . John '■- William Piper, stationmaster at Christchurch, related particulars of * the despatch of the train-;for the south on the night of the collision. The special advice as to the train was placed in Guard Seamen's pigeon-hole, and, a copy was placed in the guard's loom. > This was done on the 26th. :; On the night of the 28th, about ten ' o'clock,; witness ■'■ checked " the ' advice of both guard and driver before the train was despatched. The checking was done in the presence of both the guard and driver. He always considered Meikle as being an excellent driver. ■In checking circulars received by Seamen and Meikle witness simply read over the numbers of circulars. ; A copy of the circulars was placed in the train notice book, but it was now missing. It had . been stolen since the date of the accident. . Another circular (T 400, the Easter circular) had also been stolen. The train notice book from which: the 'circulars had been stolen : was placed in the guard's room/ Jas. Meikle, enginedriver, Christchurch, deposed: "I have been an? enginedriver for seven'or eight years. I came on duty on the night the 28th, between , half-past nine and a quarter- : to ten. I -cannot say. I noticed circular T 450 on f the '■> notice" board. . I got a copy of nine circulars that concerned me. lam not prepared to swear,' that there were more than nine circulars on. the : notice ; board. Drivers frequently have to sign that they have read;, and understood long circulars that it^is; practically impossible for them; to understand ; thoroughly without very, long perusal. ■ Until I passed Bankside -„I •■ had no idea that;a- volunteer train was on the line, < I gave a very long" whistle as usual, as T. approached Rakaia bridge. • . ;, At this stage, owing to becoming indisposed and suffering from a serious attack, as the result of ' the accident, this witness had to' retire from ; the room. -His further examination was postponed. '; >: " Henry Charles Seamen, the guard of the train that collided with the special volunteer train, said: "I have been in the ser vice about 10 years. I went off duty at ten minutes- past twelve on ; March 27. I saw,;' a i sHeet v of, special only, at • five, o'clock, on March* 28. I did not know of any ; notice-boards. :: There are a lot of pigeon-holes •in which papers are placed for > guards. « I have never seen, any.; notice to guards placed, on the notice-boards. I took -advice circulars from a box. It was from some of the guards < who were my friends that I.learned what I had; to do in regard to the running of the* train. WI got all; the ; circulars except T450." Witness said he got a copy of this from the : foreman's office. When he > Jcft : Christ* church with the : train he had no knowledge that he had to cross a train at Bankside. Other' evidence was given, and the inquiry was adjourned till to-morrow.