TRAM ACCIDENT INQUIRY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16499, 27 March 1917, Page 6

TRAM ACCIDENT INQUIRY.

MOTORMAN FALLS ASLEEP. •RECENT INCIDENT REVIEWED. " '•./•V : ' ;.". ' — An inquiry was held yesterday by Mr. G. T. Murray, district engineer for' the Public 1 Works; Department, * into ■ the . circumstances of 'the accident shortly after midnight on February 21, when a tramcar left the nils in Khyber Pas's Road<' : and crashed ; into an alleyway between the» Royal George Hotel and the : Newmarket branch of the Auckland Savings Bank. Mr. J. J, Walklate, general. manager, appeared for the Auckland Tramways Company,"; and V Mr. •; 0.;; Z. ' Clayton: for the Newmarket Borough; Council. < The secretary of the Tramways Union, ; Mr.' H.Carter, watched. the proceedings on behalf of motorman and the.conductor of the car. ; •."/'•■ -\/ 7 ;';

v Evidence was given fay soveral officials of tho -Tramways Company to the effect ■that at ;the time of the accident,. there was no defect, in either tho tramcar, tho track, or tho overhead gear. ' -.•■■ .'. i Charles Halley, motorman in charge of tho car, said he left the post office at : 12.10 a.m. After passing : Grafton Road he applied the track brake ; and . tho air brake, which , reduced; the : car to about tho average speed : maintained on ■ this \ section. When just past Park Road, he released the air brake and later the ' tracJs; brake. After y this ■ he;dozed,: off ■and;-re-, membered nothing until he was thrown from his seat when the car ; left the rails at ; the curve entering Newmarket. ;V" s He was stunned' through coming ; . in contact with an iron stanchion, •; and • 'ij was v first clearly conscious of his surroundings when the car stopped in the alleyway. He had I been •on tho .' Onehunga run for about 12 years. ■}~ In explanation of * his ; sleepy condition, witness. said ho rose at four o'clock the previous 1 , morning. ■: :■-; His wif was ■ camping near Takapuna Beach, and tho gale then ■ blowing worried • him ;as to; her safety J and '/ prevented % him:; sleeping. : Ho ' was •-■ confident / that : the - brakes and the general gear were in good order, as he had made four trips - during his shift -on duty. He did not apply any power on ina down; grade, and was not " pushing*', tho j car.

To Mr. Carter: H* slowed down at Park''R6adj' : as was his general custom.: : : (i, ,C, McCathie,' conductor, of the car, said he noticed '■ nothing ;;' unusual ion tho run from Symonds Street: • Tliefo were five ;. passengers >in 7 the car, , and none ot them complained in regard to • tho speed, and ".were: not alarmed in any wr.y. Ho was making up his cash during this staga of tho trip. To Mr. Clayton : He heard at the inquiry by the /Tramways Company that the motorman • had I gone to < sleep. Asked ' if; a ; compulsory stop at Park ; Road \would have affected the position, he said he did not think so. '. Constable S. Collins, stationed at Newmarket, said :' ; he was opposite the: post office in Broadway ' when his attention was attracted by the noise of the car. He went towards the, corner and saw the tram travelling at a high speed. It left tho rails.at the curve and the lights went out. ' ~ . Herbert Jefferson, chemist, and; Sidney Palmer, nurseryman, passengers in the car, said they noticed the' speed was ; beyond i the average. This did not;'occasion'. them any alarm, l however, for .they, thought the motorman: was ; : speeding up so as. to get home. Neither was injured ; in tho ; accident. Arthur ..; Irvine, employed at Hancock's '.Brewery, said saw the car as it cane down Khybjsr Pass. It flashed past him at such a high speed that he could not see } any :• passengers % inside! He ■: thought' it was an empty car, which; had away. ; ; ■J. J. , Walklate, general < manager of the Auckland Tramways t Company, - gave evidence regarding the characters of the motorman and tho .conductor.. : : : He-said they ;would'; bo f again employed Iby the 'company,'. in I similar positions, ( on ; the same run. He considered the motorman's explanation ;. most feasible. ;.;': He ? did :not belicvo in compulsory stopping places. He could make no suggestions as to precautions •to , be ■ taken; to: avoid , similar accidents. . , 01t- was decided to forward a copy of the' evidence to the Minister for ,'Tlfolio Works the Hon. W> Fraser. ,