THE TRAMWAY FATALITY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16560, 8 June 1917, Page 6

THE TRAMWAY FATALITY

EVIDENCE AT THE INQUEST.

MOTORMAN' FALL FROM CAR

SAFEGUARDING PASSENGERS. An adjourned coronial inquest into the | circumstances surrounding the death of i Mrs. Annie Elizabeth Birch, a widow, 531 years of age, who died on Saturday, May 26, as a result of shock due to the accident to a runaway tramcar at Onehunga on the same evening, was held at the Onehunga Courthouse yesterday. The hearing of evidence occupied all day, and the inquest was again adjourned until Tuesday morning. The inquiry was ' conducted by Mr. W. A. Sutherland before the following jury Messrs. J. Laking (foreman), L. Whitaker, R. Buchanan, E. V. Sutherland, T. H. Pardington, and F. Strong. Chief-Detec-tive McMahon represented the police. Mr. J. R. Reed, K.C., appeared for the Auckland Tramways Company and the motorman. Mr. Schnauer appeared for the relatives of the deceased, and Mr. H. Carter watched proceedings on behalf of the Tramway Employees Union. George Thomas Murray, district engineer for the Public Works Department, gave evidence to the effect that car 107, concerned in the accident, had passed the test made by the Department. The Tramways Company then became responsible for the good order and condition of the car. How the Accident Happened. Sydney Sterling Colquhoun, motorman on car 107, said the last Stop, prior to the accident was at Selwyn Street, where a passenger wa s picked up. When he received the usual signal to start, he looked < round on his left side to the rear, as was the custom, particularly at night. He had | the controller handle in his right hand, | in position, power being shut off. His I left hand was on the outside of the stanchion. He then leaned over, and with j bis .right hand released the air brake to allow the car to start. While in the act' of stepping to his usual position he again Eat his right hand on the controller; handle and gave the car two or three i notches of power. Then he slightly over-' balanced. He tried to recover himself by pulling on the controller handle, but it, came off the controller, and he fell out of the car. The car had movea at this time about 15ft or 20ft on a down grade. When he fell off, the conductor was near the centre of the car collecting fares. Witness endeavoured to get on the back of the car, but just missed. He immediately called out loudly to attract the attention of those in the car, and ran after the car. When it reached the curve he; saw the lights go out and heard the crash of shattered glass. He came up to the car in a few minutes. As a result of his fall his left hand was injured and he knocked his left leg very hard. This probably prevented him from regaining the car. He very seldom drank | intoxicating liquor, and had had none on i the day of the accident. There were three \ distinct brakes on the car, one of which could be applied in two different ways. There Was no rule in the rule book stating that a motorman must look round to the rear of the car, but it was a custom followed by every motorman in the service. At night time, if tho conductor was near the middle of the car, it was practically impossible for him to see if everyone was on the car, and it was an understood thing that tho motorman should look round and make sure that all passengers were aboard before he started the car. To Mr. Schnauer: If he had succeeded in regaining the car after falling he would immediately have" knocked out the switch and applied the hand-brake. When he fell off he did not know whether or not he increased the number of power notches on the car. The Conductor's Story.

Herbert James Victor Townsley, conductor on the car, stated that at the Selwyn Street stop he was about the middle of the car collecting fares. He gave the signal to start and did not notice anything unusual until the bottom of'.the hill was reached, when he noticed that no brakes were being applied on the approach to the curve. The car was not rocking more than usual. When it jumped the rails, witness was taking a fare from a lady. He cot out of the back of the car and saw the motorman coming down the road. Witness asked him what had hannened, but he was in a. very excited'condition and did not reply. The car was filled with passengers with the exception of about four seats. It was sot possible to see the motorman if he was in his place in front of the curtain. To Mr. Scnnauer: He was solely responsible for the safety of passengers alighting or boarding the car at the rear platform. To the Jury: He could have stopped the car had he known the motorman had fallen off. All conductors knew how to manage a car in case of emergency. To Mr. Carter! It was no breach of the rules for the motorman to look round to the rear of the car.

Power Notch Turned On.

John Chantry car-shed foreman at the Epsom depot, said he examined car 107 after the accident, and the power was on to the second notch. All controller handles were regularly examined, and loose ones repaired. Thomas Henry Ash, tram inspector, stated that Colquhoun was regarded as a very trustworthy servant of the company. In reply to Mr. Schnauer, witness said it was an unwritten law that a motorman should assist the conductor by looking round to see that all was clear. Notwithstanding the occurrence of the accident, he considered this practice was undoubtedly for the safety of the travelling public. Evidence was also given by Arthur August Whiteman and Emily Elizabeth Ingleby, passengers on the car at the time of the accident, Edward Pearce, William Jupp, and Arthur Josiah Simmonds, who were near the scene of the accident when it occurred, and by Charles Augustus Harris, a foreman, and Alfred Ward, a coachmaker, both employed by the Tramways Company. This concluded the evidence. The jury expressed a desire to visit the scene of the accident, and to be given a demonstration of how the accident happened. The inquest was then adjourned until 10 a.m. on Tuesday, when tho verdict will be considered after the scene of the accident has been inspected.