MAIN TRUNK ACCIDENT.
j CONCLUSION OF INQUEST. OPEN VERDICT RETURNED. [BY TELEGRAPH.—PRESS ASSOCIATION.] TAIHAPE, Thursday. The inquest concerning the death of Thomas Walsh, the driver of the engine which was derailed in the railway disaster on the Main Trunk line, near Taihape, on May 14, was concluded to-day. The coroner said it would be an open verdict, that is, it was no more a finding against the Department than against the driver of the train. The verdict would be that deceased was killed in the train smash on May 14, caused by the failure of the pump action, there being insufficient evidence to show by what means that failure originated. After the accident efforts were made by experts to account for the failure of the air-brakes, but without success. At the request of the Taihape railway employees, the Vestinghouse brake on the derailed engine was sealed by the coroner soon after the accident. The brake was brought into Taihape and tested in the presence of departmental officials, the coroner, and representatives of the men The test was carried out under the supervision of Mr Pearson, chief mechanical engineer, and the result of the test was to leave the failure of the brakes on the night of the accident as inexplicable as before.
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Bibliographic details
New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17269, 19 September 1919, Page 6
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212MAIN TRUNK ACCIDENT. New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17269, 19 September 1919, Page 6
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