THE TRAMWAY SMASH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17371, 19 January 1920, Page 6

THE TRAMWAY SMASH.

Continuation of INQUIRY. TRAFFIC MANAGER'S' VIEm QUESTION OF PRECAUTIONS. '", lbx «u»aArH.--««ss assocumok.l ~- ; WSumrGTON, Saturday. The inquest concerning the death of^th« three men who were killed in the tram smash on -February, 3 was continued today. , • -j Duncan KcGflUmy.tralßc manager for - the Tramways Department, said he was finally of opinion that whatever happened to the motorman happened in an instant, f c and he fell immediately,- There were , times; when tho computiory stopiwas an optional i stop. > There was ian } obligation on the conductor to see in certain circum- j " stances that the car did stop at such ■• ■■ places, ;'- la this ! case the conductor had no i !•' -opportunity of stopping the car. He believed the conductor would fcav* :■'•'.' ; the handbrake had he known the motor-man-was down. If the conductor knew of • the failtiije of the Awtomac ho wosjil :-:;,., apply t tie hand-brake et the rea?jci;tto car," provided he was not nearer the .wont did at the time. He' oonfiSdered that complete provision in itself. ■, The matter of additional precautious in ' the event of such .'.' cases } would be >i. con- '-■ sidered by the Tramways Department Is v 17 years' experience be had not come across ■ ;' a case of sudden seizure of : the motorm««; • : it wae one case in a million. " , - , Continuing, witness the failure of ; a I > motorman in Welling might be a much more serious f matter, than siu a flat , city, and, the fraction b'/i bwß,g«J» serins considerate ; -Tb-> \>ViM pJ» cental J • instructions for j&:«dacfcn& p meet dim emerg&iciee. /%-.', r : : - * ; s^': ' S> ■ ';In further explanation of his theory as ■' •to the cause of .the ascident, ; witness said ;-"V 1 if the car corns downi towards Austin Street ; : ; with the air-brake on and the conductor • applied the hand-brake at the rear of the ciir/the car could have stopped and re- - started without human agency on the front of the car, if -the conductor released the IK ■'-"'•.; hand-brake. If the conductor applied tha hand-brake because he thought something ■ ' was wrong, he would not release it again, and the car could hot go on without human agency at the front. Electrocution »»f tiro motorman was out of ; the question, but an electric shock;was possible, r" '-.;*■'"' It was not practicable, in bis opinioß, to K have relief motorman waiting on the hills to give • assistance on cars He described the ;* suggestion 'of duplicate handles at the rear end ;as impracticable, ' it was his conviction that Motorman Small - applied the brakes at the beginning of the • incline, and if the brakes bad remained . on tho cur would ; have descended 'the", rest ' "of tiei hDI without mishap. • ' •' "•",'- ' .; 'lie inquiry wae adjourned v till Monday. 'v. itjr'sjAi- .-—■»»-"" "'' »-~ &?¥•.{