MAIN TRUNK DISASTER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18461, 26 July 1923, Page 9

MAIN TRUNK DISASTER.

■ v - "■ '. I' ... >. CONCLUSION OF INQUEST. UNAVOIDABLE ACCIDENT* CORONER PRAISES HELPERS. ■ .f FURTHER REMARKS RESERVED. • [bx TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT ] XAUMABUN Wednesday , The coronlal inquiry into the Ongarue train disaster wa s continued to-day before Mr. A. S. Laird, coroner. Inspector Foully appeared for the police and Mr. ■% Soling. for the Railway Department. John '-Walsh, detective, of Wellington, read the evidence he gave before the , commission of inquiry on July 16. To Inspector Fouhy witness said the bodies of the killed were placed on cushions taken from the train, and covered with lugs. Witness made a cursory search of the bodies for identification purposes. Witness was in charge 'of the bodies, a " d 1,0 one tried to search" them. Police Sergeant J. O'Brien, of Taumarunui, gave evidence as to the supervision of the removal of the injured from , the station on the arrival of the rescue trains and later the removal of the dead to a temporary _ mortuary. The police and some civilians, whom ho asked, searched the bodies 'in the mortuary. Tne property of the deceased persons was taken from the bodies and put in sealed envelopes. Witness then went on to explain the amount of property found. Most of this property had been restored to the re- - Small Slip In October, > Charles William Turner, a . ganger, produced as evidence a copy of the statement he made before the commission.! : To the coroner witness , said th«. only trouble ho bed on this section of the line was .ik small slip in Ootober last. To Mr. Sterling, he said there were no boulders in that slip. It was pure pumice. V _ William Robert Davidson, railway engineer, of Ohakune, and in charge of the Frankton-Marton section of the Main Trunk railway, produced plans of the scene of the accident and photographs-of the wreck. ■\ ,v ■ •

tTo the coroner, witness said he considered the boulder came from the pocket of the slip. ; • ; . The Coroner: Could it have come from the small . slip >in October ? Witness: No. There is no evidence of that.

Answering : a further question from . the coroner, witness said that by regulation the driver would be limited to a speed not exceeding 30 wiles per hour over this portion of the ' track. Approaching the slip at : daylight from the North, the driver would have a view :of about 50 yards, but at night, time his view would be probably only half this distance. That would, be on aocount of the headlight being set.. - > - The Coroner-: Would it not- be possible for. lights to , swing on curves, : the same as with •motor-cars ? ' . * • . " ; ■ Mr. Sterling said he could .call evidence upon that 'matter. • ' * Continuing his . evidence, . the witness said there was no record of any boulder having fallen anywhere in thig locality. The matter - of slaps arid S boulders on the line would be carefully recorded on.; his office-file.- 1 . i;:-- 1 .: ■■ To Inspector Fouhv, he said' the-cause of. the slip was & How of water that was not visible.

Question oi' Headlights. ' ..... Ernest E. Gillon, chief mechanical engineer of New ■ Zealand • Railways, said the department for . some years had ' been looking into the "question of engine headlights. '.They got into communication with many makers' with a view, of ascertaining whether a light that could track with a bogey could da 7 obtained. They bad not been - successful, however, in getting anything suitable. Two [years ago,, when they started i experimenting with. electric headlights, one of the American companies sent a representative , out to. New . Zealand, and when lie returned to America he placed their views before his company. They. again ; ' failed to get anything . satisfactory. This representative , was in the Dominion » a few, months ago, and brought ©at a, headlight with a / different arrangement of mirrors, but after a. trial they ' found that the lights" were 110 better than what had previously been supplied. To Inspector Fouhy, witness said he did not think "he driver could operate the headlight, as it would , take his attention off the trade and the proper handling of the train. In answer ,to a further question, witness, said the American suggestion as to headlights was no improvement "on the present system, as it reduced the forward visibility while not improving . the side light* : 1 , Speed of ,the Train.'. Henry P. Hobson, guard on the wrecked train, said he thought a motor jack should l.« carried with break-van implements after his recent experience. There was no delay. in getting the ambulance box to the front of the train. To Inspector Fouhy, he said the train, at tbo time of the accident, was - travelling at 20 to 25 miles* an hour. To Mr.' Sterling, he said he knew there .were three lacks on the locomotive. ' Mr. Sterling explained that the jacks were very powerful and capable of lifting, a great weight. •' >... \ _ ' The evidence of Alexander S. Stewart, engine driver, and of William . Frederick Campbell, was also taken on the same lines as given by them before the com- j mission- • 0 • ...... The coroner, in declaring the , inquest closed, 1 said that so far his verdict would be th-it the cause of the death of those killed in the railway smash on July 6 was accidental.'. He preferred to reserve any remarks upon the matter until he had had an opportunity of reviewing the evidence heard at the inquest. So far as the accident itself was concerned he was of opinion that no ordinary foresight could have averted I)he accident. .» ■ . With regard to the work done by various people in connection with the accident, he said everyone should.,be complimented on ' the way they " had assisted; In ; the case of the police, he wished to specially call attention to the manner in which they discharged their duties. He also • singled out, for' special mention, the ladies who had : upheld the duties of the district in paying last honours to the dead.

AUSTRALIAN SUGGESTION. arrangement of carriages Australian and ' N.Z. Coble Association. (Reed. 8.35 p.m.) , SYDNEY. July 25. A ' newspaper correspondent makes the recent railway disaster in New Zealand the theme of • a letter, urging discontinuance of the practice of coupling light carriages between heavy ones. He says he would not be surprised" if the casualties in the New Zealand disaster were largely due to this defect in administration.