THE TRAGIC DEATH OF MR H. M. LYON

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7347, 27 January 1911, Page 1

THE TRAGIC DEATH OF MR H. M. LYON

CORONER’S INQUIRY VERDICT OF ACCIDENTAL DEATH. An infiuwife was hold by Dr McArthur, S.M., coroner, yesterday, at the courthouse into the circumstances attending feho death of Mr H. M. Lyon at tho Treufeham railway .siding on Wednesday. Mr Ostler appeared for tho Railway Department. .Sergeant Darby conducted the inquiry on behalf of tho police. James Boyle, engine-driver, residing at; Upper Uutfe. said ho was driving o train, arriving at Trenthaju about 3.35 p.m. at Trentham on Wednesday. When ax>proaching Trent ham there was nothing on the line, but on getting closer, about two or three chains away, ho eaw a man coming across the line from the racecourse bide towards the platform on the main line. The man was going slowly, with the aid of two sticks. Witness immediately blew tho whistle ami applied the emergency brake. Ho saw the deceased look round and continue his journey across the Hire. Witness saw no more of the man, who went out of his sight. Witness did not see tho engine strike deceased; the last time he saw him the deceased was walking.

To Mr Ostler: The engine was eight or ten yards away from tho deceased when he applied brake, and tho engine went about five *and a half yards after that. The train was pulled up in the shortest possible time. Ho could not have done more.

James Martin, fireman, who was on the train -with the last witness, said that he saw no one oa the line when approaching Trentham. His view was obstructed by the engine; ho was cn the left side. The first ho noticed' was a man being thrown up in front of the engine on to the edge of the platform. Witness heard the engine whistle and the brake applied, the train being at onco pulled up. Peter John Mcllvridc, electrical fitter in the Hallway Department, who was in tho guard's van on this train, stated that on approaching Trentham ha was standing up in the van preparatory to getting out, when ho noticed the Westinghouse brake go on. .Looking up towards the engine he saw a man rolling along the edge of tho train as though he had been struck by the engine. Mr Dawson was stooping over tho man* who was then between a carriage and the platform. The deceased was dragged by the train a few yards. "When the train stopped, he assisted in extricating the deceased. To Mr Ostler: The train was pulled up as promptly as possible ; it could not have been stopped quicker. It threw Mm on to th© edge of the van where lie : was sitting. Albert lid ward Dawson, traffic ii spector, said he was olficer-in-chargo at Trentham on Wednesday. About 3.30 p.m. Mr Lyon came into his office, complaining that he did not feel well. Witness advised him to eit down. Mr Lyon asked him when the first tram was leaving' for Wellington; told him 5.5 p.m. The deceased asked if there - was any chance of getting home sooner if he went to Upper Hutt. He told him that a train would be coming in a few minutes for Upper Hutt, where he could join a 4 p.m. train for Wellington. He looked along tho line and saw the smoke of the Upper Hutt train just leaving Silverstream; got th© tablet, and in about a minute’s time assisted Mr Lyon from, the racecourse platform down on to tho rails of the racecourse siding. Told him he must not cross until the train arrived, when he was to go round the end of the van. Mr Lyon said, “All right/’ and witness left him standing there. Witness went himself in front of th© approaching train, which would then he about four hundred yards away. After setting the tablet —his back was then to Mr Lyon—he was bringing the arm of tho exchange round when he cam© into the deceased’s view again. Mr Lyon was then in tho act of crossing the main line, with the train about twenty yards distant. Simultaneously with witness seeing deceased the driver whistled and applied the emergency brake. Mr Lyon had actually got one foot on the platform just where it began to slope upwards. Witness was four feet away at tho time. Tried to assist him, but he lost his hold of him, and deceased fell back. The body got twisted between tho platform and the engine, and was dragged under the carriage. Death would be instantaneous. Jacks were procured, and tho body was extricated as soon as possible. To Mr Ostler: Mr Lyon was about sixty years of age, and getting very lame. When ho saw the imminent risk the deceased was running witness rushed forward to save him at the risk of his own life—ho would not forget it in a hurry. As a railway officer of thirty years’ experience he was perfectly satisfied that no railway official was responsible for the accident. The train was pulled up, he should say, within twenty to twenty-five yards; it was a light train, and everything was in favour of smartly pulling up the train. It was a. pure accident, for which no one was to blame. If the deceased had stood where witness told him to stand ho would have been perfectly safe. The coroner returned a verdict of accidental death.