PAEKAKARIKI FATALITY

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12396, 16 March 1926, Page 7

PAEKAKARIKI FATALITY

HOW TWO HUSBANDS AND WIYES MET DEATH

MAGISTRATE’S ADVICE

MOTORISTS SHOULD EXERCISE CARE At LEVEL CROSSINGS

“Trains are continually passing over crossings, and thwr are certainly dangerous. A notice board is put up so many chains from the crossing, and they should call the motorist's attention to the fact that a train may be approaching; and the motorist should slow down and make sure that there is no train coming which is likely to cause damage to him.”

Thus tho coroner (Mr W. (if Riddell, S.M.), in giving his finding at the coroner’s inquiry held yesterday, concerning the deaths of William Ernest Fordham, and his wife Rwbinu Victoria Fordham, and Alfred William Wallis, and his wife, Florence Mary Wallis, who were killed as the result of a level-crossing fatality which occurred at McKay’s crossing, near Paekakaribi, on the afternoon cf February 25th. A finding of accidental death was returned.

Senior-Sergea ut Lander represented tho police, and Mr P. S. K. Alacassey the Railway Department. Mr W. N. Matthews appeared for Mr Childs, Mr Fordhim’s partner. Bertie John Childs, auctioneer, 50, Cuba street, stated that the deceased Mr W. E. Fordham, was in partnership wit i witness in a carrying business. On ‘February 25th Mr Fordham left Wellington to go to Te Horo with a load of furniture. He was accompanied by Mrs Fordham, Mr and Mrs Wallace, and his six-year-old daughter, Vesta Marie Fordham. Fordham was the driver of the lorry, and it was an “International” lj-ton lorry. He eras an experienced motor-driver and a man of absolutely sober habits. As far as witness was aware the lorry was in good condition. *

COMPARATIVELY SAFE CROSSING

Athol Huntiy Murison, assistant district engineer in the New Zealand Railways, stationed at Wellington, produced a plan showing the positions of the _ roadway and railway line as they join at McKay’s crossing. “Since this fatality occurred,” said witness, “I have measured up the distance from the crossing to where the lorry was finally thrown- off the line. It is 339 yards.

“There is a warning board near the crossing 8$ chains away. There is also the ordinary railway warningboard 2Q feet from the crossing. ‘‘The driver would be able to see the train when it was about OJ or 7 chains from the crossing—the top part of the ht-ain only. The grade varies land there should ho no difficulty in stopping a car coming up.” To Mr Maeassey : 'ln comparison with other crossings in the district this one is fairly safe.” Proceeding, wit less stated Miat the train _ would approach tho crossing on the riglit-ha.-id side. There were some trees on the right about 8 feet high. To Mr Matthewsr I cannot sav definitely whether the train could be seen. The trees are on private property. “NOT MUCH ROOM TO STEER” Moses Oats Victor Dimock, a stock buyer, deposed to have met Fordham and Child’s lorry at 1.30 p.m. in the afternoon in question on the John-sonville-Paekakariki road. ■‘l was coming up towards Johnsonville, up the Johnsonville hill, in a motor-oar,” said witness, “when I saw tho lorry. It was loaded with furniture, and it was going towards Paekakariki. It was overloaded with passengers, and it had one man on the right of the driver, the driver at the wheel, two women, and a little girl. “I was going in the opposite direc<<lonj °i 8 lorry,” proceeded witness and the driver did not .apnear to have much room to steer -with his arms.” *be coroner: I did not know either of the men personally. Peggy Flahertty, a school girl, aged 10 years, residing at Paekakaribi, stated that she first saw the lorry outside her father’s house at Paekakariki. The lorry was travelling north and the time was about half-past five. ‘ ‘When I first saw it, the lorry was stationary, and a man was fixing the engine,” said witness. The stopped, in the road near my father’s house for a long time. After it had started again it came to another stop as it was going north along the road.

LORRY OVERLOADED Charles William Blackford, fireman of the train, stated that he first sighted the lorry about two chains from the crossing. The lorry appeared very much loaded and was just approaching the crossing, when fjrst sighted, close to the railway line. “I was standing on the left-hand side of the train,” proceeded witness, “and had a better sight of the Crossing than the driver. When I saw the lorry, I called out to the driver to stop and he immediately applied the full emergency brakes. “However, the lorry did not stop, but came right on, and a moment afterwards the collision occurred. We hit the lorry full broadside on, and it was carried some distance along the line by the collision.” The’ coroner: At what speed were you travelling?—Forty-five miles an hour.

Proceeding, witness stated that the occupants of the lorry appeared to he talking and apparently did not hear the train.

“FIRST I KNElfr WAS ACTUAL COLLISION” Alfred Leonard Deans, driver of the train, stated that on February 25th the train came to McKay’s crossing at about 5.51 p.m. “A long blast of tho whistle was sounded before we came to the crossing,” said witness. “I opened the whistle about 300 yards from the crossing. I was on the right-hand side of the engine, the furthest side away from the direction from which the lorry was coming. My fireman calling out to me was the first intimation I had of the presence of the lorry. I them, applied the full emergency brake, f had a clear view of the crossing all the. time. To the coroner:— I did not see the lorry. The first thing I knew was the actual collision itself.” “The lorry was carried with the train,” continued witness, “and was entangled in the forepart of. the engine. It was still on the engine when the train came to a, standstill. BELOW SCHEDULE SPEED “We were travelling 45 miles per hour, and we whistled for about four seconds.” Mr Matthews: What is the schedule speed on that section of the line?— Fifty miles an hour. COLLISION DESCRIBED Henry Clifford McCall, mail agent, stated that on the afternoon in question, he was on the postal van of the train, next to the engine. “As the .train approached I was standing up sorting mail. There was a long blast of the whistle given as .i warning before to approached the crossing. Almost immediately I felt the collision and the train pulling up. I jumped off the van and went to the front of the engine where I found a motor-lorry entangled in the cowcatcher of the engine. “Two men and one lady were entangled in the wreckage, the lady being Mrs Fordham. All three. appeared quite dead. I then ran back and found Mrs Wallace lying on the line alive but unconscious. The little girl wa3 found still further back along the line towards the crossing. Every possible attention was given to the injured people by a nurse on the train and a medical student.”

DRIVER OF MOTOR VEHICLE HAD BETTER VIEW Matthew Vance, railway inspector, gave evidence to the effect that the driver of a motor vehicle could obtain a view of a train approaching the crossing from Palmerston North when 64 chains away. “At this crossing,” Baid witness, “I consider that the driver of a motor vehicle has a better view of a train approaching the crossing than the trainmen have of the vehicle. The trees only partially obscure the view at certain points.” •apparently unaware of PROXIMITY OF TRAIN” “This accident is one of the worst of its kind that has ever happened in New Zealand, in the fact that four persons were killed,” remarked the coroner in giving his finding. “The evidence goes to show that tho train was travelling within the schedule rate of speed.” “Three hundred yards from the crossing, in accordance with the usual practice, the driver hlew a long blast with the whistle, which apparently extended until the train was 250 yards from the ctossing. That that it hlew for a little over two seoonds. There was no other signal. Apparently the people in the motor-lorry were talking and looking in the other ■ direction, and were unaware of the proximity of the train.

“IMPOSSIBLE TO SAY WHAT HAPPENED” “It is impossible for one to say what happened in this particular accident It is impossible for us to say what the driver was doing, or-at what speed he was travelling. One can only say that fiom the evidence it seems as if the driver was unaware of the train’s ap proach. However, one would think thnt the noise of its approach would he heard. “As the crossing is on an incline a very slight application of the brakes should have been sufficient to have brought the motor to a standstill. “However, the outside evidence does not show why the driver continued on his course when the train was approaching. “APPROACH NOT AS CLEAR AS MIGHT BE” “It is obvious that the approach to the line is not as Clear as it might be, and that the two trees certainly interfere with tho view, and should be cut down.” Tho finding of the coroner was to tbe effect that tbe deceaseds met their deaths accidentally.