THE CHAIN HILLS TUNNEL ACCIDENT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10451, 29 August 1895, Page 8

THE CHAIN HILLS TUNNEL ACCIDENT.

An inquiry into the circumstances attending the death of George Thompson, who was killed in the Chain Hills railway tunnel on Monday night, was held at the Railway Hotel, Mosgiel, yesterday afternoon, before Mr Coroner Carew and six jurymen, of whom Henry Purvis was chosen foreman.

Mr T. Arthur, traffic manager, watched th° proceedings on behalf of the Railway department.

James Sinclair, labourer, residing at Abbotsford, deposed that the body shown to the jury was that of George Thompson^ his stepfather Witness last saw him alive ft 5.40 p.m. on Monday, tbe 26th inst., at Abbotsford. Deceased told him that he was going to Wingatui by the 20 minutes to 6 train. He was in good health and quite sober when he left; home. He had been working that day, and knocked off at 4 o'clock. Deceased often weat to Wingatui, and occasionally walked through the Chain Hills tunnel coming home. The knife produced belonged to the deceased Dr Allan gave evidence as to going to the Chain Hiils tunnel on Tuesday morning in company with Constable Griffith?, and finding different parts of the body of a man scattered about in the tunnel. The hips and two legs were completely divided from the upper extremities of the body. Tbe severance was not a cleau cut through the soft parts, and was snch as could have been made by the wheels of an engine or railway carriages. The body presented the appearance of a very much msngled mass, as if a train had gone over it. He thought it probable that the deceased was first run over and cut in two. The upper portion of the body being afterwards.caught and further mangled by the wheels of the train. There was not a whole bone in the upper part of the body. He noticed a manhole in the side of the tunnel about 40 yards south from where the principal parts of the body were found. Robert M'Lelland, gardener, who resided at Wingatui, deposed that the deceased was his uncle. Deceased was born in County Derry, Ireland, had been in the colony about 16 years) and -was about 43 years of age. Witness last saw him alive on Monday evening the 26th inst. He Game to witness's place at about a quarter past 6, and remained till 10 o'clock. He was perfectly sober when he came and had no drink while he was there. He said he came by the 6 o'clock train 3ad that he was going back in the train.. Witness lived about a mile from the railway station, and deceased left his house by himself, intending to catch the 10.30 train from M6sgiel_ to Dunedin. Deceased was in very good spirits when he left witness's house. He said he had plenty of work to do, and that he had got a job to go to at the Freezing Works at Burnaide next mornintr.

To the Foreman : Witness had heard deceased say that he sometimes went through the tunnel, and sometimes over it. He was not aware whether deceased knew that there were man holes in tbe tuunel or not.

Henry Barry, platelayer, rf siding at Abbotsford, deposed that; in consequence of something he was told at 20 minutes to 2 on Tuesday morning he went to the Chain Hills' tunnel, and found the mangled remains of a human body about 115 or 120 yards from the mouth of the tunnel. He informed Ganger Condon and others abr,ufi the matter.

Peter Barkinan stated that he was guard on the 10 20 train ftom Dunedin to Moagiel, and joined the train at Abbotaford. Tbe train reached the Chain Hills tunnel about two minutes past 11. Going through the tunnel he coticed that the van gave a slight jar. It struck him at the time that the axle, box of the van had struck something on. the side of the tunnel. On the train arrivins at Mopgiel he looked round the van to see "if ha could see any marks, but did not find any. He then went to the driver, Charley Rollo, and aßked him whether he had felt anything in the tunnel, and he replied "No." The train left Mosgiel again afc 11 30 p.m. No engine or train passed through the tunnel betweeu the time he left it and went through ag*in. The train reached the turiuel about 11.38 ; and although he paid particular attention to the matter he never noticed anything going through the tunnel. He was in. the brake-van all the time. On the arrival of the train at Abbotsford the driver told him that he thought he had struck a stone in the tunnel, and that it had knocked one of tbe cocks off the engiue. They then told the porter on duty to ask the surfaceman to examiue the tunnel before any other train went through. A train left Mosgiel at 10 30 for Dunedin that night. Witness wan guard of the train, which did not stop at Wingatui. The train only stopped there when required. He looked out tbat night, and as there was no one on the platform the train did not stop. He went to Abbotsford by the train, and then joined the 10.20 train from Dunedin to Mosgiel. Charles Rollo stated, that ha was driver of the engine attached to the train which left; Dunedin for Mosgiel at 10.20 on Monday nigut. The train reached the tuonel about 11 o'clock. He noticed nothins; unusual goiDg through the tnnuel. At Mcgiel the last witness asked him if he felt anything in the tunnel, and be replied "No." Barkman then said he felt the van give a jivr.. Witness did not examine the engine then, but he knew of nothing wrong with ie st that time. Going back to Dunedin he slowed down in the tuunel. in consequence of what the guard told him. He also fcspi a look-out, and although he could see nothing, he thought he felt the engiue come in contact with something. When the train gob through the tunnel, he asked the fireman if he felt anything, and the fireman replied that he did. Witness saw nothing wroDg with the engine until he put on steam to go np the hill. Then he noticed an escape of steam from the cylinder, in consequence of a braas tap bsdnjj broken off underneath tha cylinder. He reported ths matter to the porter in charge of the Abbotsford station and plugged up the hole with wood, but the -wood came oat again, and the escaping steam blew a lot of dust about the engine. He examined the engine to see if thera wag anything el?e broken, but found notbiug. He did nob notice any blood on \ the engiae, but the engine was smothered with dust. He ex- i amined the engine again when he got to Dun- I edin, but he did not see any blood oa it. He thought the engine had struck a stone, a'nd'he losked to see if it had left any mark. To Mr Arthur: There was nothing to warrant his examining the gearing at Mosgiel as all the working gear was in working order when he got there.

Mounted Constable Boddam stated that between 8 and 9 o'clock on Tuesday morninc he examined the engine 103 in the railway shed in Dunedin He found blood stains on the right front driving wheel. There were also two pieces of flesh, covered over with .black dnsfc, on the brake gear of tbe engine. On one of the nuts of the brake gear on the ri S ht side, he found two threads ot dark cloth, and they corresponded with threads iaken from the deceased's coat To Mr Arthur: If he had examined the engine at n>gta by lamplight he did not think that he could have duoovwed the blood sUiw covered with dust as they were. The?<S were only diapered after a minute elaSnt

The jury returned a verdict to the effect that the deceased was acc.dents.Hy killed by a railway WeT Mng °Ver iD the Chain Hill 1,

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