WAITAKI BRIDGE INCIDENT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19532, 15 July 1925, Page 8

WAITAKI BRIDGE INCIDENT.

STATEMENT IN THE HOUSE.

(From Cur Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, July 14. In the House to-day the Minister of Railways made the following statement in regard to the question asked by the bon. member for Wuitaki in connection with the reported narrow escape of Mr B. J. Meredith on tho Waitaki bridge on July 2, 1925 .— “On the date referred to a post and telegraph repair gang was working between Glonavy and Waitaki bridge, and a contact occurred with the' Morse wire and those of the Post and Telegraph Department as a result of which the telephone worked intermittently. The usual adyioe could, therefore, not be fsent by the bridgekeepers, or from Glenavy or Morven to tho 'bridgekeepers. Glenavy endeavourd to give the signal to the briugekeepers that the express train had left Morven, out, owing to the wires being in contact, no acknowledgment could be obtained. The porter at the south end of the gate admitted Mr Meredith g car to the bridge, as ho concluded that (ho express train was running late. As (he usual telephonic advice had not been received when tho motor approached tho south end of the bridge, between 12.30 and 12.35 p.m.. the porter looked across tho bridge and noticed the north-end signal at danger. Ho could see no sign of the train approaching Glenavy, and as ho could not communicate with the bridgekeepor at. the north end, or with Glenavy, he judged it was safe tc admit the car. As soon as the car entered upon the bridge the porter closed the gates and again tried the telephone, and managed to gain the attention of the north-end keeper, who asked if all were clear, to which the south-end porter replied that ho had admitted the car and had closed the gate. Thereafter ho noticed tho express in the vicinity of Glonavy, but by that time tho car was almost clear of the bridge. Tho north-end bridgekeepor was advised from the south end that a oar had been admitted, and, seeing it some distance across tho bridge, he stepped across tho lino and stood by his homo signal, which ho kept at danger until tho car was clear. He then put tho signal at clear, and the train passed on to the bridge. Tho engine driver of the express states that just after the train had passed Glenavy his fireman called out that there was a car on tho bridge, and, noticing the home signal at the bridge at danger, he shut off steam end reduced speed. He was watching the signal and the car all the time, and when the latter cleared the bridge he was prepared for the signal to bo lowered, which it was. He then resumed tho usual speed, and when the home signal was reached the bridgekeepor was closing the gates after lowering the signal, and the motor car was then quit© 100 yards distant on tho road towards Glonavy. The express was not clear of tho cutting when the signal was lowered 'by the bridgokooper, and the engine driver estimated that tho train would be 200 yards distant at the time the car cleared the bridge. Ho was quite prepared to stop before reaching the signal had it not been lowered.’’