CABLE CAR ACCIDENT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24955, 30 June 1942, Page 4

CABLE CAR ACCIDENT

YOUNG GIRL’S DEATH

SUGGESTION BY CORONER The adjourned inquest into the death of June Helen Ann Cameron, the 13-year-old girl who died in the Hospital oh June 3 following injuries received when a cable tram got out of control on the steep grade above the Roslyn car terminus on the afternoon of June 1, was concluded yesterday, Mr H. W. Bundle, S.M., sitting as coroner. Detective Brown represented the police, Mr J. B. Thomson appeared for tlffe relatives of the deceased, and Mr A. N. Haggltt watched proceedings on behalf of the City Corporation. Edwin Adolph Schlaadt, who was acting as gripman of the tram, said that about 40 yards from the steps, as the tram was about to round the first big bend, the rope commenced to run free In the gripper. He applied the wheel and slipper brakes, and then the emergency brake, but the tram had gathered so much speed that these had not much effect. At the bottom of the grade, however, the car was partially under control, although it left the track about 40 feet above the turn table at the foot of the hill. Cross-examined by Mr Thomson, witness could give no reason for the gripper slipping. He did not see the deceased leave the tram. William Godfrey Hodge said that from the rear of his home in Falcon street he saw thei tram travelling down the hill at a high speed. He then noticed a cloud of dust at the rear of the car, and when it cleared away' he saw the deceased lying on the footpath about 30 feet from the tram line. He did not see her fall from the car. Condition of Brakes Gordon Anthony Bryant, a car examiner, said that he had had no complaints from gripmen regarding the runaway tram, which had been overhauled in April last. As waS daily practice, the brakes and grip were tested on the morning of the accident, and were found to be in good order. When he examined the car after It came to a standstill he found that the slipper and emergency brakes were full on. The wheel brakes were slightly off, but the jar of the sudden stop could be responsible for that. ' Evidence of an independent detailed examination of the brakes and gripper was given by Maurice Fairhurst, a plant examiner In the employ of the Public Works Department, who stated that he had found the efficiency of the brakes to be exceptionally good. William D. Richards, city transport engineer, explained the system in use in his department in tracing and checking faults in connection with the rolling stock. In his opinion the cause of the car getting out of control was that it was not engaged to the'rope, because the pawl of the lever operating the gripper might not have been fully engaged with the teeth of the quadrant. It appeared, witness added, that when the brakes were applied the car was travelling too fast for them to be effective. Detective Brown said that investigations had disclosed no criminal negligence. A Doubt Expressed '

The coroner said he was satisfied that before the accident the brakes were in good order. “ I am still, however, left in doubt,” he added, “ why the car, after leaving the steps, attained the speed it did before the brakes were applied, and why the grip on the rope was not regained almost immediately. Whether there was too much loss of time between the original slip and the application of the brakes would appear to be a matter for a full and searching inquiry by the Public Works Department and the City Transport Department.” .... X, A verdict was retured that death was due to injuries received when the deceased fell or jumped from a cable car out of control on the Kaikorai Valley line on June 1.