THE CHAIN HILLS TUNNEL ACCIDENT.

Otago Witness, Issue 2167, 5 September 1895, Page 10

THE CHAIN HILLS TUNNEL ACCIDENT.

An inquiry into the ciroumstances attending the death of George Th<.nipsoD, who waß killed in tho Chain Hills railway tunnel on the night of the 26th, was held at the Railway Hotel, Mosgiel, on the 28tb, before Mr Coroner Carew and six jurymen, of whom Henry Purvis was chosen foreman. Mr T. Arthur, traffic manager, watched the proceedings on behalf of the Railway department.

j James Sinclair, labourer, residing at Abbotsford, deposed that tho body shown to the jury was that of George Thompson, his stepfather. Witntss last saw him alivo at 6.40 p.m. on Monday, the 26th inst., at Abbotsford. Decea«ed told him that he was going to Wiugatui by the 20 minutes to 6 train. He was in good health and quite aobtr when ho left home. He had been working tb^t. day, and kuocked off at 4 o'clock. Deceased often I went 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 Hills tunnel on Tuesday morning | in company with Oonitable Griffiths, and fiudiDg different parts of the body of a man scattered about in the tunnel. The hips aud two legs were completely divided from the upper extremities of the body. The severance was not a clean cut through the soft parts, and was such as could have bee*n made by the wheels of an engine or railway carriages. The body presented the appearance of a very much mangled 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 caugbt and further mangled by the wheels of the train. There was not a whole bone in the upper part of the body. Ho noticed c manhole in the tide of the tunnel about 40 yards south frrm where the principal parts of the body were found. Rolert M'Ltlland, gardoaer, who resided at Wingatui, deposed that the deceased was his uncle. Deceased was born in County Derry, Ireland, had been in the oolony about 16 years, and was about 43 years of age. Witness last saw him alive on Monday evening the 26*h in»t. He earae to witneis's place at about a quarter past 6, and remained till 10 o'clock. He was perfectly sober when ho came and had no drink while he was there. He oaid he came by the 8 o'clock train and 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 Mocgiel to Dunedin. Deceased was in very good spirits when ho left witness's house. He eaid he had plenty of work to do, and that he had got a job to go to at the Freezing Works at Bumside next morning.

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

Henry Barry, platelayer, rr 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 Hilh' turjcel, and found the mailed remains of a hunnn body abcut 115 or 120 yards from the mouth of the tunnel. He informed Ganger Condon and others about the matter.

Peter Barkinan stated that he was guard on the 10.20 train from Duuedia to Motgiel, and joined the train a!; Abbotsford. Ttie , train reached the Chain Hil's tunuel about; two minutes p»!>fc 11. Going through fche tunnel ho noticed that the van gave a slight jar. It struck bim at the time that the axe box of the van' had struck something on the tide of the tunnel. On the train arriving at Mopgicl he looked round the van to see if he could see any marks, but did not find any. Pie then went to the dtiver, Charles 110110, and asked him whether he had felt anything in the tunntl, and ho replied "No." The train left Mosgiel again at 11 30 p.m. No engine or train passed through the tuncel between the time he left it and went through ag*in. The train reached the tunnel about; 11.38 ; and although he paid particular attention to the matter he never noticed anything going through the tunnel. He was in the br;ike-van all the lime. On the arrival of the train nfc Abbotsford the driver told him that he thought he had struck a stone in the tunnel, and that it had knocked one of the cocks off the engine. They then told the porter on duty to ask the surfaceman to examine the tunuel before any other train went through. A train left Mofgiel at 10 30 for Dunedin that night. Witness was guard of the train, which did not fctop at Wingatui. The train only stopped there when required. He looked out that 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 he was driver of the engine attached to the train whioh left Dunedin for Mosgiel at 10.20 on Monday night. The train reached the tunnel about 11 o'clock. He noticed nothing unusual going through the tunnel. At Mosgiel the last witness asked him if he felt anything in the tonael, and he replied "No." Barkman then said he felt the van give a j»r. Witness did nob examine the engine then, but he knew of nothing wrong with it at that time. Going back to Dunedin he slowed down in the tunnel, in consequence of what the guard told him. He also kept a look-out, and although he could see nothing, he thought he felt the engine come in contact with something. When the train got throDgh the tunnel, he atked the fireman if he felt anything, and the fireman replied that be did. Witness saw

nothing wrong with the erig&e until he pufc on steam to go up the hill. ..Then he noticed] an escape of ateam from the cylinder, in con«equenca of a brass tap bring broken off underneath the cylinder. He reported the matter to the porter in oharge of the Abbotsford station and plugged up the hole witfr wood, but tho wood came out again, and the escaping steam blew a lot of dust about the engine. He examined the engine to see if there was anything else broken, but found nothing. He did not notlee any blood on the engine, bub tho engine was smothered with dust. He ex« amined the engine again when he got to DunediD, but he did not see any blood on it. HQ thought the engine had struck a stone, and ho looked to Bee if it had left any mark.

To Mr Arthur : There was nothing to warrant bis ox* mining the gearing at Mosgiel, as all the working gear was in working order when he got there. Mounted Constable Boddam etated thafe betwteu 8 and 9 o'clock on Tuesday morning ho examined the engine 103 in the laiiway sh«d in Dunedin. He found blood stains on tho right front driving wheel. There were also twopieoei of flesh, covered over with black dust, on tha brake gear of the engine. On one of the nuls o£ the brake gear, on tho right side, he found two threads of dark cloth, and' they corresponded with threads taken from the deceased's coat.

To Mr Arthur : If he had examined the engine at nigbt by lamplight he did not think that he could have discovered the blood stains, cuvtred with du&t as they were. The stains were only discovered after a minute examina> tion. The jury retnrned a verdict to the effect that the deceased was accidentally killed by a railway train passing over his body in the Chain Hill» tunnel.