THE PASSENGERS' STATEMENTS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2433, 31 October 1900, Page 29

THE PASSENGERS' STATEMENTS.

Mr Ralph Ewing, of Roslyn, gives the following account of what happened :—"I: — "I joined the 9.30 a.m. ear at my own gate. There were then on the car Mr Bolam, Cr Philp. Mr Reeves, three Chinamen, and two ladies. I Seated myself on the side of the oar opposite to my place alongside of two Chinamen. I asked them if they came from Sonntag's, and they replied ' Yes.' When we reached the old engine shed we were asked to change cars. I seated myself on the same side of the car again, and in the corner on the same &ide were a boy and a. Chinaman. One of the tram employees rame over to give the driver of the cat* the rope. The driver replied that he would'- take it further .down, and the man jumped on the car to give it to him. Wo then started with the brakes. The dri^r had hia hand on each lever, but after no started lie could not pull the cay up, and lie never had a chance of getting tho rope. A , wo came to the brow of the hill wo found the pace of the car \vji3 increasing, and the

boy alongside of me jumped off on to the bank. The driver shout c:l to him not to jump, but 1 think he was wi^s to do so, as it was. fie only place ho had a chance to jump off. Wo shot do.vn the hill like v fia>h of lightning. I had still soae hope that the driver would manage to pull the car up at the old crossing in Rut tray stoet. I hud lay eye fixed on him the -whole time, and his hands wore neser off the levarp. He v. as working the leveis all Lho time, uyhisf to pull the car up; but he never made the bliglitest impression on its speed. A-5 wo toie down ilatlray street I remenberod the turn at the cathedral, and prepared to hold on with both haiids. I felt the danger there would be in getting round the corner, and turned round with my buck to the Chinaman, laced down the street, and clung to the iron bars that protect the glass windows of the car. I remember passing Speight's 33roivery like a flash of lightning, and almost immediately afterwards 1 found myself underneath the car along with a Chinaman and ihe tramway employee -who came on board to give us the rope. The hitter's legs vero jam bed underneath the carA I had my umbrella in my hand when we weje coming down the hill, ancl ■ucis still clinging to il when the accident happened, but the point was broken off. I did not miss the Chinaman who fell olf after po&sing the cathedral. There was not the slightest difficulty in holding on going round the curve below the catheclial. I therefore think that the Chinaman could not have been shot off the cra\ The driver did all that it was possible for him to do'to pull up the car; because I watched him right down to the cathedral. On Saturday I blamed him for &tarting without the rope ; but I understand since doing &o that the rope cannot be got hold of vintil the car goes about 30 yards down tho line. I did not sec the driver use anything in the ear for the purpose of trying to stop it besides the lever brakes; but he may have done so for all I know. After we pa&ged the cathedral I never noticed the driver. When we got past Arthur street I never had the slighost hope that he would be able to pull the car up. After the accident I was able ti walk into Laidlaw and Gray's, where they very kindly attended' to me. Dr Stephenson afterwards called in ancl examined mo, ancl found that I had a slight injury on the lower part of the back."

Mr L. G. Reeves gives the following version of the occurrence: — ''I caught the 9.30 a.m. tram for town, and got in at Ross street with Mr Bolam. When we got to the old engine shed we changed cars. The driver first got into the car, and immediately stood by his brakes. The passengers then got in. and I took my seat in the front compartment with Mr Bolam and Mr Phjlp, having my back to the driver. Just after we started I noticed that we were getting rather too much way on, and 1 looked back to the driver, and saw him working at his break*. When "we got over the brow of the hill my f ellow-pussengers and myself were rather uneasy at the speed of the car. I called out to the passengers not to jump off, but to all get close together and hold on. I thought the driver would be able ,to pull vp ' near Arthur street, but he could not manage to do so, and the same speed was kept up going round the curve at. the cathedral. When, we were safely round the corner I once more looked round to the driver, and saw him screwing the dolphin as hard as ' he could. 1 then looked down the hill, and, seeing there was no chance of the oar being pulled up. I prepared for the worst. Immediately afterwards the smash came, and the car seemed to turn right over. 1 then found myself on the inside of the car, and could not get out. The car was immediately lifted by the bystanders, and I noticed that Mr Bolam and Mr Philp did not seem to be much hurt. I was not much hurt myself, but felt a bit queer. I reckoned that we had saved our limbs by huddling together. I do not remember having to change into another car at the tiansfer table before, and have always previously gone clown on the rope. I could not say what the custom i* with regard to picking up the rope. I have been a frequent passenger on this line, and I always thought the Mr M'lntosh, tho driver, was one of the most caretul drivers on the line, and thoroughly understood his work as a driver of a cable tram. On the morning of the accident he seemed to be perfectly sober, and did his utmost to pull up the car. I thought the shock at the bottom would have been far greater than it was, and I have been wondering whether the speed of the car was slackened by tfie driver screwing the dolphin, down or by the rails turning the corner.''

Mr W. I. Bolam, manager of the New Zealand Insurance Company, says : — " I left home in the morning for the office, and caught the 9.30 tram at Ross street. Everytliing weut all right for the first part of the journey. When we reached the old engine shed the passengers transferred on to another car, which was in waiting. Mr L. G. Reeves, Mr Philp (of Roslyn), and myself got into the front compartment. lam not sure where the other loassengers were -seated. I think Mr Ewing and three Chinamen took their seats on the side of the car facing the north, and two ladies sat in the back compartment. The rope was not put on the gripper at the old engine shed. The cleaner, I understand, was preparing to put the rope on the gripper, but for some reason or other this was not done. I think it was understood that the rope was to be fixed when we got a little farther down the line. At any rate we started, and after going a little way — some distance above the bridge — the brakes failed to #ork. Then the car went down the hill like "lightning. I was sitting with my back to the driver, and did not sec the Chinaman jump off. I kept my eyes *n front, and prepared for the worst. I stretched my l egs out, and^put them under the seat in front of me and held on hard, so as to be prepared for the jolt. ( <The car continued to race down the hill at full speed. I thought that when we reached Arthur street the brakes might work, but this was not to be, and we hung on like grim death. It was an experience I will never forget. Mr Philp did not know how to save himself, and slipped on to my knees. It then struck me if I kept my legp stretched out they might get broken, so i pulled my legs in. When the car reached the inside curve at the Shamrock Hotel it rose on its end, and then turned over Hat on its side, falling in the direction of the Crown Hotel. We were all in a heap inside our compartment, and when I picked myself up 1 made straight for Scoullar and Chishohn's warehouse. I received a nasty shaking, but was not badly injured. Two of the joints of xny hand were cut, ancl I had one of the nai^s of my fingers scratched. My leg was bruised, and it is still o, bit sore. Mr Reeves escaped with a few scratches, and Mr-Philp was cut about the head. I did not wait to see how any of the other passengers fared. I felt sick, and got away from tho scene as quickly as poGMhln. Thpvp was no conductor on the car. The diner al> .vvs collects the fares in the mo'-iuii". The bcakes were put on hard all ihc w ay, bul they seemed to have no power. The Imr-i ueit very- greasy, and that might have amounted m some, way for the, brakes

failing to act. Before starting I saw the driver tighten up something — I suppose it had reference to the brake. ' _ Air John Philp, who is a member of the Ho;lyn Borough Council, stale? that when the car reached the bottom of tho hill the ] force of the impact drove him against the woodwork, uith the result that he received a cut on the left cheek and another on the left eyebrow. His right arm also bacily biuisod, and his cheat was likewise hurt. He j would like it to be distinctly understood that tho driver never ciught the rope; but he ought to have done so when the passengers got in at the old engine shed. The car went down the lull about a chain and a-half before th» driver tried to get the rope on to the gnpper. When ho endeavoured to get the rope the brake would not answer, but he tried everything he pos&ibly could to stop the car after it started to run down the hill. It is usual, to get the rope when the car starts from the old shed, and he (Mr Philp) had repeatedly seen it caught there. This was the only tune thai ho knew them not to catch the rope when the car started. A SPECTATOR'S ACCOUNT. A Sydney gentleman who is staying at the Shamrock Hotel gives the following account of what he saw: — "I was walking across the street opposite the hotel when my attention was arrested by cries of ' Look out ! ' I glanced over my shoulder, and saw the car coming down the hill just near the brewery. The car reached the curve, and just as it was going round the corner it upset. Some of the passengers were thrown out and some were pinned in the car. A horse attached to a cart bolted when the car appeared and passed over some of the passengers who fell on the road. The horse went straight over them, and }-ut his foot on them. The car did not seem to be coming very fast — not so fast as one would expect if it bolted down tho hill. It was a terrible sight though, and everyone was greatly excited." Captain Sundstrom was near the bottom when the car was coming clown. He stated that the passengers did not seem very excited, and did not cry out ; ancl the car went round the corner a.s if everything would be all right. I saw a lot of fire flying from the brakes as the car passed, as if they weie being applied hard or the gripper was rubbing against the side of the slot. Mr JF. Z. Moore was walking down Rattray sh-eeb in company with Mr A. Matheson, and the car passed them just above the Catholic School. He stated, in reply to questions put by our reporter: — ".We were walking down the sweet together. I was next to the edge of the footpath. I heard a peculiar noise, and instinctively jumped away from the side of the footpath just as the car whizzed past. It was travelling at a tremendous bat, and I could see immediately it was not unclev control. I said, 'I hope they will be able to stop before it gets to the curve, 1 and Mr Matheson said, "There is no hope.' We could'not even recognise the passengers. We could simply see spots on the seat, for the car went by like a flash of lightning. Just as the car swept round the curve at the cathedral one of the passengers was shot off as if he had been shot from a gun. As far as I could see, he was landed head foremost against the Girls' High School fence, and, rebounding a little, stretched out at full length on tho footpath. We ran down, and found that he was a Chinaman. He was lying with his head down the hill, partly on one side. Blood was streaming from his mouth, and if he were not then dead, we were afraid that he would get choked. Some men from Scoular and Chishohn's factory, with some material for a stretcher, came and took him away." '