FATAL ACCIDENT ON THE RAILWAY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2589, 28 October 1903, Page 32

FATAL ACCIDENT ON THE RAILWAY.

A cad accident, which resulted in the death of Mr Ernest W. Venn, fireman on the railways, occurred between Lowll's Flat ar.id Benhar cii the- 20th. Mr Venn was fireman on the 9.50 a.m. goods train from Dunedin to Balclutha, and it appears that he was standing up on the tender when the train reached an overhead bridge between i Lovell's Flat and Benhar. He was struck on the head with considerable violence, the force of the impact being sufficient to throw him off the engine. When picked up he was quite dead, and, as the body was badly 1 mutilated, it is more than likely that death was instantaneous. The body was brought into Dunedin by the evening train, and conveyed to ohe Morgue. The deceased, who was about 26 years of age, was a son of Mr Venn, stationmaster at DunbaekT" and one of his brothers is employed as a guard in the Railway Department. Mr Venn was married only about two months ago, and the sympathy of the public will go out to his young widow, who has lost her helpmeet under such eaddening circumstances. THE INQUEST. An inqiiest in connection with the circumstances surrounding the death of Ernest William Venn, fireman, who was killed when travelling on the morning goods train from Dunedin to Balclutha on the 20th, was held on Wednesday afternoon before Mr C. C. Graham, coroner. | Sub-inspector Green represented the police, and Mr J. Millar was foreman of the jury. Walter Venn, railway guard, stated he was a brother of deceased, and identified the body. Deceased was a steady man in his habits, and i rot subject to fits of any kind. He was a i married man, residing at Kensington, and was in good health when witness last saw him on Sunday evening. John Major, driver of the engine of the goods train, stated that deceased was fireman on the engine. Shortly before approaching the overbridgo at 280 peg, north of Benhar, witness was speaking to deceased, who was then in the cab, and just after passing the bridge witness again turned to speak to deceased, but could not see him. Witness then went to 'ook if he was on the outside of the engine, and as ha could not find him he shut off steam. Witness noticed deceased's hat on the top of the coal, and at the same time the brakesman on the guard's van gave witness the stop signal. Witness obeyed a signal to push the train back about 300 yards, till he came to the overhead bridge, where he found the guard i with the body of the deceased Venn. The body I was removed into a covered van and carried on to Stirling. An examination of the bridge revealed no marks of deceased having struck it, but there weTe several blood spots on the tender and on the van next to the engine, and on the buffer beam of the engine there | were marks indicating that deceased's boot had struck it when falling. It was part of deceased's duty to go up on the tender and trim the coal down when necessary. Venn, had been fireman with witness for nearly three years, and would be aware of the position of the overhead bridge. Deceased was not instructed by witness to go on the tender when the accident occurred. The train was travelling at the rate of 10 to 12 miles an hour. The height of the bridge from the top of the coals on fhe tender would be about sft clear. Deceased was about sft Bin. He was quite dead when witness came up to him. His neck and one arm were broken, and there was an injury to the jaw.

In answer to Sub-inspector Green, Witness said another fatal accident had occurred at

this bridge, a man standing on the top of a carriage being killed. x In reply to a question by Mr Graham, it was stated that there were IS- similai bridges between Clinton and Waitaki. Robsrt Burke, railway guard, in charge of the 9.50 a.m. goods train to Balclutha on the 20th inst., said deceased was fireman on ihe engine, and when passing Benhar bridge he noticed his body lying in the water table. He gave instructions to the brakesman to put on the brake, and signalled to the driver to stop. When witness ran back to the body deceased was quite dead, and blood was issuing, freely from a deep scalp wound on the back of the head The body was lying about 16 yards south of the bridge. There was no jerk of the train to indicate that anything unusual had happened.

To the Police : It was not usual foi the driver to whistle when the train was passing und?r an overhead bridge There were blood marks on the back of the tender, as though deceased had fallen behind it.

The Coronei said the accident seemed to bp one caused, as was sometimes the case, by those who were accustomed to be in dangerous positions becoming less careful than ordinarily. It seemed that deceased had overlooked the presence of the bridge, and there could be no hesitation in coming to a conclusion that death was the result of pure accident, and that there was no blamn attachable to anyone.

A Juryman suggested that some warning should be given by the driver when coming to such bridges, and Sub-inspector Green said a more necessary precaution would perhaps be the raising of the height of the bridges.

The Coroner, "on consulting a map prepared by the department, said he observed that the particular bridge where the accident happened was a foot higher than the roof of the railway tunnels.

A verdict was returned to the effect that deceased met his death through coming into contact with a railway overbridge, he being knocked off a train while in motion. The jury further found that no blame was attachable to anyone.