WELLINGTON TRAM FATALITY.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 15120, 20 January 1920, Page 3

WELLINGTON TRAM FATALITY.

(Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Inst night. At the tram fatality inquiry, Mr Cable was asked if recommendations for -the instalment of special appliances for runaway cars had been received from tho Public Works Department even after two runaways had occurred m Auckland. Witness replied m the negative. Frederick R. Furkett, Assistant Engi-neer-in-Chief," Public Works Department, said the object of compulsory stops on inclines was to enable tho motormen to keep the car properly under control. The departmental definition of a compulsory stop Avas a placo at which a stop must bo made, no matter what the load or any other circumstance. Witness said that the happening of the accident was not consistent with the conductor's statement that tho car came practically to a stop at Austin Street, and he applied the brake at Ellice Avenue. Assuming tho motorman was down and the car had come practically to a stop at Austin Street and the conductor had applied the hand-brake at Ellice Avenue, the accident could not have happened. Witness assumed that the conductor being a new hand would not have been able to apply more, than 60 per cent, of what ivas possible by an experienced motorman or conductor. ' This ho assumed AVas m the conductor's favor. In reply to Mr O'Shea, witness said it was possible that the late Mr Evans could have interfered Avith tho handle and re-! leased the brake. I To the Coroner: It was possible to fit J city cars with a "dead man" handle, and ; that Avould have the effect of stopping a car automatically if a motorman became incapacitated. Gwyn Denning, 14 years of age, who saw the car emerge from the tunnel, said it did not stop after coming out. Dr. Peter McEvedy gave evidence touching a post-morten examination he held on tho body of tho deceased motorman, Small, on the afternoon folloAving the accident. The blood A-essels were normal, but the heart was contracted, no blood being m the left A'entricle and very little blood m the right ventricle. Tho stomach Avas absolutely empty. There was no sign of food or fluid of any description. The rest of the organs were quite normal. Witness had no oppor- j tunity of examining tho brain on account of the nature of the injuries. Tho cause of death was laceration of the skull. — To i Inspector Mcllveney : Tho whole evidence ' of tho. post-morten pointed to tho fact) that the deceased had fainted.— To the Coroner: Tho post, mortcn disclosed that the man was not dead at the time of the crash. This concluded the evidence. Tho Coroner intimated that lie had already arrived at his conclusion, but sis ' the evidence was very len.art-hy and as tlie mailer was of some imnortaiicc, he was desirous of nutting his finding m vrilin??. ' He would therefore deliver a verdict to-| morrow. j