SHUNTERS’ PERILS

Southland Times, Issue 19575, 12 June 1925, Page 5

SHUNTERS’ PERILS

A CORONER’S COMMENT. (Per United Press Association.) PALMERSTON NORTH, June 10. At the Coroner’s inquiry into the death of Denis Murphy, a shunter, who was killed by being run over by some trucks at the local railway yards early on the morning of June 3, the evidence showed that deceased, after making up the train for Parkakariki, walked on to the platform and then crossed in front of the engine. The train, which had been blowing off steam, proceeded to cross the second set of rails. The line of trucks on these rails knocked deceased down and 13 waggons passed over deceased, whose body was frightfully injured. An empoyee shouted a warning to deceased. The blowing off of steam was responsible for the deceased not seeing the trucks. In reply to the Coroner, Mr Voltz (representative of the Railway Department) said that the blowing-off of steam could not be eliminated. The Coroner returned a verdict of accidental death, and said that, in view of the dangerous nature of the work the men performed, and the risk they took, the Department should do something to relieve the congestion in the yards. The lighting of the yards was not sufficient. Regarding the blowing-off of steam, the Department might look into the matter and see whether it was possible to minimise the danger.