TRAM OUT OF CONTROL

Southland Times, Issue 24864, 2 October 1942, Page 5

TRAM OUT OF CONTROL

Passengers Injured In Collision (PA.) AUCKLAND, October 1. One of the worst tramway accidents in Auckland for some years occurred at 8.30 this morning. An Avondale tram, city-bound, was coming downhill in Upper Queen street when an Army motor-truck was backing on to the track of the tram. The motorman, William Webber, applied the emergency brake, causing the tram to skid, but a collision occurred. The tram, out of control, dashed down the hill at high speed and beyond the Wellesley Street intersection came into violent collision with the rear end of another tram travelling to the railway station. One passenger, Cyril James Lewis-Newton, a surveyor, aged 42, and married, had his left foot severed and Ronald Mack, aged about 18, had his left foot fractured. The crews of the trams and a number of passengers suffered from shock. Several persons were admitted to hospital for ■ shock, including nine W.A.A.C.’s. One of the police officers at the scene of the accident was Sergeant Claude Montague Francis who, after returning to the police station, collapsed and died. He joined the force in 1922 and was attached to the finger-print department. NO PANIC ON TRAM “There was absolutely no panic,” said a young woman passenger of the tramcar which dashed down Queen street out of control. “Most of the passengers were women, and I suppose they felt as I did: that the last moment was coming. The conductress was splendid, showing no signs of fear. Everybody rose from their seats, all waiting to lesson the shock in the event of a second collision. A few fainted, but there was no screaming or scrambling to alight. “The motorman was injured when the •tramcar and the lorry collided, but he passed through the car to apply the brakes at the rear. It was marvellous how the car kept to the rails, even crossing Wellesley street, which was fortunately clear. When we telescoped another tramcar everybody was thrown violently together, many passengers suffering from shock. I lost my handbag and purse containing £4/10/- intended for purchases for my soldier husband. It was fortunate nobody in the tram was killed.” TRIBUTES TO POLICE SERGEANT

Tributes were paid by Bench and Bar in the Magistrate’s Court to Sergeant Francis. The Magistrate, Mr F. _H. Levien, said Sergeant Francis’s services were highly valued by all who called on him to assist in the detection of crime, and he was 100 per cent interested in the fingerprint system. A police funeral will be held tomorrow.