THE RAILWAY SMASH.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 45, 15 June 1914, Page 6

THE RAILWAY SMASH.

CHARGE OF MANSLAUGHTER. £Pu Prim Amopiatxow.] -Auckland, June 15. The Coroner’s Court inquiry into the • Main Trunk railway disaster found the management and working of the New Zealand Railways in no way responsible for the collision. The south signal had always effectively stopped a

train when necessary and would have ■ done so oh the occasion.of the accident had the Department’s rules been observed. The primary cause of the collision, the defective working of the signal, was without doubt due to an unauthorised alteration made by signal adjuster Cruickshank,firstly in making any alteration without authority, and secondly in using unsuitable material (a small reel), and thirdly, failing to report what he had. done. Cruickshank was guilty of a serious breach of duty as a railway servant, but not guilty of gross negligence. Donaldson, the tablet porter, was guilty of negligence in the sense in which that term is used in criminal law. It was his duty to inspect ttye signal frequently. He received warning that the express was on its way to Whangamarino eight minutes before it arrived there, and although it was hours since he had last seen the back light of the south signal, the one safeguard between the express and disaster, ne went away to let the goods train through without looking at the signal. His neglect of duty was beyond doubt the direct and immediate cause of the collision. In extenuation it was stated that Donaldson had never before had any trouble with the signal beyond a trifling adjustment, that the platform lever locked at danger, and that there was a slight fog, and he assumed that this was the sole cause of the back light of the signal being obscured. After the inquest concluded Donaldson was arrested and charged with ’ manslaughter. He was remanded till Tuesday week, on one surety of £IOO and two of £SO each.