RAILWAY CADET’S DEATH

Taranaki Daily News, 28 September 1929, Page 6

RAILWAY CADET’S DEATH

RUN OVER ACCIDENTALLY. TRAIN CREW BLAMELESS. The death of Samuel Brown, aged 18 years, a railway cadet who was run over by a shunting train at Hawera railway station on September 19, was accidental, no blame being attachable to anyone. This was the verdict of the coroner, Mi. R. S. Sage, at the inquest held at Hawera yesterday. Sergeant Henry led the evidence, an I Mr F. C. G. Huso, traffic inspector, represented the Railway Department. Evidence as to Brown’s injuries was riven by Dr. R. G. B. Sinclair, who said that he was shockingly mutilated. The witness described the injuries in detail, saying that it was impossible to carry out any first aid treatment, the only course being to remove the young man to the hospital in the faint hope that something might be done for him there. He died on the way to the hospital from injuries, shock and loss of blood. Thomas Clarence Sloan, railway guard, stated in the course of his evidence that on September 19 he was in charge of an engine and trucks proceeding fi oni the north end of the station southwards. The trucks, which were on the so-called loop line, would weigh about 180 tons. Trucks were. standing _ on No. 3 line.. When opposite the stationmaster’s office ho saw Brown jump from between two. of the standing trucks to the track directly in front of the moving trucks, which seemed to strike him before he reached the ground. The trucks were travelling at about ten miles an hour. Witness signalled the driver to 'stop, jumped down and found Brown lying on the ground, three trucks evidently having passed over him. He did not look in° the direction of witness when ho jumped. He had come from the goods shed and crossed four lines before reaching the loop line, which was the only lino between No. 3 and the line on which the mail train was standing at that time. AN AVOIDABLE DANGER. In answer to Mr. Huse witness stated that Brown by going down the line a little could have proceeded from the goods shed to the mail train without go in’g between the standing trucks. Assisting Guard Sloan at the time of the accident was Victor Clark, a railway shunter. His evidence was to the effect that he was riding on the opposite side of a truck to Guard Sloan, when he heard the guard call,out and caught sio-ht of a man’s head and shoulders in front of the first truck. The train slowed down at once and soon pulled P The driver of the shunting train, Robert D. C. Smith, stated that he saw Brown jump and disappear in front of the trucks and realised that he must have been run over. Immediately Brown appeared witness heard a call, which he believed came from Guard Sloan, and lie promptly applied the brake and opened the sand valve. Witness then saw Brown lying between the lo,op and No. 3 line, the train being almost at a standstill,, but ho released the brake as soon as he saw Brown was clear of the rails and moved the train clear so no to leave room to attend to the injured ’ n£in ’ . 4. 4 T In reply to a question witness stated that the brake operated only on the engine, the trucks not being connected with the Westinghouse brake during shunting. Even if the brake had been conccted right through there would have, been no chance of pulling up in time to prevent the accident. In reply to the coroner witness said that crossing the lines was always dangerous. If a member of the public were prosecuted for trespassing in tiie yaid it would serve to draw attention to tne danger. Ho could not say wliotlici a subway or an overbridge would bo possible to obviate 'the crossing of the lines. Richard Campbell, clerk in charge cf the railway goods office, stated that it was Brown’s duty to clear the correspondence boxes and take the contents to the station. After 5.39 p.m. he would have no duty except the conveyance of the correspondence that would necessitate his crossing to the platform. The cadet employed in the goods shed had to cross the rails on the arrival of every goods or mixed train iff order to check certain goods in or out. Brown had been about six weeks at Hawera and had crossed the lines many times, so that he should have been fully alive to the necessity for care.

PARTICULARLY BRIGHT YOUTH. Hubert A. Higgs, a clerk in the goods shed, stated that when ho left the office at 5.30 p.m. on September 19 Brown was still working there. His last duty would bo to take tho correspondence across to tho platform. Witness took his own correspondence across at 5.30 p.m. Brown was then sorting delivery notes and appeared to have enough work to occupy him till about 6 o’clock. He was a particularly bright and active young man. Constable P. J. Mullin also gave evidence as to the injuries and the scene of the accident. Mr. Huse addressed the coroner briefly, saying that a suggestion had been made that there should be some means of protection for members of the clerical staff crossing tho lines. He would •point out that it was not merely a question of crossing from tho goods shed to the station, but members of the staff had to go to other parts of the yard while shunting was in progress., That was always part of a railwayman’s job, and it could not be otherwise. In delivering his verdict the coroner said that tho affair had been a pure accident, apparently caused through lack of care on the part of Brown in crossing tho yard, and no blame was attachable to the men on the moving train. The coroner added that he desired to express to the parents his regret at tho untimely ending of a bright and promising young man’s life and to the railwaymen his sympathy in what was necessarily a trying experience, though it was in no way their faulty