THE WALLACETOWN FATALITIES.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCIV, Issue 14341, 13 January 1911, Page 5

THE WALLACETOWN FATALITIES.

THE INQUEST. A DANGEROUS CROSSING. Par Press Association, INVEttCAUGILL, Jan. 12. An inquest was held to-day,.touching , Uie death of Dr Pulioftuu and til* child Florence Dora Martin, Uie vv> tims of yesterday's motor collision vrifca u train. Inspector Mitchell, in addressing tbt jury, said that the position soemea to be that Guard Jones was signalling l)r l<ullarton in the left, and a man nam. e>l ConncU was signalling him immediately in front, whilst from about twenty paces from the lino Dr Fullar. ton would have had an unobstruoted view to the right. In that particular instanoo it would seem that the motor car party could not have boon bettor warned, but at the same time he left it to the jury to say whether it was possible that additional precautions should be provided at the crossing. Thomas Jones, guard of the outgoing train to Oropuiri. stated that at 'tins time of the accident he was at W«l* Incetown Junction standing at the point* near the crossing, about 22 yards from the middle of th* road,' when he saw the motor cor. ' It wot about 20 yards from Ihe railway line, and ho estimated its speed at 26 miles &n hour. At the time he saw the car the engine of the incoming train was about 20 yards from the cattlestop. He put up his hands and colled out to the occupants of the oar, but the crash occurred almost instantly afterwards. The car was travelling in the middle of the road. In his opinion the speed of the oar was never, altered. At the spot he first saw : the motor car the view of tile lino .would be obstructed from tho road by a blacksmith's shop. Ho believed that Dr Fullarton, who was driving the bar, was looking ahead. H* thought tho doctor must have seen a man' Ootutell waving his hands, and the impression ho (witness) formed was that the doctor saw the train and attempted'to 'get across tho line in front of, it,.) He was on eye-witness of tho collision.' This' car was smashed to pieces, and <tf occupants .were all thrown out into the cattle pit and by the side of the line. Assistance was quickly forthcoming, and the injured were put into " s the guard's van of the train and sent to the hospital. Dr Fullarton Was blooding from the month end nose, and was barely olive. The girl Dora Martin was apparently dead. The driver of the colliding train said he whistled twice, once about. SCO yards, and again about 200 yards from tho crossing. He did see the Car, as he was on the opposite side <of the engine. The fireman of the train said lie saw tho car when only a couple of yards from the train crossing. It w«S considered a dangerous approach amongst railway men. ' - Other evidence was given as fo the dangerous nature of the crossing, . , The jury found that t]*> deaths wer» duo to a collision of a motor oar with a train, and that no blame was attachable to anybody. t The jury oddeft a rider that to minimwe,tlio risk' of i»o----cident the Railway Department should bo asked to remove a high bonk on the side of the line near the crossing. ■