TRAMWAY ACCIDENT.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12084, 13 August 1917, Page 5

TRAMWAY ACCIDENT.

SMASH AT SHAG ROC'li,

HEAD-ON COLLISION. At 10.-15 o'clock this morning a seriCus he.-id-on collision occurred between two electric irams at the Shape Rook corner, on the Sumner line. It appears that the 10.12 ear from town, consisting of an electric car and trailer, crashed into a special from Sumner made up of an electric car and four empty trailers on their way to town for race T>aiuc

The high bluff at Shag Rock Conner cbfcares "the view at the _ point, and gives the, motormen only forty yards view ahead at anv time. The Tramwav Board some time, ago fixed up an automatic signal at this point, which operates from the Sumner end of the tram bridge. This, it is said, was uot( working this morning, and accounted for the city car overrunning the loop at this point. The fronts of both cars were com* pletely wrecked, that of the city car being' the more severely damaged. The speed gear in this car, as well as tho wheel brake "used by the motiorrnan, was crushed into a. tangled mass. The motcrmau of the car. after putting his brakes hard on, jumped from his platform when the. other car was about a. vard away, and thus saved himself from almost certain death. The other motorman stood by his gsar, but siioped into the. cabin of his car as the crash came. Passengers on the citv rar w ' o, '° rudely shaken, and several' received minor injuries from living glass. As evidence of the severe nature'of the shock, all the coupling* wero smashed, and in each case bent to the ground, so that the cars were raised off the rails. , One car was completely derailed. There were no passengers on the special tram, which was comma on a down grade, round tho corner, with brakeloss trailers. . , , ~ The repair gang was quickly on the spot, and restored the service in about an hour and a half.

ST ATEMENT BY GENERAL MANAGER. AUTOMATIC SIGNAL IN PERFECT ORDER. Mr F. Thompson, general manager of* the tramways, Avhen seen ta-day, denied the statement,, published above, thai tho automatic signal was jwj working this morning. He states that the signal was operating at both aKis, and was in perfect order. MOTORMEN SUSPENDED. INQUIRY TO BE HELD. Tn reply to a question, Mr Thompson said that both motormen had been suspended, and that as an inquiry was being held, ho had no further information to supply for publication. STATEMENT BY CHAIRMAN. The chairman of the board (Mr O. M. Gray) stated this afternoon that he had read the report of the .accident in the first edition of the " Star," buthad not received an official report. was probable, however, that, he would briefly refer to thf accident at tho meeting of the board this afternoon.