FATALITY ON MINE RAILWAY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17246, 12 January 1924, Page 6

FATALITY ON MINE RAILWAY.

Per Pnras Association. WESTPORT, January 11. An inquest touching the death of Treyton Potter was held at Stockton this afternoon by Mr H. P. La wry, coroner. James M’Cabe, locomotive driver in the Stockton Company’s service, gave evidence that he was proceeding with a rake of twenty empty trucks to the new mine. Witness was in the locomotive driving and deceased was on the brake-oar at the rear of the trucks. The full rake of trucks passed through the tunnel, then oil on the rails caused the locomotive wheels to skid and the rake began to run back. Witness put his full brake down and then looked round and saw deceased putting down his brake, which witness considered he should riot have done. Posribly deceased thought the trucks had uncoupled. Witness signed to him not to take any weight. There was nothing to- cause alarm. They went a few yards int<*> the tunnel when the rake was pulled up by a stoppage at the rear. Witness waited for some time for deceased to come forward, and when he did not anpear witness went to investigate and found deceased’s body under the van and between the two s’d#» wheels apparently crushed, and later found that he was dead. A check inspector was of opinion that the oau c e of the locomotive slipping back was oil dropping on the running rail, but there was nothing to show how deceased got off the brake Medical testimony was that death, which was due to shock caused by injure, was instantaneous. A verdict was re turned accordingly, no blame being attachable to anybody.