Inquest Held On Victims Of Railway Crossing Smash.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19118, 10 July 1930, Page 9

Inquest Held On Victims Of Railway Crossing Smash.

WITNESSES EXAMINED AT LENGTH AS TO SPEED OF HOPNP" TRAIN. THE CIRCUMSTANCES of the fatal level crossing smash at Sockburn on June 16 were inquired into by Mr E. D. Mosley, Coroner, to-day, when the inquest, which had been formally opened earlier, was resumed. The victims were:— Miss Isabel Duncan Brand, matron of the Templeton branch of Sunnyside Mental Hospital, a native of Aberdeenshire, Scotland; aged about 46. Miss Mary Cameron, institution officer at Templeton; aged about 22. Miss Isobel Benfell, nurse at Templeton; aged about 20. Miss Jean Field Palmer, nurse at Templeton; aged about 20. Ralph Smith, motor driver, employed by the Sunnyside Mental Hospital; aged about 19. Charles Waterloo Smith, driver of the train; age about 59. Sergeant D. B. Murray conducted the proceedings on behalf of the police. Mr Aickin represented the Railway Department. Mr Thomas appeared for the Locomotive Engineers’, Firemen’s and Cleaners’ Union. Mr Sargent appeared for the mother of Ralph Smith. Mr Goodman appeared for the widow of the engine driver. Mr Burns represented the relatives of Miss Brand. Mr W. S. E. Moyle represented the Amalgamated Societv of Railway Servants. Mr M’Lachlan represented the relatives of Misses Benfell and Palmer.

Henry M’Grath. crossing-keeper at Sockburn, residing at 54, Park Road, Addington, said that he was on duty at the time of the accident. He went on to the crossing between 5.15 p.m. and 5.20 pm. to warn traffic of the approach from Christchurch of the train for Ashburton. He took up a position between the two railway * tracks. There was no road traffic at that time. While still standing there witness saw the headlight of the workers’ train from Islington approaching. He remained in the same position to see the train through. He showed his green light both ways. The Coroner: Which way? Witness: I had to turn it both ways. The Coroner: First to one side and then to the other? Witness: Yes. -Witness said that several cars and cycles stopped. Witness saw another car approaching and held up his green light to show that the crossing was dangerous. The car was on the centre of the bitumen. When the car was about a chain away it swerved to the left. At the same time the train came on to the crossing. The next thing witness knew the train had struck the car and he saw the engine capsized. Witness thought that the motorist would have pulled up if he had seen the train. Witness was no judge of speed and it was hard to say what speed the train was travelling at. “It might have been twenty miles an hour; it might been more,” he added. Witness heard tho engine whistle as it approached the crossing. Engine Fell Over. To Mr Aickin: Witness could not say how many cars pulled up. Did this car pass the others? Witness: It passed a car that was stationary and came on to the rails. To Mr Thomas: It was a clear night •without wind. Witness heard the whistle of the train. The speed of the train was its ordinary speed at that crossing—about twenty-five miles an hour. Mr Thomas: The tender was first? Witness: I did not know at the time. But you knew afterwards? Witness: Yes. Witness added that he heard the impact, but did not see it. The engine toppled over about thirty yards past the point of impact. Mr Thomas: When the train hit the car, could you see if the car went under the engine? Witness: No. Did the engine seem to jump up? Witness: No. I could not see what actually happened because the impact was six or seven yards past me. To Mr Goodman: The line was quite dear at the time of the accident. No Light. Mr Sargent: The crossing itself is not lighted by the local authority or anybody? Witness: There is a light about three chains away on the town side of the crossing. Mr Sargent: There is none on the crossing itself? Witness: No. Mr Burns: Is it your duty to signal to the train or the traffic. Witness: My duty is to protect the train. I show a green light to warn the public that there is danger as a train is approaching. Does the driver of the train see your green light? Sometimes. It all depends. We are not supposed to show the green light to the train. Mr Burns: Then so far as the train is concerned you might be carrying any coloured light? The reply of the witness was not audible. Heard Whistle. Walter Y. Purchase said that he was proceeding to the city at the time of the accident. He was cycling. He waited till the Ashburtain train had passed, and then walked over the crossing, speaking to the crossingkeeper as he did so. Witness heard the train from Hornby and heard the whistle sounded. Witness saw the train go on the crossing and heard a crash. He saw flames under the engine *and saw the sheep trucks swaying. He had not seen the motor-car and did not know a car had been hit. It was the impact that attracted his attention, and he then saw the flames coming from under the engine. _ To Mr Aickin: Witness could see the light of the Hornby train halt a mile away. Mr Aickin: What interval would elapse between the passing of the Ashburton train and the coming of the Ilornby train? Witness: It would not be more than four minutes. How was the visibility? It was a dark night. Witness added that there was no fog. Allan Thomas Gandell, a railway draughtsman, put in a plan of the crossing and gave details as to measurements. A car approaching on the left side of the bitumen when three chains from the railway crossing had a view of five chains up the line towards Hornby and when two and three-quar-ter chains from the railway had a view of ten chains towards Hornby. The measurements were based on the assumption that a car would be on the left-hand side of the bitumen road at the crossing. Evidence of Fireman. Prank Carson, the fireman who was on the engine with Smith, said a good look-out was kept by him on the south

side of the engine. They met the Ashburton train between Hornby and the Sockburn crossing. The whistle was sounded near the crossing. The line was then clear on witness's side. Witness saw a car parked some distance from the crossing on the town side. At the same time he noticed another car approaching. The Coroner: Did you say anything? Witness: No. I could see that the driver was keeping a sharp look-out on that side of the engine. The brakes were applied about two chains from the crossing, and the emergency brake was applied before the engine got on the crossing. Witness lost sight of the car and the next thing he knew was that a collision occurred. The Coroner: What happened after that? Witness: The engine went on for a very short distance and then the tender slewed round to the right. The engine toppled over the opposite side to the tender. I was still in the cabin of the engine. To Mr Sargent: He saw the cross-ing-keeper’s light when about 300 yards from the crossing. The Coroner: When the engine fell over, what happened? Witness: The engine fell over on the driver’s side. I was still on the up side of the engine. I don’t know quite where because I could not see for steam. I could not see the driver. I scrambled out and went to the cross-ing-keeper. Then I went back to the engine to look for the driver, but could not find him, and came to the conclusion that he must be under the boiler. Question of Light. The Coroner: There is no cow-catcher on the tender? Witness: No. What sort of light were you showing? Witness: Quite a good light—a kerosene light. The diameter of the glass would be seven or eight inches, he said. It was situated at the top of the tender. The speed of the train approaching the crossing was about twenty-five miles per hour. Witness thought the motor-car must have got down into the cattle stop. Then the tender slewed round and the leverage threw the engine off the rails. To Mr Aiken: There was a concave reflector in the light on the tender. The light could, he thought, be seen a mile away. To Mr Thomas: It was a mixed train. The average stop at a station would be about a minute. The timetable could be rim on less than twenty-five miles an hour. Twenty-five miles an hour was a safe speed for a train running tender first. “No Complaints.” Mr Thomas: Do you know there has been a tremendous amount of complaint about the increase in the speed when driving tender first?—No. Do you know there have been complaints?—No. Mr Thomas: Look, though your job is in the railways, Carson, you are here to give the facts and you will not be victimised in any way. Let us have the facts. There have been complaints and conferences with Mr Sterling?—l have not been there. Mr Thomas: Do you know it is so? —I have not heard much about it. Do you know it is sc?—l have not heard any complaints. Have you heard any complaints about driving tender first at the speed at which they drive them now?—No. Do you know that Mr Sterling has trebled the speed of the tender-first engines?—Yes. Mr Aickin: Is that related to this section ? The Coroner: It is relevant to this inquiry. Mr Aickin: Here you have a section of line completely protected. The Coroner: It is not completely protected. It may be reasonably protected. Mr Thomas: I have a verbatim report of a conference Mr Sterling held and I am going to put it in. Amongst the things Mr Sterling has said was: “ I do not think we need apprehend trouble before it arrives." Have you seen this report? Witness: No. Do you Jcnow this: Up till December, 1928, it was the rule that no engine should run tender first unless in special cases and then the speed should not be more than 10 miles an hour. Do you know that until Mr Sterling got into power that was the rule? Witness: It was one rule. And when Mr Sterling got into power were they amended?—Yes. The Utmost Speed. Mr Thomas handed in an amended scale. This gave the maximum speed as twenty but the witness said there was a later schedule which permitted 25 miles an hour. Mr Thomas: What is the reason that a UB is not allowed to go backwards as far as an AA?—I cannot say. Twenty-five miles is the utmost speed and Mr Sterling says it is never to be used except in an emergency?—Yes. Mr Aickin: You will have to get Mr Sterling here to prove it. Mr Thomas: Oh, I will prove it all right. He now says he is going to take the risk. No Life Guards. Witness said there was no cowcatcher with an engine travelling tender first. There were no life guards on this tender.

Mr Thomas read a letter dated January 12, 1929, from Mr Sterling to the general secretary of the union. The letter stated:— “Greater elasticity has been given in the running of engines tender first, in order that when emergencies arise, or in other words, when it becomes necessary to run tender first, the minimum of restrictions may be placed in the way of promptly dealing with the situation. “As far as the engines themselves are concerned, there is no. danger in running tender first at the speeds specified, and in order to obviate any likelihood of derailment due to the absence of a cow-catcher when tender is leading, arrangements have been made to fit suitable ‘life guards’ to the tenders concerned." Mr Thomas (to the witness): No life guards were on this tender? Witness: No. Mr Thomas: Two things I want to get from you: First, this train was run tender first as a general thing, and second, there is no life guard on the tender taking the place of the cowcatcher? Witness: No. Mr Thomas: Do you always travel tender first one way or the other?— Yes. We have to go one way tender first. Mr Thomas: If there is rain falling or wind blowing can you see as well travelling tender first «is the other way ? Witness: Oh. yes. Do you say tha.t when driving tender first the driver gets as good a view as when going the other way? Witness: As far as his vision is concerned, yes. Does he get as good a view under all circumstances ?—Yes. Witness said the sand box was in front of the driving wheels. There would be no sand on the engine wheels when the train was travelling tender first. Increased Speed. When the inquest was resumed this afternoon Carson produced an amended schedule dated December 12, 1929, increasing the speed of AB. engines travelling tender first to twenty-five miles an hour on the straight, 20 mijes on curves of a certain radius and fifteen miles on other curves. Henry Gordon Hawke, cartage contractor, residing at Upper Riccarton, said that he was near the railway crossing. He was facing the crossing and talking to another man. He saw the green light of the crossing-keeper. He saw the headlight of the train coming from Hornby. Witness heard the train whistle and then it came on the crossing. Witness’s view was obstructed after the train got half way across the crossing. He heard a crash, but did not see any motor-car. He at once rushed to the crossing. “A Car Passed.” Cuthbert Poulsen, a youth residing at Sockburn, said that at about 5.25 p.m. he was riding his bicycle towards Sockburn. As he approached the crossing he could see the crossing-keep-er, flashing a green light. Witness stopped. He saw a motor-car stop about a chain on the town side of the crossing. A car passed witness and also passed the stationary car. After passing the other car it swerved to the left and continued on to the crossing. It was struck full on by the train. Witness had heard the train whistle. When the motor-car passed witness it was going about twenty to twenty-five miles an hour.

To Mr Aickin: Witness got off his bicycle just before the train reached the crossing. To Mr Thomas: At about the cattle stop witness could see the car going under the tender. The impression witness got was that to a certain extent the wheels of the tender mounted the car. Robert Cook, a grocer’s assistant, residing at Upper Riccarton, said that he was driving a motor delivery can from Hornby to Sockburn. He saw the crossing-keeper showing a green light, and stopped. He saw a car coming from the city at about twenty to twenty-five miles an hour. There was a second car approaching the crossing slowly from the same direction. This car stopped and the car witness had first mentioned passed it. It swerved to the left in front of the train and was struck by the tender full on. (Proceeding.)