THE LATE FATAL ACCIDENT.

Waipawa Mail, Volume 5, Issue 469, 13 March 1883, Page 3

THE LATE FATAL ACCIDENT.

An inquest was held at the Empire Hotel on Friday morning, before Dr Todd, coroner, and a jury of which Mr 35. 15. Johnsou was chosen foreman, to enquire into the circumstances under which Mr Ben Smith, architect, lost his life. Henry J. Baker, lessee of the Empire Hotel, deposed that deceased breakfasted at the hotel on Thursday morning. He seemed in perfect health, and was quite sober. John Cracknell deposed that he met deceased at the foot of the railway bridge on Thursday morning. Deceased said “ Good day, daddy,” to witness, and witness replied by “ Good morning,” and by telling deceased he' had better get across the bridge before the train came up. Deceased said “ I shall get across all right.” He then passed on to the bridge, and witness came up the river approach and sat down on Mr Bibby’s door sill. Believed the train had arrived at the "Waipawa station when he was speaking to deceased. After sitting down on Mr Bibby’s door sill, witness saw Sergeant O’Malley coming down the street, and go on in the direction of the railway station. Henry Davis, railway fireman, said he was fireman on the No. 1 South train on Thursday. His duty was to watch the left side of the track for obstructions, the driver watching the right side. On the morning of the accident, when the train was nearing

the bridge, at the crossing just before the bridge is reached, the whistle was blown. Witness looked along the bridge, and there was no person visible on it. After going some distance, nearly half-way across, witness saw a man attempting to step out from among the girders forming the sides of the bridge, about 30 yards in front of the engine. In trying to get footing he fell. As soon as witness saw the man falling he shouted to the driver to pull up, and at the same time whistled “ breaks down.” After the man fell he never moved until the cow-catcher struck him. From the time he fell till he was struck was only a few seconds. Witness saw him struck. He fell on his right side, with his head on a sleeper, and within 2 inches of the rail. The back of his head was struck by the cow-catcher. The train was going at 20 miles per hour. It was stopped as soon as possible, and so quickly that the guard's van was brought to a stand about ten yards in advance of where deceased was struck. There was blood and hair on the cowcatcher. Trains were allowed by the rules to pass over a bridge at 25 miles per hour if necessary. Was positive deceased made no attempt whatever to get up after falling, and witness thought it probable he was stunned. It was a common occurrence to pass persons on the bridges, but witness had never had to pull up before this occurrence. Sergeant O’Malley deposed that he was on board the train which struck deceased. Witness heard the whistle blown, and then the train came to a stand. Upon looking out he saw the body of deceased about 25 yards behind the carriage witness was in. Witness jumped out, and in company with the guard, and Mr Chalmers, permanent way inspector, went to deceased. He was lying face dowmwards diagonally across the footboard of the bridge, with his legs on the girders. He appeared to breathe spasmodically, and rolled his eyes once as his head was lifted by witness. Witness despatched a messenger for medical assistance and a stretcher. Dr Todd soon came, and pronounced life extinct. Witness then had the body removed to the Empire Hotel. By a juror.—Remembered seeing the witness Cracknell on the morning of the accident. Witness was on his way to the railway station, about half-a-mile distant, which he reached before the train came in. He got on the train when it came in, to go to Waipukurau. Had considered Cracknell’s evidence, and was of opinion from that that deceased had ample time to get across the bridge before the train reached it, as witness walked to the station after seeing Cracknell. J. L. Chalmers, permanent way inspector, deposed to being in the guard’s van of the train when the accident happened, and to the position of the body when found, and to the displacement of two sleepers where deceased was struck. In response to questions, witness further stated that the guard was not in the same compartment of the guard’s van as witness • was, and he thought he might have been in the fore part of the train about his duties. Was not sure about this, and it was possible the guard might have been in the compartment where the break was. It would be impossible to stop a train in 30 yards that was running at 20 miles an hour on a level. The duties of the guard did not demand that he should remain in the van, as he must pass through the train after leaving each station. Dr Alex Todd deposed to receiving information of the accident, and going to where deceased lay. He was quite dead when witness reached the scene of the accident. Deceased had received a severe scalp wound on the right side of the top of the head. The skull was not fractured there, but the shock would have caused concussion. Besides that, the lower jaw of deceased was fractured, and blood was oozing from the mouth and left ear. Judged from that that brain laceration had taken place. Was also of opinion that deceased’s neck was broken, but could not be positive apart from post mortem examination. Any one of the injuries apparent on deceased would be sufficient to cause death. This being all the evidence, the coronet summed up, and the jury returned a verdict of “ accidental death.” A rider was added absolving the officials on the train from blame, and urging upon the Government the immediate construction of the footbridges promised in the House in June of last year.