THE RAILWAY ACCIDENT.

Waikato Times, Volume LVII, Issue 8087, 26 December 1906, Page 2

THE RAILWAY ACCIDENT.

CONCLUSION OK THE INQUEST

VERDICT OF ACCIDENTAL DEATH

The adjou'ned in<|iiest into the circumstances surrounding the death of Mr Hanry 'iordon Inne? Crombie, who was killed at Iho Hamilton Railway Station in Saturday, was resumed st the Commercial Hotel on Monday afternoon, bef re Mr J. P. bond, District Coroner, and n jury of six, cf whom Mr Hugh Kelly was foreman. S raeant llastie represented the police ,iud Mr*;. 11. Horfnell, etat'o nmaster at Hamilton, attended on behalf of the Railway Dinartmeut. Mr W. Crombie, father of dereas-'d, was also present. Frederick James Alexander Sargent, driver cf the engine of the train which reached Hamilton at 1.15 p m. on Saturday, deposed that the train, which consisted of about thirty-five vi-h cles, was twenty minutes late in arriving at Hamilton His sp>*ed would not exceed the usual ?peed owing to the heavy load and the slight Crombie was standing perfectly still with the tablet over his head, is the train approached him. Witness let go his tablet and at the same time receivrd -eoeased's. Directly witness got his arm through the ring, he felt a jerk and waß pulled violently backwards; at the same I time he heard a scream, which be thought was from a female. He at I once Hung back his arm and I released the tablet, and just as he rec ivm'ed his bilanc* applied the brake. He did not see Crombie after riceiving the tablet, as his eyes were on the track alvad.

To Sergeant Hastie: 11a did not see Crombie fall.

To the Coroner: Deceased was holdirg the tablet in the usual way. Apparently Crombie had not received witness' tablet, as it was flung into the cab. Witness did not hold on to the tablet, which was released in the usual way. He believed he delivered the tablet on Crombie's arm. The tablet was held clear of the engine altogether, so that no projections could . have struck deceased. Witness held tht tablet low enough not to interfere with the tablet he received. He had never hid such a j-irk on a tablet before and could not account for the accident. He did not see Crombie actually take the tablet. Had | he struck Crombie it would not have caused him to lose his balance, as the train was not going at a greater speed than twelve miles an hour. He held his tablet in the usual mann°r. The flior of his cab would be about 18 inches above the level of the platform. To Mr Crombie ; He could not travel at a higher speed than usual; the tablet time would show that he had taken five or six ininuteß from Frankton and Hamilton. It would be much if drivers were restricted to six miles per hour entering stations where tablets had to be given and taken. The tablet found in the cab might have been flung in through deceased throwing it out in trying to save himself. The porter at Eureka to his belief was not turned round twice in taking the tablet that same afternoon. The taking of tablets by automatic means would minimise the danger. He had not seen any accidents through the taking of the tablets at the speed he was going. To Sergeant Hastie: The regulations merely stated that the maximum speed, 25 miles per hour, was not to be exceeded, and that drivers were to exercise care in coming into stations. It would certainly be safer if the tablets were exebaDged after the train came to a standsti 1. He did noc see deceased until he was right up to him, ami then he was standing still. To p juror: He did not consider there waß the le'st danger in the system; at least not from the driver's point of view, the rain on the platform was in moat danger. After the accident he had seen sine danger. He had always found deceased very careful in taking and receiving the tablets. To other jurors -. It was not compulsory but was the usual practice, to take the tablet while the train was in motion. There w< uld not be a great saving in time by taking the tablet so. The taking of the tablet did not interfere with his working the brake instantly. It was an unwritten rule that the tablet be delivered whilst the train was in motion.

Joseph Kirkpatrick,a plumber, .if Hampton, reached the station building just, as deceased came out with the tablet, walking at a L'ood pare, and stopped just as the engine got abreast of him. He had not been standing waiting for the train. Ihe tablet in Crombie's right arm was jerked suddenly and he was drawn against the engine, from which he never freed himself, but after guing a few yards, was drawn between the platform and the train, aud afterwards dragged about a chain along the line. To Mr Horsnell = There was very little time between Mr Crombie coming to the

edge of the platform aui the taking of the tablet. He was at an angle of about 45 to 50 degrees fr m Crombie. He v.ould not gwear that deceased had not put his arm through the same tablet as he was de-

live ring. Jack Mintern Paull depose! that when the train was fairly close to the point opposite the station door, Crombie came out in a hurry. The driver held his tablet down and put up his other band to receive the tablet from Crombie. A» Crombie weut to receive the tablet he seemed to have put his hand through tho driver's and his own too, overbalancing himself, and, trying to light himself, put one of his hands against the moving train. The motion turned him round and he fell under the wheels.

To Sergeant Ilastie: He could not say

what happened to the tablets. He was not altogether positive that Crombie put his arm through the wrong tablet, but it appeared so to him. To a juror: lie had seen Crombie perform this duty almost every day, and on Saturday debased seemed to be in more of a hurry than usual, and was in position more than a second or two. Deoaased was in the act of raising his tablet when he took the oth*r.

To Mr Horsnell. He was 16 years of age. He was standing noar tho first door. The driver's tablet was held on a level with Crombie's chest. C : ias. H. Horsnell, stationmaster at Hamilton, who wis called at the request of tho jury, in answer t > a juryman, said the stall was sufficient to cope with tho traffic at that time of day, and, under ordinary circumstance?, there would be ample opportunity of getting the tablet before the train arrived, for as being late, the tablet would be released about twenty mi".uws before.

To Sergeant Fae-lie : He had not Seen any risks taken at Hamilton. To a juror: lie estimated that the train travelled G2 feet after tuo accident before being pulled up. Mr Crombie nsked whether it was not a fact that the stall was not sufficient to cope with tho work without working excessive hours, and that tho clerk having charge of the tablet had not often to do such duty as bonking pissengers right up to the moment of the train drawing up to the platform, rush away with the tablet and rush bick to finish booking passengers for that same train.

Mr II orsuell : 1 regret to say that the staff is net sufficiently competent for the work wilh 'Ut working excessive hours. The matter has been represented to the Department by my-elf. The Coroner bri.-tiy summed up, and the addition of a rider, which the juiy attached to their verdict, returned after a few minuter deliberation : " Th it the late Henry Gordon lnnes Crombie met his deith iu exchanging tablets at the liamilthi railway station by falling under a moving train, and thit do blame is attached' to either the decease! or driver." The following rider was added : " L'hat the attention »f tiie Minister for Railways be drawn to the exceedingly dangerous way in which the tablet system is forked on the Auckland railways and that he be requested t ■ cau-e immediate inquiry to be made with a view to taki:_ij steps to minimise the risk to life aad Lhj'c.'* The Corouer, in reueiviug the verdict, said there was no d >ubt that the rider was ameled one, as several minor acoidents had already occurred through the system. He would forward the rider to the proper authorities.

The jury expressed their sincere sympathy with Mr Crombie and family iu their sad aud awfully sudden bereavement, and Mr Crombie, n acknowledging this, said lie hoped the Pres.-. would give publicity to his heartfelt thanks for the kindness he has received at the hands of the Hamilton public who had shown the utmost delicacy in their ond den