RICHMOND DISASTER.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 915, 7 September 1910, Page 5

RICHMOND DISASTER.

FINDINGS OF THE INQUIRY.

fljr Telesrapii—Press'Association—CopyriebJ. '..-'.'..v' Melbourne, September 0. .yLirits, report on'the Richmond, railway! ; disaster, tho Departmental .Board states' .. that the contraventions of tho regulations, causing.'the accident,were:-- ; 1. The act; of Signalman M'Donald, of /South '. Tarrn,' in putting the; advanced iVstarte'r at "Soirth',, Yarra at "Danger '." thereby stopping''the up Brighton train. He had allowed what he thought to be a- reasonable: time, but his giiess was inaccurate. . Tho regulation might toe ■ mado .'more explicit. J; <; ' ~ : ,'/:.'-,. 'v\ ; . : '.•'■,'■ ; '2. Failure.; of,' the driver, fireman,. and .guard of the 8.20 train to inform M'Donald of' their, detention, at the /advance .'Btarter. - As "the. practice . seemed' to' be. to ignore the? regulation governing tnac,; >no hlamo was; attachable -to any. of/the; ;Bon [concerned." ".'■•:■.■.'.'''" ;K ':.;.;. . S. MDonald's act in. allowing, the 8.37 train from Prabrah to • pass,'i before ho knew''that tho : ;-8.20-- train; had 'gone., a- : quarter of- a, mile. .•:/.>'•;.■,:' .';•■'■ .';'■' i: The final : mistake, : a'nd> that ...which .Bctually caused :';tho 'collisionj ..was that ; of the engine-driver Melville, .who,'after, receiving'notification, ,by 'the' explosion ■of a. detonator/'', ipf tho position at the distant semaphore,"'did s not '■■ exercise tho •.'' extreme ,caution,' necessary, but,' /passed. ,the : home ! semaphore" whilo it. was ;at ..f'Daiiger!".;'-- His. action was.to/; some . extent ,'escusablej .as. he bad been allowed 'into 'he-.section, : there Jwas. also 'an understanding;,"between ■ Oliphant; the, . Bichmond.'statipDma.ster.'.and.'the, signalmanj' ,Bull, IresultingUn' the absence of \the. fog. signalmen; '.Therefore ;the board, did not. find'Oliphant ,to ;.blame/. ... !

At the /Coroner's ■ inquiry \the '.verdict was. that'.Signalman" M'Donald, •' of-South Yarra, erred' in' holding up the Brighton train; at an, advanced' starter,,but that there was .ho instance of wicked; neglect, and no' evidence . /of ; " criminal'; neglect Sgainst' anybody. v,'.."'i;.'" ... ; ..-.• .•...>.,■„,',,,.