PERIL OF CROSSINGS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1729, 21 April 1913, Page 7

PERIL OF CROSSINGS.

ON THE RAILWAY.

UOCTOIVS OPINION AT INQUEST, (Bj Telegraph,—Special OorresDondent.! Marton, April 10. Tho great danger to which tho travelling public is exposed at railway crossings was freely commented oil lit tho inquest concerning'ibo fatality of Wednesday last; when Mr. Broad, a highly respected citizen of Marlon, was so badly hurt that ho succumbed to his injuries. It was pointed out Unit last year <1 child was killed at Iho samo crossing - , and though tho coroner had added a rider to tho verdict at tho inquest, i lint tho speed of trains at tho crossing in question was too great, nothing had been <lono by tho Department, owing to the fact that the coroner was a Stato official. lied tnpo seemed to bo more important lo tho Department than people's lives. Dr. Scott, in giving evidence, contrasted tho position nt Homo in regard to railway crossings with that obtaining in llio Dominion. In England tho train ffirvicos, he said, wero under tho control of private companies, who wero compelled by tho Government'to provide gales nt crossings lor the protection of tho public, whereas in New Zealand tho railways wero owned by tho Government, and in this caso the public were compelled to protect themselves.

The general opinion throughout tho district is that if any private Company woro responsible for as many deaths ot open and unprotected crossings as the Govorni mcnt railway trains are, eifectivo measures would bo taken to prevent a Continuation. Dr. Scott went on to say that thero were a number of bad crossings in tho Marton district, and lio had ono in mind where there was tho warning "Look out for the engine," and' yet' it- was absolutely impossible to -see a train coming. Ho thought that tho people' of Marton should tnko tho matter up and compel the Government to protect life. At Homo the crossings woro guarded by men. wherever automatic closing gates were Jiot in use. These men, who wero provided with little cottages near tho crossing, closed tho gates at tho approach of a train, and consequently- fatalities such as they wero now mourning in Marton wero rcduccd to a minimum.

With regard to the rc-quest of the'coroner last year that speed should be reduced at this particular crossing, it was pointed out, at a later stage of tho inquiry, that during tho last few' months tho speed of the train had actually been accelerated from 25 to 30 miles ail,hour, owing to the Wanganui agitation' that "Weary Willio" should bo compelled io run faster.

■ i lie CEgmodriver of the train said that tho crossing was taken at the rate of 25 miles an hour. IJe admitted there was no speedometer on the Wellington-New Plymouth express, and the estimate of the rate of speed which ho liad given was his own calculation. When ho. put on tho emergency brake the train was pulled up in its own length.