CONDUCTOR'S DEATH.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1858, 18 September 1913, Page 8

CONDUCTOR'S DEATH.

FAIL FROM FOOTBOARD.

THE STATE OF THE LINE RAISED,

The circumstances attending the death of tram-conductor Frank Broecfon formed tho subject of an inquest which was conducted by Dr. M'Arthur, S-M-. yesterday, nnd a verdict of accidental death was returned. Conductor Breedon fell from Gar 17 on tho Oriental Bay line on Saturday might, and on Sunday morning ho died in the public hospital. Car 17 is a combination car with an outside step. Mt. J. O'Sliea: City Solicitor, represented the Wellington Corporation at the inquest, and Mr. A. {Blanr appeared for the relatives. Motorman William John Hiklor, who •was driving Car 17' at the time of the accident^stated in evidence that when approaching Grass Street he heard money I'alLon the road-. He madq an emergency stop, and on looking back saw his conductor lying on his back on tlio road. He also gave other details. The injured. conductor was taken to JJIr. Donnelly's residence, axid there attended to until a doctor arrived. Witness could hot account'for the accident. The car. was travelling at a speed of ''about fourteen miles. ,As far as he could say .there were four' or five pas- ■ songors .off the car, Covering the ourvo ■between the terminus and Grass Street .'cars always gave ''a bit of a kiok." The conductor had been found lying about twelve paces on the Grass Street side •of this-curve. • The track was' bumpy on all tlio'Curves of the Oriental Bay • track'. The curve was .slight, but the "kick," which hp'.ascribed I ,': to faulty, 'track construction, •had always been there. The car was one with an outside ■step—not a centro aisle. I Iho City Solicitor (Mr. J. O'Shea): Do you know that a new rail was put in on tlmt curve on April 28? 'Witness: No. Don't you know that the fault .was 'then remedied?—"lt has not been - f ' • '> ■■ ■" How far from this bad place was the '■accident?—".'\bout twelve paces." A passenger on the car, Jesse Durrant, of Tapiri Street, Kilbimie, deposed that' tlio . conductor had gone through the box part of tho car and had •gone into tho open pairt when tho car suddenly ■ stopped.': Ho then saw tho conductor lying oh the .road. Percy Charles Tite. clerk in the employment of Messrs'. • Harcourt and Co,, iLvho was travelling by;the car, stated that he witnessed the accident, which lie desoribed as follows :-r"As the conductor took a step down to tho footboard with his right foot, and was ( swinging his loft foot round, tho car : simultaneously gave a lurch or a kiok, ;and the conductor lost his balance and Hfell on the' road." • <" •' J Arthur Gardiner, superintendent of jtto permanent way, maintenance branch of the tramways, was called by the City Solicitor. Ho said,that some of the curves were worn and that they were .•putting on check rails to make them /'good again. At the time of the acci--1 dent tli e oua'vo in question was in very fair order. Some cars migflit kick on the curve, and some would not. A gre.it doal, too, depended on the speed of the car. A car running in parallel (a technical term which in the case of Car 17 meant full'speed) would almost (certainly kick at any curve, . One of the house surgeons at tho ■■Wellington Hospital, Dr. M'Call, stated that the deceased was admitted to the hospital at about 10.30 last Saturday night. He waa unconscious then, and did not recoverconsciousness . before death. Dcatti occurred' at about 2 a.m. on Sunday. The.causie'of death v/as fracturo of the base of the skull, with contusion of t!he brain audi'haemorrhage. Tho coroner found that Conductor Breedon. died of /injuries received through falling from the car.