SPEED OF CARS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1878, 11 October 1913, Page 8

SPEED OF CARS.

TRAMWAYS INQUIRY.

THE ORIENTAL BAY FATALITY.

SIDE-STEP QUESTION,

The Public Works Department inquiry into the Wellington tramways systom, arising out of tho recent fatal accident to Conductor Breeden at Oriental Bay, was concluded yesterday. Tho evidence dealt chiefly with tho speed of cars round tho curve at which Breeden lost his life. Dr. A. M'Arthur, S.M., presided. Mr. P. S. K. Macassey appeared oil behalf of tho Publio Works Department, Mr. J. O'Shea for tho City Corporation, and Sir. A. W. Blair for the Wellington Tramways Union. Alteration of Gars. Mr. O'Shea said that the council would have on tho road by November 1, 19 combination cars, altered from the side-step to the central passage. Mr. Blair: How many have been altered since this inquiry opened? Mr. O'Shea: Three. Mr. Blair: Wo say six. His Worship: Perhaps if we adjourn again wo might got some more. Mr. O'Shea said that there was no need to discuss the side-step question, as the side-step had already been abandoned by tho City Council. He noticed that in Christchurch it was contended that tho side-step was necessary to tho safety of the publio. However, as the council had definitely decided to abandon tho step, any discussion on the point now would bo purely academic. Stuart Richardson, Corporation Tramways Engineer, called_ by Mr. O'Shea. produced a list showing tho dates of completion of cars now being converted into centre-passage cars. To Mr. Blair: Three or four cars — perhaps more —had been altered since the inquiry started. To Mr. O'Shea: Tho occurrence of tho accident had resulted in a "speeding up" of tho work of altering tho cars. Danger of Side-Steps. Opening his case for tho -union, Mr. Blair said that he was going to call evidence to show that a large number of accidents had happened in connection with side-step care. He did not say that tho City Council was to blamo in every case, hut it was a noticable fact that every ono of the accidents had taken place in connection with the side-stop. Ho did not propose to read evidence with regard to the state of tho track. That was a question on which an expert like Mr. Holmes could say more than any motorman or conductor.

Mr. O'Shea said that Mr. Blair waß now abandoning his ground. There was no uso ajguing the question of tho side-step, as tho City Council had already agreed with the Government to abandon it. Tho only question which might hav» been in dispute was tho stato of tho tTaok. If Mr. Blair had taken up tho attitude ho was now assuming, there would have been no need for the inquiry. Running Late. Dealing with tho circumstances of tho fatality, Mr. Blair said that observation had shown that cars mostly left tho terminus at Oriental Bay somewhat late so that motormen had no time to slow down, at tho curve where tho accident happened. He read a list showing tho lateness of several cars, a3 observed, on one day recontly. Mr. O'Shea: Only 30 seconds late. Mr. Blair: But that is a large amount to havo to mako up in an lb-minutes' run. Both Mr. O'Shea and Mr. Macassey objected to evidence on this question, Which .they said was unnecessary. His Worship Baid that the evident of lateness would be some excuse—if it might be so called—for fast running round tho curve. He _ thought the Court had: hotter hear it. Kenneth Curtis Aitken, law clerk, said that on Saturday afternoon last he had checked the starting-times of' cars from Oriental Bay. Ho found that many.of them left after the time-table. Ho handed in a list, showing tho start-ing-times of tho cars. Prevalence of Accidents. William Charles Noot, secretary of ' the Wellington Tramways Union, said that ho had kept a list of accidents serious or otherwiso, which had happened to conductors. In August, 1912, just after ho had been appointed, a fatal accident occurred, and he prepared a list of all accidents of which ho could get information from the Department's records. Oil the list there were somo twenty unreported cases. Since that date he had kept the list up-to-date, as accidents were reported. To Mr. O'Shea: The accident by which Conductor Crawford sustained concussion of the brain was a fall from a side-step. It was the duty of conductors to see that tho middle step of the running-board was down. Mr. O'Shea: Well, it was because Crawford forgot to put down the board that ho sustained his accident. Can tho City Council be held responsible for accidents caused by tho carelessness of tho inen themelves? , Mr. Blair: But sinco the aocident you havo rendered a repetition impossible. You havo fixed all tho steps together. Ho went on to say that they did not contend that all the accidents had occurred by reason of the side-Btep, but they were all' on side-step carß. The great majority of them would happened had there been no side-step cars. Mr. O'Shea: They would not have happened if there had been no cars. - Mr. Blair: Oh, I supposo not; or if they had stoppod in bed. Motormcn's Evidence. A. J. Mills, motorman, said that tho gonoral practice of drivers was to shut off power on approaching tho curve, and allow their cars to coast round. If they were running late, or desired to maito speed for any other reason, they went right through without shutting off power. The average speed round tho curvo might bo from 12 to 14 miles per hour. Without cutting-out, the car might make 18 miles an hour on the curvo. He bad often gone round "in parallel." To Mr. O'Shea: It was absolutely safe to go round "in parallol." Mr. O'Shea: Is it snfo for a man on tho footboard? —"It deponds on tho hold ho has." Mr. O'Shea: Is it safe for a young conductor, who has only been threo months in the service?—"lf I thought there was any danger I should warn tho conductor." In answer to further questions, tho witness said that with a palaco car on a straight run, a speed of 33 miles an hour had been attained. _ Tho usual rato of speed of a car running fast was from 18 to 21 miles an hour. He would not contradict a statement that tho avorago working speed of cars—including ijtops—was iO miles an hour. Albert G. Ward, motorman, said that if traffic were heavy in tho city he would try to mako up a minute between Oriental Bay and Courtenfiy Place, so as to arrive tlioro early and leave on time. A number of other motormen gave evidonce of their individual systems of running on tho Oriental Bay route. One of theso witnesses, J. Herlihy, said that ho was sure tho tram rait at the curve had been tampered with since tho accident. There had been an alteration just »t> tho joint, Ho had no-

ticed just after tho accident that the car did not give its accustomed double ''kick," just at this place. Ho examined the rail, and found that it had been filed. Dr. M'Arthur suggestod that the driving may have had something to do with tho absence of tho "kick," but the witness said that ho drove in his usual manner. Ho could not say whether or not the filing had boon done by the machine, but he was sure it had beon done. At this stage tho Court adjourned until tho evening. An Evening Sitting. When tho inquiry resumed in the evening, Mr. 0 Shea called Mr. W. H. Morton, Citjr Engineer, who said that ho had examined the rail, and was sure it had 1 not beon tampered with. Percy 6. Taylor, motorman, said that ho considered it quite safo to drive through the curve "in parallel." Mr. O'Shea: Did you feel a "kick" when you passed the joint?—"Yes-." Mr. O'Shea: Don't you feel a. "kick" on driving through any curve "in parallel" ?—'"Not necessarily." Mr. O'Shea: Wo called half a dozen motormen, who said they would not drive round that curve "in parallel." What do you say to that?' —"Well, they drive differently to me." In answer to Dr. M'Arthur, tho witness said that, although there was no danger n proceeding under power, motormen coasted round tho curves, because it saved power. Mr. Blair; That is an instruction to motormen. Several other motormen gave evidence on similar lines. After somo half-dozen witnesses had been examined, Dr. M'Arthur asked Mr. Blair if he wished to call any more. Surely ho was not expected to decide the matter by counting up the witnesses on each side? > Mr. Blair said that ho had other witnesses, if necessary, but ho did not propose to call them. He could, had ho so wished, have called 90 per cent, of the motormen in tho city. Addressess by Counsel. Mr. Macasscy said that ho had no remarks to make. Tho City Council had applied to the Department t-o havo an inquiry held under tho Public Works Act. The Department had no charge to make against tho council. ■ Mr. Blair submitted that the evidence disproved the allegation that Motorman Hilder's driving was tho causo of the. accident. He asked that special weight bo given to tho evidence or Mr. Holmes, that Hilder had not taken the curvo at a dangerously fast pace. Tho tramway officers must navo known that motormen took tho curve at a good pace, but they had never made any objection. Mr.- O'Shea said that thero were three charges: —(l) That there had been negligenco on the part of the corporation or its officers; (2) that there was a fault in tho track; (3) that the tram was not in order. The two last had been effectively disposed of by tho evidence. He submitted that the matter at fault was tho motorman's driving. If cars were to bo taken round curves at this speed, thero would be moro accidents. Dr. M'Arthur: But the witnesses havo said that they always ran through "in parallel." and no previous accident had occurred. Mr. O'Shea: But I submit that they did not run through "in parallel." If they went through at this speed, they would bo always ahead of their time. Driving of this kind constitutes a grave danger to the publio, and motormen who drive In this way are«not fit to drive. His Worship said that ho would deliver his decision to tho Minister.