MAIN TRUNK DISASTER

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2174, 12 June 1914, Page 6

MAIN TRUNK DISASTER

MORE ABOUT THE SIGNALS

LEVER LOCKED AT. DANGER

GREEN LIGHT SHOWM

EXONERATION OF A DRIVER,

<fty felegra.-ph.-.Pr!sss Associatian.) AaoWand, June 11. Tlw inquest regarding tho deaths of the l&e-e victims of the Wli*ng.amariiio railway disaster was cwithitted to-dav before Mr, P.>, Frazer, S.M. JoSGpli Hill, .'engintKltWer -of the goods tj,\iin, stated that when, fie passed tlio r/orier sitting on the lever ho saw no light ahead. His engine and eight wagons Ijacl gaaft on the siding, and BQvera} vehicles Wfire. etill on fte main Itoe, when lie saw the huad-Ughk of the express Jtist boyontl Iho station foiiMmg, He gave the danger sigaial, but the crash came a few tceoiidis late, no walked to the signal lever, which he found at "daftge.r," aud iwspwrtw'd the eignal it-self, which s-kowed a fall green light for -"all efcar."

William N. Oallcy, fij'ehiaii on goods train No. 81 j corroborated Ms driver's rtatome-nt i-espeetiag their doings .prior t-o the cefiision, Stoiw (driver of the express) aiid othezs cajue past botwe.en Svo and rifteftn miimtes after tho ctash, and Stoiio BUggssW that witness shotilf! accompany them along to the signal, awl he went. . Ho saw iio m\6 iiitorfcfirig with, the signal wire, and. after going about 20 yards past tho' -light. they were quite satisfied 'that it 'was showing green.

Alfred Christian fesen stated that the ngllt Was shewing gi-eort, jvliik ills fevers were in the danger position after tlio .(iceideiit.

Gold Afe.eis Semaphore V/lrs, Joseph Henry Wlntbiira, (Ki-rpentor in the employment of tire Railway Departmoist.; stated that iio was a'passenger liy the express. . After t,fe accidc»t°ho mado oim of tho party that- went along fa inspect the south signal. Witness went about 50 yards jbst 'tte signal, and saw- a fflll li«lit *&& io steeak el red showing. In wil-Ij Stene ho tjieii lEspcctod tli? tever at tho sbatkiJ, and found it at "da-ivge.r.," and lecked. Witness, who stated 'ttuvt he had .β-weted the signals, .ttecla-reS that it w-e s quite possible for tho back ltglit to bo ©>sewrod, ami j-«t for the front light- to bfr e&owing" partly red snd partly green. Chief-Deteptive M'Maho-n: Mi yon tench Hie wire si ail? ■ • Witness; Well, when I tfas on the■ bank, after looking at tho light, I fell across tho wire, and, as I jwfced nj.yse.ff tfp-. I Wionght of the possibility <rf th.e wire haviiig eont!raot«! tlirougfi the W tempferatisre, eo I felt it, and found tlmt it was quite tkht. Witness MiM that he had been eampecij on ono oeo,teion., for abmifc throe u-Geks at- Whaiißam-arino, lint did not hear 0i sbo any cliffimiftj' regarding the signals or levers while there, Jehu Eei-itj ■GrewliMFst, .. trifrt CsamittOTi statittnftl at JjeTCOr., said in ansiver to a qttSsfcioi) tliat Ms'onJy eS' planatiw ef the tlufhngetoetifc of tiio SignalliiiK aftparfttßS was tliJi* the cold ti'eathoi , had c.MWractetl the. "wire, fie M tow known such a thing to Iftpiien . , .... Drltfd? stone Blameless. 4 A great deal further ovitece w-a-s' pivcii by drinjFs-of'varfoits trains in CBBiiertww wit'Ji tte signal, -vcMcli,, it was slated, was lVOfkhig correc.% at t;ivq e'olock in ttte jiujfftiiig. This -Wiicladctl tte ericloneo for the tljj', . Before the iwjttiry g:dj<7unied s Mr. J. R. B-eed, K.C.j astal'tha tooncr if he was prepared to mcanferaie Ujo Mvcv of the -esprcsrs. Ko- avi'terce, lie ?iaid, wwild be eaKfld jtnplioa-tmg Stem* at ajl

(3rieJ>l)afc«!tiv6 M'Mahon agreed that this was bq.

"As far !>s Stoae is- co'lieernedj" saifl tlie Coa-ener, "rite matter is at aii tiid. Nβ hbme is attacliJille te Mia." .The inquiry flas then adjoiiTiied until the next rooming.