A SHUNTER'S DEATH

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2191, 2 July 1914, Page 8

A SHUNTER'S DEATH

LAMBTON STATION FATALITY

YARD LIGHTING AND STAFF

CRITICISED

An inquest was held in the Magistrate's Court yesterday concerning the death of Andrew Moyes, a shunter, who was killed whilst at work in tho Lambton Station railway yards on Monday night last. Mr. D. G. A. Cooper, S.M., Coroner, presided. Senior Sergeant Mitlfaney represented tho police. Mr. M. Myers appeared for .the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants, and the widow; and Mr. A; Watson, Traffic Inspector, watched proceedings on behalf of the Railway Department.

After medical evidence had been given by Dr. C. R. Henry, Henry Frank Marshall, shunter at the Lambton railway yards, described the circumstanccs surrounding the fatality. Witness was shunting at the south end of tho yard and Moyes was at that time oil shunting duty on the wharf. Botween 8.45 and 9 p.m. Moyes arrived in the yard with an empty wagon from the wharf. Witness was working, on another train and Moyes stopped without receiving a signal to do so. Witness asked Moyes what ho was going to do, and the latter replied that he was going to "slip" his wagon on to another train. Witness said that he would take the points and Moyes went, on with his . work. Tho last 'witness saw was a . signal to tho driver of tho engine to case up when "slipping." When two wagons • had gone through the points, witness turned the points in order to allow Moyes's wagon to run on to-another line. After doing this he looked up" to where Moyes's wagon was, and saw that it was not running. At tho same time he heard Moyes call out. Witness went hack and found him lying on the rails, with the front wheel of the "wagon resting_ hard up against his left hip. Ho assisted to carry the man away-, and sent for a doctor. ' Lights in the Yard. In reply to' questions, witness said that the deceased might have'eaught his heel in the points srheii "slipping" the wagon; or lie might have been sitting on a' wagon after 'slipping,", arid - 'the jerk of the engine might havo knocked, liim off. There were not sufficient lights iii tho yard, and owing to tho. darkness in some, nails of tho yard witness always made a practice of watching his mates when they were slinping. '.If there had been a light over the points, witness might have been ablo to see what deceased was doing. To Mr. Myers: A fair amount of light was necessary for shunting onerations' at night. There should have been two more litrhts at least—one in the vi'cinity of tho accident and the other further south.- The deceased was a very light and active man, and a good shunter. An engine of the "S" class was being used for shunting, and this class of engine was not very good for this work ; they threw'out too much steam when taxed to any extent. The, engine would .bo taxed to iis utmost durinc the operations.on the night of tho accident. The qiiantitv of steam at times was so great that for a moment it conld not be seen through. It would be possible for the steato to confuse the movements of tho man,who was "slipning." Other cncrines werb different. On Monday night it was very cold and tho steam was very plentiful... The. el?ss-.of engine was in general use for shunting. Was Yard Understaffed? Tho work that tho deceased was.doing was more than ono man could do'. Representations oil this point had been made to the Railway Department. Witness produced a petition signed by 16 shunters, presented to tho Department in Octobor, 1913, in which application was inado for ail extra "shunter" for wharf work.' The deceased and witness had attached their signatures to the petition. A reply, dated June. 24, 1914, was received from tho Department, intimating that an addition was to be mado to'the shunting staff in order to allow, tiyo shunters on - tho wharf. _ Charles Francis Green, engine-driver, said that he received a signal from the deceased to case lip and "pull out."— i.e., draw away from tire wagon which deceased was "slinping," To Mr. Myerr.. In the night of the accident, the steam coining from tho engine would not affect tlm shunters. Tho Coroner returned a verdict to the effect that +.he deceased Andrew Moyes was accidentally killed in the Lambton railway yards on tho night of June 29, there being no blame attachable to anyone. '