PETONE RAILWAY FATALITY

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2686, 4 February 1916, Page 7

PETONE RAILWAY FATALITY

-• —$ — the inquest

An inquest concerning the death of John Chapman, a porter, who was killed as tho result .of an accident at ietona Railway Station, was 'conducted' at i'etone yesterday by thb Coroucr, i»r. D. 6. A. Cooper. Mr. T. M. \A liiorcl appeared oil behalf of tlie ThoMdon branch of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants, Mr. P. for tho Railway' Department, aa.d Mr. Jr. J. O'Regan for the mother of'tho deceased. Alfred Hicford, engine-driver, stated that deceased was in charge of shunting operations on. the evening of tho accident, and whilst these were in progress he stepped between wagons when in motion, for the purpose of uncoupling the same. He had uncoupled ton instead of twelve, and was trying to rectify the mistake, but ought to liavo given instructions for the train to stop. When deceased did not reappear, witness shut off_stcam, and shortly afterwards Mr. W. Lea called from tho overhead bridge that there had,beeii. an accident. He immediately applied the emergency brake. To Mr. Wilford: "Witness now knew that deceased was a porter, and not a. | shunter. If he had no knowledge of shunting ho would be in danger of his. life. '' One of the chains had been nil-,; coupled, . showing that deceased liadj, commenced uncoupling operations. Owing to tho presence of the interlock-: ing bar, it would be doubly dangerous i to step between moving trucks. Wit-' ness described the process of tincoupling. ,To Mr. O'Regan: Interlocking gear was not always covered, but in somo instances it was.

Dr. H. AV. Harding gave formal evidence of being called to viow the body. David Grcig, fireman,' gave evidence as to the stopping of the train and tho finding of deceased under a wagon. Witness described tho spot where the accident took place, . and stated that there was 110 obstruction on the track, but there were interlocking bars whieli were covered to within a foot of tho rails. In his opinion if these were covered up it would not interfere with tho working of the points. Patrick AV. Quin, guard on the train at the time of the stated that Chapman was engaged 111 \ shunting, taking his instructions from witness. He was standing about fifty yards from where the accident occurred, and told deceased to cut off fourteen wagons, which he did. After taking the wagons down a different road, "witness saw the driver running down the track, and 'heard him call out that the shunter was killed. Uncoupling wagons in motion was frequently done, hut was dangerous, more so at this particular spot, on account of the interlocking rods. AVitness had done shunting work in company with deceased frequently, and the latter appeared to understand the work. It was a common practice for porters to do shunting work. It was risky to .stop in between wagons, with tho Westingliouso brakes on, and all tho couplings up, as was. the condition 011 this occasion.

AVm. Lea, carter, stated that lie saw deceased fall under tho _ wagon, and he called to tho engine-driver to stop, which he immediately did.

ilobt. Henry. Simons, stationniaster at Petone, stated that Chapman's duties were to do shunting and platform ivork ill connection with goods • trains. Deceased was a porter under "D 3," and was engaged on May 5, 1913, and made a permanent hand on February 2, 1914. He was engaged in. tho goods yards at Wellington for nine months. Other porters did shunting work at Petone. Witness considered deceased a capable man to do the work of shunting, as hd wn.s active and intelligent. _ The regulations were against stepping between, moving trucks, but it was done by experienced men. , There was no method by which such actions could bo prevented. There was nothing to indicate that deceased tripped over rocks. About six months would be ample time for an average man to beconio proficient in shunting. Instructions are to porters and shunters ou hand coupling, etc. .

Henry Jones, coach foreman at Wellington, stated he had known deceased, who, although not a first-olass shunter, was aJxive the average in ability for the ivoirk. He had been about six or seven months in tho shunting yard at Wellington, and witness considered him competent to do the work at Petone. On both wharf shifts at Wellington there was a- sliuntcr and porter on each shift. Deceased had acted as assistsait shunter for six or seven months, and was paid as a porter. Asfc this stage Mr. Wilford asked for an 'adjournment, in order "fo produce evidence to "show that a system had grown up whereby porters did slijuitiiig wonk at porters' wages; a work that required special training. fflie Coroner, however, ruled that this was outside; of the scope of tho inquiry. He was satisfied on the evidence' that whilst deceased may not have been a first-class shunter, lie had sufficient experience and intel%enc6 to bo employed intermittently at shunting work. The Coroner's verdict was: v 'Th.it the deceased met his deatli 'through being run over by a train ,'whilst shunting at Petone Railway Station, as tile result of an accident, and ~.iio blame was attachable to anyone."' . Tho Coroner also expressed the opinI'ion that the engine-driver of the train was to bo commended for his promptness in bringing tho train to a standstill.