FATAL TRAM ACCIDENT

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 61, 6 December 1918, Page 3

FATAL TRAM ACCIDENT

THE INQUEST CAR SKIDS IN ELIZABETH . STREET An inquest was he-Id yesterday afternoon by Mr. 1?. V. Frnzer, S.M„ into the circumstances attending the death oj Alfred Thomas, foreman of the gas-ntting department of the Wellington lias Company, who was killed in Kent terrace by a tram-car driven by Motormaii John Scott, on November 13 last, coming into contact with another tram-car. SeniorSergeant Willis conducted tho inquest, Mr. John O'Shea, City Solicitor, appeared for tho corporation, Mr. H. i. OLeary for Motormaii Scott, and Mr. 1. Neave for tho family of the deceased. John Scott, .inolorman, employed by tho Wellington Corporation Tramways for the past five years, and with eight years' previous experience as a motorman in Belfast, said on the date in question he was driving Car No. 112, and •at tho time of tho accident was on his way from Kilbirnie to Wellington. He left Kilbirnie at 7.22 p.m., and pulled up at all regular stops. Had no trouble with his brakes. He stopped at the stopping place at the city end of the tunnol. His next stop was at the corner of Austin Street, the nest at Pino Street at tho turn into Brougham Street, and the next stop was at Elizabeth Street, at the corner of Brougham Street. Alter leaving that stop, where he took up some passengers, lie coasted round tho corner and dawn tho street at about eight miles an hour. About six carlengths down Elizabeth Street he applied tho air brake, which acted by locking the wheels. The ear then skidded. Ho released the air brake so as to allow the wheels to revolve. Ho then applied the magnetic brake, which did not act owing to the air brake shoes not being relensed and the wheels in consequence not revolving. The car continued to skid nt about eight miles per hour. Thero was a compulsory stop at the bottom of the street, which, owing to the skidding ho overran, and got on to the Kent Terrace line. He_ saw an Island Bay car coming along Kent Terrace before he got on to the line, and his car struck the car from Island Bay. When ho pulled up ho saw the body of deceased between the two cars. The 'man never spoke after tho accident, nt was caught by the chest. The impact of the collision released the brakes of his car. A car running in from Elizabeth Street cut in a danger signal twenty yards from the corner, giving warning to a car on approach on the flat. Owing to the skidding ho was unable to cut the signal in time to give warning to the Island Bay car. It was ratlicr dark at the time of tho aceidont. He had known tho shoes to remain locked before. Tho brakes were automatically released by springs. Ho applied the brake in Elizabeth Street at the spot where it was usually applied. To Mr. 'O'Shea: Ho saw Mr. M'GillW? and Mr. O'Shea on the night of tho accident, - 'and made the same statement to them as he had sworn to. Kia action in taking off the air brake and applying the magnetic brako was the proper course to pursue, and was one that was usually effective. Ho had nover had an accident before in his career as a motornuin. The only way ho could ac- ) count for the accident was that some foreign matter had clogged the brake and caused the skidding. To Mr. O'Loary: Alter applying the magnetic brake there was nothing further that he could have done to stop tho car. Had the speed of the car not been so great ho might have been able to reverse Iho ear. To Mr. Neaic: No general instruction had been issued as to travelling down Elizabeth Street. The Kilbirnie car should always make a compulsory stop between the cutting and the corner, and the Island Bay car relied on tho Kilbirnie -car being stopped. The Island Bay car was too near the points to sioy ■ when the signal was actually given without interfering with the down-coming 1 traffic. The rule is that Island Bay cars have to stop unless they are too near 1 the intersection and liable to hold up the

down traffic. Continuing, witness said he feared that a collision was inevitable and lie did his utmost lo make it as light as possible. Had he sounded the gong and caused the Island Bay car to put on the brakes the impact would have been very serious. He had thought or .sounding tho gong, but this other thought passed through his mind and he refrained from doing so. He had all his wits about him at the time, lie examined the rails after tho accident, but could not find any grcaso. He had sanded the rails from tho time the brakes refused to act. When thero wns a • heavy load ■ on a car the shoes sometimes pushed up on the ('aland thus became looked. In his opin on this was what occurred on tho dale cf the accident. Ho did not inspect the wheels of the car to soo if there were indications of grease or tar on them. To Mr. O'Shea: He stuck to tho car in the hope that he would be ablo to do something to pull it up. Ho did everything that could possibly have been ctouu in the circumstances, with the itrult that except for Thomas no one ivas seriously injured. Frederick William JTurkevt, Superintending Engineer of .tho Public Works Department, said that he made an inspection of Cars. Nos. 112 and 111 cm November 26. The former was tho lulbirnie car, and the latter tho Island Bay car. He was assured that the cars had not teen touched since the date of tho accident. Car No. 112 was taken to the Kilbirnie tunnel and let run down r:iio Strcot, making the emergency stop, the cur wns run on .again, and another emergency stop mado. Both brakes acted satisfactorily. The car came down in Hie ordinary way. stopping at the ordinary stops. Tho car when let go from Brougham Street corner would not develop a speed of 25 miles an hour. When the car was travelling down Elizabeth blreot at over 25 miles an hour, the air b'.d;e was applied and'the car was immediately stopped without any trouble. On .i second test, when tho car was travelling 20 miles an hour, it was stopped satisfactorily by tho magnetic brake, tho -cat travelling 18 miles an hour *as » °pped by tho hand brake m l«ft. He ctnshlered that all the brakes were in perfect order and acted normally. Ih.o lest of Car No. 11l was also sahstaeto. . Thero wore fiats on one pair of "hce on Car No. 112. In his opinion not nil t],o wheels of the car were locked on the date in question, and he loubtc whether any of them were locked. Lac car without passengers would woigi al cnt 15 tons. If the oar skidded thiougli lvckinn UP grc-iuse or tar ho could ho. on he of it skidding to the corner unless the speed at the star was exc - We. During U* teste with ho cai coasting from the top ot HizaW' Stioel, commencing at rest, he con d not attain Soli miles bv the t me,ot reaehins tho foot of the lull. A too sudden plication of the brake or a.greasy I rail, would cause the wheels to sk . Possibly an air passage was bocki , which prevented the shoe, being leased bv the automatic springs, but ins wa? no? likely, as the air brake had acted perfectly at the previous stops. To Mr. O'Shea: Tho corporation had done nothing to prejudice the> pes,.ion so far as ho was concerned. Ho was satisW grease on U,e rails or on the wheels tho brakes Old At quite so w,U. Had Iho car bee" travelling at n nnilorm speed miles an hour it won d have ' motornmn 20 seconds to liull from tho time tho brakes wcie put on until the point of collision. To Air Ncavo: Tho presence of tar or graseon the wheels would not prevent the air brake from working, but wo d weaken tho grip. If the air brake ww proper ly manipulated the shoes would b eleuied, notwithstanding the presence 'Cor tease on the or rails If the wheels were locked by he a brake it would »» ""'V E >» B »« magnetic brake Iron; the 11.. I nig oi one nair of wheels he deduced thai llu. skidded ami that the others had not skidded. Damage was visible on both U AMhis stage the further hearing of evkenco wan" adjourned to Saturday morning. There are still six witness to bo examined.