RUNAWAY TRAM

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 92, 13 January 1920, Page 6

RUNAWAY TRAM

» PIRIE STREET FATALITY EVIDENCE AT THE INQUEST I - PERTINENT POINTS RAISED The inquest on the victims of the Pirio Street tram accident was resumed yesterday morning before Mr. P. L. Hollings, S.M. 'Tho. deceased were James Alfred M'Ewen, James Evans, and Joseph Small. Inspector M'llvency appeared for the police, Mr. J. O'Slica for the City Council, and Mr. M. Myers for the widows of James Evans and James Alfred M'Ewen,, Mr. T. Neavo for tho widow of Motorman Joseph Small, and Mr. J. Hutchison for the Tramways Union. The first witness was Jessie Bruhn, wife of Oscar Bruhn, and daughter of the deceased Joseph Small, residing at t 7 Waterloo Avenue with her parent?. Witness saw deceased on the day of the accident, and she got breakfast for him between 10.15 and. 10.30. lie was then quite well, and made no complaints. During the morning ho was working around the garden, and witness observed nothing unusual a? far as . his health was concerned. 110 left hohie for work about a quarter -to 2 o'clock, and did not have anything to' eat or drink before leaving. When deceased had a late breakfast, as on this occas'nn, : t was not unusual for him to go without a mid-day meal. lie took lunch with him i'l the shape of sandwiches. Witness had never hoard of her father fainting at any time, or being subject to ind'gestion, nor had he suffered from influenza or headaches. He had never complained of his nerves. He was a total abstainer. To Mr. Myers: She had been living at homo for a fortnight prior ■ to tho accident. Deceased was at work during the fortnight, having just como back from his holidays. To her knowledge he had-not been under a doctor during the fortnight. John Henry Dinneen, tramway motorman, residing-at 55 Sutherland Road, said that ho camo on duty at 6.1-0 a.m. on the day of the accident. He was relieved at 2.2G p.m. i Ho had been engaged on the Kilbirnie line, and owing to the gala tho cars were subsequently diverted to Lyall Bay.- Ho was driving ear 105, and on bo"'ng relieved in the afternoon he handed tho ear over to the'late Joseph Small. The conductor who took over tho run was a new hand. Car 105 was one of tho later typo of air T brake cars, with 'a saloon on each end, and an open compartment with seats in tho middle. It was. fitted with the Westinghouse brake, the magnetic brake, and also with tho hand-brake. He had previously driven the same car dozens of times. Tho brake operation was all right so far as he was concerned. The'brakes and car. were in first-class order when ho handed the car over to the deceased. The traffic on the Lyall Bay run that day was lighter than the two previous days of the gala. Ha had no instructions to work at a faster speed, or to take leas t : me than usual on the run. Ho did not find the strain of the three days' run to Lyall Bay in any way excessive. He went off duty at 10.26 and came on again at 10.48, being allowed 20 minutes for refreshments. Tho deceased would also be allowed a similar interval. He had found no difficulty in driving his car down the gradienj; from ■ the tunnel to Pirie Street corner. ■ The track was in good order. Interesting Deductions. Witness continued that, assuming something went wrong with a car, if the conductor were conversant with the car he would know how to stop it, Tho proper course for him to take would depend on the knowledge he had. If he were a new man the first thing ho would do, doubtless, would be to knock the ewitcli out and apply the hand-brake. If he were a first-class conductor ho would know what to do. The first thing to do with an air-brake car would be to apply tho air brake (assuming it was off), but from the back he could not apply this. Failing access to tho air-brake, he would apply the band-broke, just as a new conductor would do. Inspector Mcllveney: What else could he hipe done?—" Nothing that I Know." Nothing to tho trolley-polo ? —"That would make no difference." . Witness added that as tho gradient was heavy, the instructions were to have the -air-brake on in descending the hill. All care descended the hill with the brake on—if not the air brake, then with the magnetic brake or hand-brake. Only the hand-brake could bo manipulated by the conductor at the rear of a car. There were -no instructions issued for the'conductor to join tho motorman in the front of tho car in event of trouble. If a conductor were at the rear he would not bo ablo to'use tho magnetic brake, becanse there .were only two handles, and both these were in charge of the motorman. The day of the accident was rather a gusty kind of a, day, To Mr. Myers: He had had ten years service as a motorman, and before that had been a conductor for about two years and a half. Ho was employed at tho time tho "Davey clause" in the Tramway Amendment Act was passed. That clause provided for a central passage right through the cars. A mishap to a motorman was always possible, so that some connection-; — Mr. O'Shea objected to witness being asked to give expert evidence wlwn the experts from the Public Works Department were there to give evidence. The Coroner over-ruled the objection, remarking: "The man is a driver, a practical man, and ho can speak from practical experience." Continuing, witness said that the "Davey clause" was asked for by practical men employed on the tramway?. Counsel asked witness if one reason why it was asked for was bccause it would provide access for the conductor to the front in case of accident. Objection was again raised by Mr. O'Shea, who remarked-. "Mr. Myers is giving evidence. It is laid down that counsel is not to give evidence, but tho witness," The Coroner, in pointing out that it was his duty to get the truth, remarked: "If Mr. Myers has any information that will lead to getting to the bottom of the matter ho will bo performing a public duty." Emergency Measures. The witness then went on to stato that he thought himself that the reason for "tho central aisle in tho cars was that the conductor would bo saved from tho danger of falling off the sido step. Further .cross-cxamined, witness said that if tho conductor was supplied with a duplicate handle ho could apply the air brake at the rear. Personally, however, witness considered this course would bo dangerous unless it were kopt under some proper safeguard. The conductor could also apply tho magnetic brake at the rear if he were supplied with a duplicate, or substitute handle. Thcro was ro provision in tho book of rules as to what a conductor should do in tho caso of an accident. Thcro was, however, a book of rules containing a large number of instructions to conductors to meet certain contingencies, but not to meet a contingency such as the one under levicw. Speaking generally, if anything went wrong with a motorman, a trained conductor should have no .difficulty in 'stopping a car if ho could gfct to tho front of the car. If he wero at tho back of the car and could not get to tho front, he would be in no better position than an untrained conductor. Mr. O'Shea: There are no uotrained conductors. Continuing, witness said that if a conductor had reason to think that tliero was anything wrong with a motorman, it would bo his duty to go at onco to tho front. There was a compulsory stop just on tho city sido of tho ICilbirnio tunnel. If a car passed n compulsory slop—assuming a car was not full—without stopping, ho supposed it was a matter that should call for the immediate attention of the conductor. The .Coroner: It should be an indication that thore is something wrong?— Witness replied in the affirmative, adding that this would be done providing the car was being run under ordinary service conditions and not as a special car. Witness stated that if a car did not stop at an "on reqnest" stop whore poop!o wero waiting, it was, he assumed, the conductor's duty to inquire the reason'. Tho conductor was in charge of tho car, and his only means of ascertaining tho reason was to j.'o forward nnd r ff o thojnotorman. This was still

more necessary in tho case of a compulsory stop. To Mr. Neave: When ho handed over to Motonnmi Small the latter was in his usual health and condition. He had been acquainted with deceased in the tramway (service for 12 or 14 years. Prom his observation of deceased and tho way ho walked, witness was of the opinion that he was a man in perfect physical condition. Tho motorman's seat went about 2!in into the socket on tho floor of the platform which supported it. In order to look out from tho side of tho car ho would have to leavo his seat and stand. It was not possible in shifting from his seat for a man to trip over the eand-punch or the sound gong, . which projected on the floor of the car. A mishap might occur to a motorman and the car proceed some distance before the conductor would be aware that something was wrong. Witness added that once a car got out of control tho i hand-brake would have very little cifcc.t. To Mr. O'Shea: Tho knocking out of the switch at the back of car No. 105 would not cut off the current. The only way to cut off the current from the back on that car was to pull off the pole. A Matter for Experts, Further questioned about the minuto working of- the brakes under certain conditions, witness replied that it was a matter for exports. Mr. Myers: Could you .have a better expert than a man who is driving a car every day? Mr. O'Shea: "Certainly." Mr. O'Shea added that the Public Works experts were more versed in tho subject than a inotormnn could be. Continuing, witness said in answer to Mr. O'Shea, tint it would be quite permissible for a motorman to "coast" down a gradient on the magnetic brake. It was done every day in the week. There was nothing against-the practice of a motorman, after having slowed down, to make a compulsory stop, speeding up again and not making the stop if the conductor, by a signal of two bells, indicated that thcro were no passengers waiting. This was quito a common practice. It would be dangerous for a conductor to have duplicate handles because there would be a possibility of two persons endeavouring simultaneously to operate counter-acting brakes. Pie-examined by Inspector M'llvcnoy, witness said he presumed that the object of- the compulsory 6top on tho city side of the tunnel was for safety. It was not customary to use the magnetic brake on an air-brake car. The speed in coming down the grade was left to the discretion of the motorman. In tho event of any contingency arising on the run down from tho tunnel to tho brougham. Street corner, neither the motorman nor conductor would have much time to take the necessary action. The Court then adjourned, and tho Coroner, counsel, and others concerned witnessed a series of experiments with car No. 106 in Aitken Street. The experiments included the simultaneous operation of brakes on either end of tho - car - On resumption in the afternoon, witness said , 'that, after making experiments, tlie conclusion he arrived at was that if tho conductor was supplied with a duplicate set of handles it would bo possible for him to stop tho car irom the rear, providing tho levers in front wero left at their normal position. In tho eveilt of tho controlling lever being on one notch of power, however, tho operation would have no effect. The switch would blow out as it had done that morning. It would be dangerous to have a duplicato set of handles because somebody might tamper with the brakes while the conductor was away from the back of the car. The Coroner: Might not that be overcome by his having the handles in a secret place?—" Yes." Could you suggest any other method by which a car in thoso circumstances niight be stopped on a dangerous hill?— "No." Except that the conductor .went to tho front?—" Yes." Supposing an emergency man wero provided on all these dangerous hills, would not that be a way of overcoming the danger?—"l could not say. I prefer to leave it to the experts." ' Is that a practicable idea?—" Yes." What a Child Saw. Phyllis Norali Evans, aged. 13 years, daughter of the late James Evans and a passenger on car 105 at tho time of the accident, said that she was sitting in front of the car next to the motorman's glass, and was accompanied by her parents. On tho run from Lyall Bay to the tunnel she had not noticed tho motorman. Emerging from. the tunnel sho saw a. lady standing near the entrance. Just as tho car was coming out of the tunnel, sho saw tho motorman proceed to sound the bell with his foot. The car did not stop after coming out of the tunnel, and she heard a noise as if something had fallen. She looked through, the glass and saw Hie motorman lying faco downwards on the platform of tho car. His head was lying to the left side. Deceased was lying right fiat down on the platform. Witness told her mother that the motorman had fallen over. Iler mother stood up and rang the bell and walked through to the conductor. She first noticed the motorman lying down after tho car ltft the tunnel. It was not very far from the tunnel. Tho speed of the car was not then anything out of the ordinary. Her mother also spoke to her father. Witness did not see tho conductor. When her mother spoko to her father, the latter got np quickly and came to the front qf the car. To Mr. Myers: The motorman rang tho bell'with his foot just before arriving at the stopping place outside tho tunnel. Ihe car went right on and did not stop. No other bell rang except the one which the motorman rang with his foot. Prom the timo the car emerged from the tunnel until the smash, it did not stop. In addition to her mother, sho thought her father also rang tho bell. She did not remember seeing anyone waiting for tho car on the way down from the tunnel except lady waiting just outside the tunnel. To'sfr. O'Shea: The lady waiting outside the tunnel was on tho right hand side of the tunnel. She would not bo waiting to get on the town car, but the Kilbirnie car. She could not tcmll tho car stopping. To tho Magistrate: Her father went out on to the platform where the motorman was. Sho did not sco what ho was doing. Evans's Heroic Act Described. Laura Evans, widow of tho la to James Evans, residing at 182 Sydney Street, ' who was a passenger from Lyall Bay with her husband and daughters oh December 2, said she was in the forward compartment next to tho motorman. The ; compartment did not contain many passengers. She did not observe the motor- ■ man at any time during the journey. ' Coming through the tunnel she thought tho car was going rather slowly, if anyi tiling. After emerging from the tunnel | the car did not stop at all until the : i smash. Immediately after coming out of 1 the tunnel she heard the motorman's boll i ring. They had gone a very little ,d's- ' tance from" the tunnel when her daugh--1 ter told her that tho motorman had 1 fallen. Witness then noticed that tho 1 motorman was lying perfectly still, and ■ tho car was not travelling very quickly, t Witness got up and rang the bell to at--1 tract the attention of the conductor, and " rushed forward and waved the conductor, ' who was standing at the back of the • car facing the front with his arms folded. ' Hnr husband, who was sitting in the 1 smoking compartment, asked her what 3 was wrong, and she told him the niotor- > man was down. Her husband rushed r through to the front, and witness went on to get the conductor. She felt the ' car gaining spoed, and sho rushed back to tho ohildren without accosting him. ■ On rushing back she saw her husband a with ono hand on the motorman' and t tho other on the wheel. The car by tlrs 8 time had gained terrifically in speed. ? When she noticed her husband at the 0 wheel she could feel the car almost roll--1 ing, and then came the crash, as the - result of which her husband was killed. > To Mr. Myers: She waved in a bocknn--0 ing way to the conductor, and called out for him to come. She then rushed i- back. Tho conductor did not follow her, - or go to the front of the car. She did I- not. feel any fear, because she thought S there was time for tho conductor to stop 5' tho car. d Mr. Myers: Had the conductor "M>e to the front when you first beckoned him, it could he have got there before tho t'liio )- when your laic husband got there?— 1, "Yes." Witness subsequently qualified ie her answer. Evidence as to Speed. 1 William JelTrey Boyco, railway porter, 11 residing at Kent Terraco, who was a

passenger 011 tho ear immediately following ear No. 105, slid that he siuv the ill-fated car leaving Lyall Bay. In coming through tlio tunnel ho was sitting in tho front compartment, ami had a full view of car 2vo. 105 in front of the car lie was in. Car Wii was going very slowly through the tunnel, anil he could not say whether it stopped or not after emerging from the tunnel. The iirst. thing that attracted his attention was that the lint of the niotonnan of ear 105 had fallen off 011 to the road. When the hat fell elf he thought car 105 was going to stop, but it went on at the same speed until it approached Austin Street. Tho car witness was in pulled up where tin; hat was lying and remained there till after tho smash. "Witness took the precaution to mark the spot where the hat was lying.' The conductor of car 105 was standing at the back, and when the car had gathered up some speed he ol>served him lock around. Witness thought 110 was looking at the woman on the corner, who was waving her arms. ]lis impression was that tho conductor then tried to apply the brakes, but' he could not swear to it, as everything was so confusing. The next thing he saw was a little girl jump oil', thyn a man jump oft', and ilien another man, the ear being then still in motion. The car then left the rails and overturned, and witness went down to tlio scene of the accident, and assisted with the rescue work. The spot where ho marked the hat was G4 yards (stc-pped off) from the tunnel mouth. To Air. livers: Tho front car was not going very fast, and had not gone, past Austin Street when tho back car stopped at the fallen hat. The front car commenced to go at a fairly fast speed halfWay between Austin Street and Ellice Avenue. To Mr. Neave: The leading car went out of the tunnel slowly, and continual to go slowly at least as far as Austin Street, where the grade was steep. Tie gathered that the motorman had his brakes on, as the car was not going very fast. After the car had passed Austin Street the speed accelerated. In other ■words, over one-half of the grade the ear went slowly, but over the other (the second) half, its speed accelerated To Mr. O'Shea: Witness did not see the conductor doing anything—to the tramway pole, for instance—as he (tho conductor) was facing the second car. At this stage the inquest was ailionmed until this morning. A considerable number of witnesses have still to be heard, and tho inquiry is likely to bo a protracted one.