THE ACCIDENT AT HANOVER STREET RAILWAY CROSSING.

Evening Star, Issue 3817, 19 May 1875, Page 3

THE ACCIDENT AT HANOVER STREET RAILWAY CROSSING.

An inquest was held at the hospital at noon to-day, before Mr T, M, Hooken, District Coroner, and a jury of twelve (Mr John M Laren being foreman) on the body of Thomas Borland, whose death resulted from injuries caused by an accident which happened to him on the railway-crossing at Hanover street on the evening of Friday last. The Coroner explained that the case was of such considerable importance, that after taking some evidence it would be necessary to adjourn the inquiry.' Deceased received injuries resulting in death a few nights ago by a train running over him at the Hanover street crossing. He (the Coroner) had that morning inspected the place, and it was advisable that at the adjournment the jury should do so. Deceased was undoubtedly trespassing on the line f a walking from his work from the Dunedin end towards Port Chalmers, and when he came to the crossing crossed over the cattle-stopper, nsed for preventing cattle trespassing on the line, A more dangerous trap be (the Coroner) never saw. A culvert ran at right angles under the crossing, and anyone getting his foot between 'two of the planks could not extricate it without considerable trouble. Part of the crossing was certainly on the sireet line, the street being consequently narrowed there; and therefore it was of great importance the railway inspector (Mr Matheson) should be summoned. There was no gate whatever at the crossing, and it seemed to show some want of care on the part of the Government in not having one. The following evidence was then given j—• William Bishop, railway guard on the Dunedin and Port Chalmers hue, was in charge of the 7-15' p.m. train from the Port on Friday evening last. He knew nothing of the accident. The crossing in question was a level one, and at the north and east ends of it there was called a Yankee cattle crossing, for the purpose of preventing cattle trespassing on the fine, and to do away with the gates running parallel with the line. He could not say why the crossing protected on to the street fine; and there was no preventive to persons trespassing on the line. By the jury; There are no lights at this point. The night in question was daik atod dmding. Deceased must have been trespassing on the line: when the accident occurred. Persons frequently trespassed along the line at night. The Coroner: Have no steps been taken to prevent them ? Witoess: We have taken steps, but I believe there is no Act of Parliament to prevent them doing so. The permanent Inspector of Ways frequently wished to prosecute people for treepassing on the line, but Mr Stout, the Brovindal Solicitor, had given it as his opinion that no legal steps could be taken to prevent them. Thomas Graham, engine-driver to the 7.15 train from Port Chalmers, on the night in question heard some-one calling when the train was within about 100 yards of the Hanover street crossing. As children were always playing about here, and shouted at the approach of the train, he paid no unusual attention to the cries, not being able to distinguish them. - He had whistled just after leaving Peliobet Bay, and knew nothing of the accident.

Jane Baten,. living close to the Hanover street crossing, deposed that about eight o’clock on Friday night last she saw a man walking along riie railway-line towards Pelichet Bay. She afterwards found that he had got his foot in the crossing, and on going up to him, saw his foot jammed in the cattle-catcher. They found it impossible to get his foot out before the train passed over him. The Stab runner ran along the line to fry and stop the train. William Wilson, living near the crossing in question, said that shortly before eight o’clock on Friday, night his wife told him there was a man on the railway-line, _ and that they could not get him off. _ He immediately ran out, and by the aid of the engine light he saw a man lying at his full lenrth between the rails. The train passed over him, and he said, “ Oh, relieve my leg.” Witness laid hold of the one fast in the grating, and deceased said it was the other one. Witness then got the other leg free; it was lying under the flamge of the. rail, quite smashed. Deceased was then removed to the Hospital He was quite sensible. A lamp at the crossing would not have enabled the driver to see more than twenty-five yards. The distance betweeen the nils of the crossing varied from about one and a-half to three and a quarter inches. The larger space would allow ■ a man’s foot to slip through, but ityrould not bo easy to drag it out again. The cow-catcher encroached two feet on the street hue and was very dangerous, as there were so many children playing about. He thought it should be called a “mancatcher,” and not a cow-catcher. When this trap or catch was laid down the gates were removed, and the “catcher” was on what should be the footpath. The Coroner: It is, indeed, a most dangerous trap.

A juror said the man could not have been trespassing, as he was really on the street line, and the Joroner said that was where the difficulty was, and that it necessitated Mr Matheson s being summoned. _ James,, Pollen, Stab runner, (who said that Boland did not seem to be sober) and deceased’s wife, having been examined, the inquiry was adjourned tjll to-morrow, for the production of Mr Matheson.