THE ACCIDENT AT HANOVER STREET RAILWAY CROSSING.

Evening Star, Issue 3818, 20 May 1875, Page 3

THE ACCIDENT AT HANOVER STREET RAILWAY CROSSING.

The adjourned inquest touching the death of rnomas Holland, caused by injuries sustained oy the accident at the Hanover street Railway crossing on Friday evening, was held at the !& f d n y b . efore the District Coroner, when the following additional evidence was given

John Matthewson, inspector of permanent ways, deposed that the crossing in question encroached on to the street line because, when the hue was made, the street was not properly Ivlfl 6 9fV Th A° n £ i: *® e adth of the crossing was 12ft., and he had widened it. It was still however, narrower than the street line The gates were removed about four months ago. as they were found to be an annoyance -children congregating on them. The Coroner : You are aware that the law i eqmres gates to be at crossings and a man to take charge of them? w Witness ; I am not aware. The Coroner : It is the law. t ; Znl!on..v^ ned - : a N ° Precautions are +wit-* P® raons trespassing on the fine n °. A * ct of Parliament enabling TOng o^ 86 1 a boards, a juror, ir, answer to a i mark from Mr Convers, said thil ho a fiTL i Irora mt lost his life there would W \ a,h/rtV more fuss ■ hut ou,ti bav. : been a t -reat deal r" ~ mss , but here, because it was t, nonr working lean, they wiAei lo !mo ‘P oo ' John ►.ampson, station -manager at t Bay staked that he had frequently'ifnld de censed agamrt trespassing on the )L Re V r i m the habit of pa»iagaloa g ukLr" aßer ’ Baii tut trespassing along the line but rß ? ns possible to prevent thin Wou M be lni ' mada in the Tt,! 1 1 provi ? lon was narrow the etreet at th, crMafcji “j^

much safer to contract the crossing. If gates weie placed on each crossing between this and L- e C1 u ut , ha ’ an ? a man at each, it would take the whole earnings on the line to support then*. Gates would be required at every 300 yards. S. H. Mirams, City Surveyor, deposed that Hanover street East was not formed, and that until recently there had been no traffic there except to the beach for sand. He considered the crossing there amply safe, and any person getting his foot on the cow-catcher must have trespassed by going inside the fenced railing. If rails were placed nearly together and planked underneath it would not omy, In his opinion, prevent persons from getting their feet between the rails, but would act just as effectually as a cow-catcher. In Victoria there was a man at every crossing. The City Council were in com* munication with the Government for one purpose of having the crossings widened at the jetties and a man placed at each. I)r Y ates slated that when Borland was admitted to the hospital on Friday night his left leg > as completely smashed, and was just hanging. He was under the influence of drink. He died on Tuesday morning from the injuries.

The Coroner said it seemed that the railway authorities were exonerated from all blame. Deceasedwas undoubtedly a trespasser, and he knew this. Narrowing the street-line at a crossing seemed to be customary. The suggestion of Mr Mirams was a vTuable one, but he (the Coroner) thought it advisable that gates should be placed at the crossing!. Provision should be made in the Ordinance to punish trespassers.

Constable O’Brien gave evidence that a man walking along the* line on his way to Port Chalmers, about a month ago, got his foot in the cow-catcher, and it was with considerable difficulty that he got it extricated. A verdict of “ Accidentally killed ” was returned, and the jury added a rider recommending (1) that the Government insert a clause in the Railway Offences Act prohibiting people from trespassing on the railway, and to give effect to the same by law. (2.) That one of the planks in the cattle-strainer at the crossing be removed, so that should a person’s foot get into the trap it could easily be extricated. (3.) That gates, with lamps, &c., should be placed at each crossing.