TUBE PORTER’S SACRIFICE

Evening Star, Issue 19782, 4 February 1928, Page 15

TUBE PORTER’S SACRIFICE

SAFETY OF PASSENGERS. Admiration was expressed by Mr Ingleby Oddie, the Westminster coroner, for a porter on the underground railway who, in his_ anxiety for the safety of paesengors, jumped on a train which had started, closed tho gates of the train platform, and was swept into a tunnel, and received injuries from which lie died. “This was a man with a conscience and a sense of duty,” said Mr Oddie. “He jumped on the train to try to save life. Ho did his duty and was doing nothing wrong.” The inquest was on Janies William Samuel Chambers, aged twenty-nine, a porter at Fieaclilly Circus underground station, who died in Charing Cross Hospital. Mr Hynutu Eineberg, of East ihdwich, a passenger on the train, said that lie saw Chambers jump on the train as it was moving with tho idea of trying to close the gates. “He tried to get off,” added Mr Eineberg, “ but must Jun e lost his nerve as the train approached the tunnel. He came in contact with the tunnei entrance and fell on the track.”

Mr Eineberg, replying to Mr _ W. Carter, representing the- National Union of Railwayman, said that tiie platform was crowded. Mr A. Eames (for the London Electric Railway Company) read a regulation issued to Lire company’s servants to the effect that “ no servant must jump on the steps or footboards or run alongside trains entering or leaving stations.” The Coroner: Suppose a platform porter sees a train leaving the platform, with' the gate open, and people standing on that platform, what is his duty? Mr M'Leod (the stationmaster): It really should be closed. Mr M’Leod agreed that occasionally trains started daring the crowded hours with gates open. The Coroner; It would be dangerous, of course, for such a. train to go into a tunnel with passenges not inside the gates?—That is so. Therefore, if a porter sees a passenger in such danger, it would not be unreasonable lor him to try to close the gates?—No, I suppose not. The Coroner: That is what this man was doing. Mr Oddie, in his tribute to Chambers, said that they had all seen, and admired the dexterity with which platform porters dealt with crowds which at times seemed-almost uncontrollable. A verdict of “Accidental death while in the execution of his duty ” was recorded.