NAPIER RAILWAY ACCIDENT.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 20 April 1901, Page 4

NAPIER RAILWAY ACCIDENT.

(per irhss association).

Napier, This Day

The adjourned inquest on Edward Weaver, who died as the result of the railway accident on Wednesday, was held to-day. From the evidence it appeared that the train was travelling at the usual speed of from 14 to 15 miles per hour, and that the whistle had been sounded three times according to the regulations, but that the deceased, who was driving at a fast trot, appeared to bo unaware of die approach of the train until within a few yards of the line owing to the buildings obscuring the view at that spot, and it was then too late to pull up at the pace he was going. The driver of the train did not see the vehicle at all, but the fireman saw it when within three yards and rushed to the brakes, but at the same time the engine struck the horse in the centre of his body, throwing him clear of the line. Weaver was thrown several feet in the air by the force of the cmcussion, and came down somewhere about the buffers ot the engine, which threw him aside. The chief injury sustained was a very severe gash on his head, from which elood flowed freely, but from the first there was no chance of recovery. The jury returned a verdict that deceased had been accidentally killed, but that no blame was attached to the driver or fireman of the train, and added a rider to the effect that in view of the dangerous nature of the crossing at this place the attention of the railway authorities should be called to the same, and that Government be requested to station a man or ax an alarm at the gates at the crossing mgivo warning to persons using it when a train was about to pass.