SOUTHLAND RAILWAY ACCIDENT.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 16 December 1901, Page 3

SOUTHLAND RAILWAY ACCIDENT.

(per press association.)

Invercargill, Dec 13. The inquest re the Morton Maiu’a railway fatality was resumed this evening, Whitcome, the traffic manager, said he had frequently ridden a railway velocipede, and if he had been in the position of Fraser and Thomas and saw the light of the engine two miles off, he would have pulled off without waiting for the light again to appear. M'Credie, district engineer, said that Frasbr was instructed to inspect his length and get back half an hour befpre the train passed. If the engine had had a light he could not have failed to see the train coming. A week after the accident he was at Edendale where the train made the first stop, and the wreck of the velocipide was discovered, and he saw a broken smoked lamp glass. Where Fraser saw the light would be about one mile and 57 chains; and if the train was running 35 miles and tho velocipede 5 miles an bour, they would meet in 2 minutes 47 seconds. If he had been on tho velocipede he would have stopped until he was past train approaching. The fcr ken lamp glass was clear of the sleepers "at the water tank. He was not prepared to say whether the smoking would interfere with the light or not. Tho escape of smoke would affect the glass and reflector. George Dempster said the head light was showing although somewhat obscured on arrival at Edendale. Tho inquest was further adjourned till Wednesday. The jury went out by special train to the scene of tho accident to-night.