ONGARUE DISASTER.

Hokitika Guardian, 18 July 1923, Page 3

ONGARUE DISASTER.

BOARD OF INQUIRY MEETS. EVIDENCE OF DEPARTMENTAL OFFICIALS. WELLINGTON, July 10 Tho board of inquiry appointed by the Government to investigate the circumstances surrounding the disaster to the Main Trunk express near Ongarue opened its proceedings at the -Magistrate’s Courthouse, Wellington, to-day. The hoard consists of .Messrs \\ . G. Riddell (chairman), J. P. Maxwell and .1. Alareh banks (Engineer to the Wellington Harbour Board). Air James .Mason is acting in the capacity of secretary. Air 11. It. Sterling represented the New Zealand Railways Department. anil the evidence was that of departmental official', beyond that given |,v Detectives Walsh and Rcvell, of Wcliiligle.n. who were passengers on tlm i rain. There was no attendance of the public. The board was charged H> inquire. (1) Wliat was the cause ot the derailment. of llie Auekhmil-W ellington express near Ongarue station on July 2. 1923? (2) Was niiv employee in the service of the Railway Department guilty of anv deri'liriion ol duty which ilirei-iiy or imlircei 1 v contributed to such derail-

(2) Gciieially are there any circumstances in connection with the “aid derailment which call for comment, and more particularly what steps (if any) might he introduced to prevent the recurrence of a similar derailment ?

Mr Sterling, speaking of the accident as the worst in tTT<* railway history of New Zealand, said the Railway Depat Iment was entirely ill the hands of the hoard and would render any assistmire possible, both in tie* way ol evidence and any expert opinion Unit its officers could give. He had first to tender the hrarlfelt smpalhy of the General Manager and the general management of the New Zealand Railways to those unfortunate people bereaved hy the accident, and also to flioso who had sustained injuries, ll was sincerely trusted that the latler would liml speedy relief from their sufferings and enj nv complete recovery. With regard to procedure he did not propose io place l lie dep.urtmenl in the position of dcfendsmi . They were there io us.-M wholly in (lie elucidation of the cause of the accident, and anv evidence in that direction would he Welcomed. He was glad to he able to say that complaints on any mailer ailer Ihe accident were practically nil, lor there were onlv one or iwo minor mailers. -.Hell as the charge which was nta.de I’m luggage at Taumamnui. lie would like to refer to what he might call the herni- in of tho-e who were injured in the three carriages which were telescoped. There had been unanimous testimony as to the fort it utle with which they here their sulferings. There was an ell! ire absence of complaint, anil the behaviour of those unfortunates at that time was worthy of the highest traditions of the British race. In reviewing the nature of Ihe evidence il was pmpnsed to call Mr Sterling said there was m, important fact upon which there was little evidence available, and licit was the lime at which the tail of earih came down. lie could find little evidence w hich would help the hoard to

anv degree, and the best he could do would he Io call ihe driver of the engine ol the la-t train that passed along l hut rn nl prior io the accident. That train went through without any nii-hap, and it could lie a ssu mod that no slip had then taken place, lor had the drivel- seen anything he would have reported it. The Court would hear of the rescue ol I lie pas-ellgers ami ihe speed with w 1 ieh the necessary medical assistance and material were sent io the snot, and trains got away for Tauuuirumii. The Dep- in incut would lc glad to give cli'crt. if possible, to any s.ugge-t i 'll I l oin I lie hoard, and. in ■ un.itisjen, he lei -.fit oli'i r a *- Ue ge -1 il ill i iutt !he he :I!:I > should ! • 1 PUP -I e~ ciuTv il- pii'sibit-, Kg In* tbought an inspection would lead to a better understanding of the evidence. ASSISTANT ENG INEEII-I N-f lIIFF. (ha lie' Joint M’Kenzie. Assistant Engineer-in-Chief of Ihe I’uhlie Works Depart moot, said that he knew the distrief where tile accident happened, he assisted in preparing the plans lor the relist rtiet ion ot the line. Thai was ahull! twenty-one years ago. Ihe route was the onlv one that could he taken m i],ui portion, owing to the location of the river, li w"is not looked upon as a dangerous part. There were more dangerous part' elsewhere. ihe cutling was done to w ind wn . considered a maximum degree nl snlely.

Replying In Air AI arehbank s. vitm-s-----aid there was a lit ile t rouble I here with water. DETECTIVE WALSH’S EVIDENCE. John Walsh, detective. Wellington, who was a passenger on the AueklandWellingtiin express, said that he. was iii-i-ompanied by Detective Bevoll. and they were in a first-class carriage near the rear ol the train. It was mil travelling lust for an express. 'I ho ill's! indication he had was the sudden sloppine; of tin- train, not in a way to alarm anyone. five minutes lutci. a man came through from ihe front ol the train and asked if there was a ductal- or a nurse. There was neither, and he went on. Witness and Detective Unveil then went out to the platiorni of the oar. K was tine, hut dark. lie could hear a sound of escaping steam

and people crying out. I he engine portion of the train had been derailed and a number of passengers killed or injured. lie next saw a man and a woman ruining to the trout ot the train, the woman s log being severely injured. lie conducted her hack to the Hist sleeper, switched on the- electric light and roused the passengers. Hie woman was placed in a bunk. A bandage was secured, and he bandaged ine injured limb. He went back to the scene of the accident, and saw that three cars hail been telescoped. The engine was on its side on the left hank. 'Pile guard was on the mol ot the telescoped carriages, working with an axe. The Alauri footballers were also helping •awing. After breaking away a window am! with the help of a mail with an axe. they got a p.-m.-etlger out. 'I lie., work of re-cue proceeded. Air Sterling: There has been a suggestion that the dead were not treated with due reverence. Witness: Thai i- not a tact. I hey were treated with every reverence. Was everything done to extricate the dead and relieve the suflcring of tie- injured!'--Everything possible was done. You can suggest nothing that was not done which might have been done.' —No, I cannot. To other questions witness replied that the accident happened about ten I minutes to six and the engine, three I carriages and the pistal van went over the rails into a (-tilting. The Chirman : Did you notice any boulder in it ?—I noticed one boulder, a very large one. ]t was lying opposite the engine. All- Maxwell : AYas that the boulder that the engine ran into ? Witness: That is the boulder. It was standing out ol the slip. DETECTIVE REYKI.L. Detective Leo Revell, who was with the last witness, said that_ he went along the right-hand side of the train, undraw that the third car had telescoped up to the partition. The slip would he about 20ft. up the hank. Some, of them commenced recovering the dead, and rescuing the injured. There was a saw. an axe, and large crowbar, and shortly afterwards a. jack with which to work. The ehoirirtnti: 'Could more tools have

been usisd?—Yes, but there were sufficient tools there at the time to do what was wanted. Witness added that tho dead were reverently treated and everything possible was done. There did not appear to he any shortage of tools, and a relief train arrived very quickly, not more than an hour later. THE SCENE OF THE ACCIDENT.

Robert Sydney Kent, district encrineer, late of Ohakune and now of Greymouth, deposed to knowing the locality. He said the cutting where the accident occured was a light one. It was covered with braken fern and it would he almost an impossibility to detect an impending slip. Mr Sterling: AVould a pilot engine have prevented the accident? Witness: t don’t think so, as tho slip, might- have occurred between the miming of the pilot and the train. Inspections of the line were made, and vet the slip might occur after an inspection. Regarding the running of trains in delayhght only he did not think that, would he any great safeguard. There was more difficulty in regard to sharp curves, where visibility onlv extended to forty or fifty yards. Mr Sterling: Visibility is governed more by curves than hy daylight-fi - That is so.

Had it been daylight it could not have been prevented":'—No, because it was on a curve.

Frederick Charles Widdop. supervising engineer, of the Railway Department, said he* looked at- the slip and saw it was pumice sludge. A big boulder was on the right side of the engine and was about a ton in weight. It was surmised that it came down from the slip. A pocket had been clipped out: about twenty feet up, but wlmt surprised him was the amount of water coming from the slip, about twelve feet ii]i the slip. AIT* Alarehlmnk : Have you any idea where the water came from? Witness: 1 understand there had been heavy rain a fortnight before, and this was ■probably ail accumulation on the hill side. When the weather is had gangers are out at all hours. It is quite possible the vibration of a train would si art a slip. At this stage the chairman t."id tho inquiry would now he adjourned and lie* hoard would proceed to Tauma'ali ii on Wednesday to view the seem* of the accident. They would take evidence before returning to AVellington.