INQUEST PROCEEDINGS.

Hokitika Guardian, 18 August 1923, Page 3

INQUEST PROCEEDINGS.

An inquest was hold at Gn-yniouth, yesterday, by Mr Meldrum. Coroner, into the death of Edwin W. Pollock uml J. Frank Collins, as the result of a collision between a train and trolley on the Otira line on Tuesday morning. The evidence of the guard. Thomas Andrew Gilmour. was lirst called. He stated that on the day of the fatality he was guard on the winks train running between Rotoinauu and Poenia. When the train left Rotomanu it consisted i f ait engine, live L. waggons and a winking van. The engine was in fiom. Four of the vans held sleeper.', and the remainder had bolts and fishplates. A ganger and a number of men were employed to unload this material along the line. ’I he train went to I’oenta. leaving four waggons tiles'. The train then started to go back town ids Rotomanu, having unloaded all the material except the In k. ami iish-plates. which were in the waggon they had with them. These were put out on to the road, and afterwards tlie men v.eut into the van, and witness got into the waggon. Ihe lormalinu of the train at that tune was with the 1.. waggon in front, the van next, and the engine in the rear. They headed for Rotomanu. When they got around a curve on the line witness saw a jigger trolley coming towards the train. There were two on the trolley, settled with their Lacks in the direction in which they weie pttding. 'lhe di— Lance 'between the train and the trolley would then he about 100 yards. The trolley was then on a straight part of the line, ami Lite train was just coming on to the I,end. He sang out to the men loti they did not apparently hear. The train and the trolley collided.

Continuing his evideme, tlie witness stated that the men «e:e struck and thrown clear of the line. He went to their assistance, lie could see that they were badly injuied, and did all possible to assist them. The men were put in the van and the train set out With all pos iLie speed to Grcymouth. the men. however, died on the way "At what speed was the train travel, ling !" asked the coroner. “About ten miles alt Im’/r.” replied witness. The trolley aiso would he t levelling at a rate eio-e on ten miles. -If the men had keen facing the lin in." asked the i 'rontr. “would thee have been any | cssibility 'd avoiding the accident?” "Yes.” I ('plied willies'. “They could have got Og!" ’i'lie line at the pari was | radically level. To Mr Joyce: Four trucks were shunted oil at Poenia and put into a siding. The siding was lull, so the engine i out 1 not have been placed m front on the icturu trip. 111,1 Hacks were back-shunted on to the line Thou* wito no imr.ins ol eonnuiiuientm,r with the driver from "here wit-iie-s stood on the truck except by .shouting. To a certain extent the van in between would obscure the vision of the driver and fireman. Ihe van was higher than the waggon ami about the same height as the cube of the engine. \\ lieu he lii'f saw the jigger (eating towards the train he called out t„ the driver to stop and the' Oliver pm his brakes on. There were no means by which witness could brake tite truck. The train had slowed down considerably by the time the tram l eached l lie jigger. The line was single. Then, was a brake on the van tint witness could not say whethet it was used. The men on the jigger ii both or one had been lacing the engine would have seen the t min r-t a greater distance that from which witness Would ha.; e noticed ihe jigger, lie could suggest, no reason why the men sat in the position they adopted. There was nothing mi tlie jigger in the way j of tools or appliances to prevent them skiing with thvr faces to the engine. To Mr Morgan: The (biter sounded the whistle when witness gave Hie ~]arm. He whistled previously before rounding tlie curve. T hat was the frequent practice ol a works Ham. He sav- no red Hag on the trolley.

To Mr Kent: Tbo train had been working in that part of the line for about twelve months. They went up to I Verna, after the down train from Otiia. They left Te King:* at 3.2 j aml Rotonit'UU at ,3.15. • <j., ; L tj,,. invariable ink* that jigmrs should carry a red flag?" asked the coroner. “Ves." teplietl witness. In this cast; l,ic trolley had none. Evidence was given by Dr W. McKay as to injuries, and by H. Mi- s (dint-, AV. P. Phelan (fireman), and Coed IDawson (line erector), .1. W. Ahchcl (electric lines inspector). W. -L Hartigan (acting ganger), J. T.. Horpii (District Traffic Haimger). and M'rgt. McCarthy. The C w-mer returned a verdict that r1,,-easel came to their deaths from injuries caused by a collision with a railway work train between I,domain and Wallis's Siding, on August 1 tit. pw;j. that the collision w*mld not hau id;,.,', place lntl the men '’.sing tin trolley ..implied will, the regulation coven,ing the use of trolleys on tin pne— that is to say. had one d them when nearing the bend, gone ahem of the trolley with a red flag, tot Hr pi escribed distance, namely WH) jat«> Euitlier. that had the two men * either of tlum been facing the dt.ev i • i. D’o trollev was moving turn o> which t-e non*-. ioste-i'l of both facing to the real theV "would have soon the train cumins and had time to avoid any »B»ry themselves: that no blame is attacha *1 to the driver or guard of the tram w , , , onn)lio d with the regulations a f-, ( .tinc v.oik trains before rounding th IvvdAand who I'l'omptly took all po sihle stops U. avoid the collision aft. sighting the trolley. ■■ ¥ mn i