ONGARUE DISASTER.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 2618, 11 August 1923, Page 3

ONGARUE DISASTER.

INQUIRY CONCLUDED,

- Wellington, Last Night The commission of inquiry into the railway disaster at Ongarue sat again to-day. . Dr. John Henderson, mining geologist to the Government Survey Department, said lie had made an inspection of the locality of the scene of the accident. After describing at. length the geological formation of the locality, he said: “I am of the opinion that the slip came about somewhat as follows: Much wet weather previous to July 6, had saturated the porous rhyolite rock with water, which had soaked down wards till it reached the impervious papa. Underground streams were formed on the irregular surface of the papa, and these streams issued at - low points between the rhyolite and papa. Such a spring formed at the slip. It saturated a small pocket of loose sand till the roots of vegetation clothing the cutting were no longer able to hold the sand together on to the underlying slope of the papa.” He would not consider the place dangerous, standing as it had for a number of years. In answer to a question, witness said the vibration of a train travelling at 25 miles an hour would, witness thought, tend ta cause a slip. Mr Sterling, for the Railway Department, then addressed the commission. In criticising the proposal that, trains should carry portable telephones he said they had been found unworkable in Central Otago, while in referring to the suggestion for carrying a swinging light, he stated that the innovation had proved a failure, and was considered more of a hindrance. He did not think people would agree to travel in daytime, owing to the time that would be lost and did not thiqk it was a great advantage, as it was proved in the present disaster that the en-gine-driver could not get a better view of the scene when negotiating a sharp curve. In i’utui'e, the risk of fire would be eliminated as the department was installing electric light, which would also make the headlight stronger. In conclusion, he thought everything had been done to prevent a disaster and pointed out that only two accidents had occurred since the line had been opened. The commission intimated that it would deliver its decision in due course.