THE TRAMWAY ACCIDENT.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5565, 29 January 1879, Page 3

THE TRAMWAY ACCIDENT.

THE INQUEST.

An inquest was held yesterday before Dr. Johnston and a jury, at the Morgue. The first witness examined was

Dr. Harding, who deposed : I was called between three and four o’clock yesterday afternoon. Went immediately. I found deceased lying on his back on the floor of Mr. White’s (chemist) shop. He was then quite dead, but not yet cold, death having occurred apparently about a quarter of an hour before I arrived, I was told deceased had fallen off the tramway, which had passed over his body. I found marks from the wheels having passed over the upper part of his thigh and the lower part of his back. Those parts appeared to be quite crushed. The back part of deceased’s spine appeared to be crushed also. His back was broken, and there was, in my opinion, also rupture of the intestines. The injuries were of such a nature as to cause almost instant death. The injuries I have described caused his death.

W. H. McClelland, publican, was a passenger by the cars yesterday afternoon. The oars were going up Cuba-street. Imbuing was a passenger by the same train. Deceased stood on the front platform of tho second carriage. We were about two feet apart. When we passed the end of Ghuznee-street deceased asked me where was tho next stopping place. I told him I thought the cars would atop at the next corner. Almost immediately after this I turned round, and for a moment lost sight of deceased. On turning round again I sow Mr. Imhning in the road and tho wheel just passing over him. Do not think deceased could have pulled tho string of the boll from where he stood. Am positive the boll did not ring, but I cannot say for certain whether the deceased could reach the string, or the bell, from the spot on which he stood. One other person stood on the platform with me. Deceased stood alone on tho platform of the other car. There nas only one conductor for the two carriages. He was taking fares on the front platform of the first carriage. Wo were going slowly at the time of the accident, as we had stopped immediately after passing Ghuznee-street. lam positive deceased did not ring the bell; had he done so I must have heard it. Louisa M. Plumbridge, in charge of the Native Hostelry, was a passenger by the cars yesterday afternoon; was in the front carnage close to the hinder door. Deceased when Imrst saw him was standing on the platform at the front part of tho hind carriage. Saw him take hold of the handrail on the right side of the carriage towards the engine. He took hold with his right hand. Saw him then step down, still holding ; he was jerked round. I felt something crushing under the carnage, and the carriage ran off the rail. Had the deceased in view from tho time we were opposite Gear’s shop until the accident happened ; did not see him make any signal that he wanted to get down. The conductor was in the front part of the other carriage, collecting fares.

Ann Guise, living in Iving-street, was also called. This witness sat in the same carriage as Mr. Luhning. Deceased went out of the carriage on to the plat* form, ready get down. 7?h9re wsr*

two traps passing, and he appeared to rest on the step a moment while they passed. He held the rail with his right hand. Missed him, and then felt the carriage passing over something. Tho shock was great, and threw tho carriage off the line. Witness had deceased iu sight from the moment he left his seat until lie stepped on to the platform, ami was sure Mr. Luhning did not ring the bell. The carriages were going very slowly. John Woodward (who observed the accident from Cuba-atreet) deposed that deceased fell alongside the carriage, and then rolled over and over underneath the carriage. The wheel of the carriage caught him, as near as he could tell, between his legs, and passed upward over his body. After the wheel passed over him, the break caught him and turned him over and over. The hind wheel appeared then to go over his chest, and the carriage ran off tho line. Witness and two others carried deceased into Mr. White’s shop. He lived about . four minutes after being brought into the shop. Joseph Cross thought the engine was going at about half speed. He corroborated generally tho evidence of the previous witnesses. Deceased seemed to get down awkwardly. He stepped out at right angles to the c.image, instead of with it, and, in witness’s opinion, the manner of his stepping out, and at the same time holdin" the hand-rail, slewed him round and threw him under tho carriage.

William Stark, the engine-driver, was called, but hia evidence threw no further light on the sad occurrence. Ho did not see tho accident. In witness's opinion there should be stated stopping places. The tram is always stopped on the sound of the whistle or bell. Witness did not think one guard could attend, with safety to the passengers, to two carriages. The engine was going about half speed, or four miles an hour, at the time of the accident. George Crosby, tho conductor, was next called : If deceased had pulled the string on the near side of the carriage, as we were situated iu Guba-street, it would have rung a bell at the back part of the hinder carriage, and witness could not say that he should be likely to hoar it if he were occupied collecting'fares in the front carriage. Witness considered there should he fixed stopping places, and that the present manner of taking up and putting down passengers was not safe. There ought to be a guard to each carriage. It is impossible for one guard to look with safety after two carriages. One conductor cannot keep control of both platforms. This was all the evidence, and the jury returned the following verdict : —“ Accidental death,” and added the following rider—“ That in the opinion of this jury the practice of leaving the cars while in motion is highly dangerous, and they. think that the Tramway Company ought to fix convenient stopping places for taking up and letting down passengers, and also the Tramway Company should provide each carriage with a conductor, and they deprecate the practice of over-crowding the platform.” No blame was attached to the persons in charge of the tram.