THE ELTHAM FATALITY.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVII, Issue 63, 14 July 1915, Page 5

THE ELTHAM FATALITY.

TO-DAY'S INQUEST. The adjourned inquest regarding the circumstances of the death of Hdlnmre Johnson was continued at 10 o clock t Ijimorning. Mr P. Thomson (instructed hy W. (I. .Malone) appeared on helntf of tin- relatives, and .Mr Bennett on l*ehalf of the Department. Peter Keelcv. engine driver in the Railways, stated that he drove the goods train on July d ironi llawera, arriving at F.ltham about live. At Kltham, he had to shunt a waggon which was next to the engine. Porter Johnson came to assist him with Porter Harvey. Porter Johnson was on the waggon and gave him the signal to go on. The shunt used was a “fly” shunt. While the engine was going on to the main line to shunt, deceased gave a signal to give the waggon a good shunt to carry it a good way. The engine went hack over the points, and on looking hack, witness saw deceased lying on the side of the track. He was lying clear of the rails about live yards from the points. Witness eased up the engine before he went over the points to allow Johnson to lift the hook and uncouple the waggon. The waggon was uncoupled, and travelled at about eight miles per hour when the engine eased up. He did not see the truck go over the man, nor did he see him on the cow catcher. Deceased was carrying a lamp. He could not remember if deceased had done shunting with him before. He considered the method of shunting was safe. Deceased had never complained to him about the shunting. He had known deceased in Pa tea. The slackening of the pace of the engine would not jerk a man off the cow-catcher as there is a hand rail on the engine. He could give no explanation of the accident which occurred on his side of the engine. The fireman could not have seen the accident.

To the Coroner: He did not know whether all stations kept a shunter.

To Mr Thomson : Deceased was on the cow-catcher and sang out “Give her a good slip.” All the lights in the yards were burning, and everything was in order. To Mr Bennett (X.Z.R. : After the accident, deceased told witness that he slipped. Walter Harvey, porter in the llailway Service, said he had been a porter for over live years, and had been stationed at Eltham all that time and knt»»v the Eltham yards well. Witness received instructions from the stationmaster to go and do thp shunting. It was deceased’s.duty to assist him, and he was under witness’s charge. On arrival of the train, deceased uncoupled the truck which was to be taken off. Witness waited in the yards, and when the truck was uncoupled, went to the points oil the side line. The engine and truck came into the yard and passed the points where .witness was standing. The engine went down past the points, and deceased was then standing on the side of the front of the engine. Witness watched the points. He gave a signal to deceased that -the line was clear and deceased answered him. When the engine passed over the points, and the truck had gone on the side line, he heard deceased calling out, and on looking, he saw deceased lying on the side of the line. That was the first he saw of deceased from the time he saw him standing on the front of the engine. After the accident he spoke

, deceased, who spoke, hut never men- ' t'vjnecl anything about the accident. To the Coroner: Deceased never reached the points, but was lying about’ Jive yards from them. Deceased l, a( l do*ue the same kind ot shunt on the same' points before. The points bad nothing to do with the accident. Deceased was lying very close to the line. There were no marks on the truck of any description. Deceased was competent to do the work and never complained. To Mr Thomson r There was no chance of deceased- being tripped up by sleepers. He had never himself been bumped off the engine m the yards. It was a regulation tor porters to do shunting at country stations/ He never heard deceased s signal to the driver. Vii Mr Bennett: There was no need )or deceased to leave the footplate.

David Stevens, medical practitioner. Superintendent of the Stratford Hospital, sail! that deceased arrived at the Hospital at about (i o’clock m the evening. Deceased’s leg was crushed from the knee to the middle of the thigh and was merely pulp. There were slight bruises about the [head. He operated on deceased as Vsoon as passible and the left leg was amputated Just above the middle ol I the thigh. The patient suffered severely from shock before and after the operation. Deceased tried to explain the accident hut could not be followed. Witness' gathered that the deceased thought it was A" accident land blamed no one. The cause ol dca.tb was shock caused by it he accident.

(ic'orge William Bennett. Stationmaster at I'll t ham. said deceased tad been in Kltham for six or serial weeks as a porter. A porter has general duties ami assists in shunting a<s was provided for stations like Kltham. Witness was on the station when tin* train arrived and the guard advised him that there was one truck to come off. He instructed Harvey to take it off. The first he knew ot the accident was to hear Johnson call out. He went to deceased who (was lying about a yard from the rails and about live yards I mm the points. Deceased told him that lu* slipped off. To .Mr Thomson: Deceased came on- duty at S o’clock in the morning and was on duty all dav except lor two hours for dinner. Deceased! had

•not been overworked. Alter the J accident first aid was rendered and the doctor arrived about seven minutes after the accident. The doctor (ordered the deceased to he removed to the Stratford Hospital and he was sent hv the train, which was held hack.

After a few minutes deliberation, the jury returned a verdict that deceased died from shock, the result of an accident in the Fltham yards on July li. A rider of sympathy with the parents of deceased was added, and also that the jury were satisfied that the railway officials had done* everything that was possible for deceased.