RUNAWAY CRANE

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 693, 19 June 1929, Page 1

RUNAWAY CRANE

QUEEN’S WHARF COLLISION A crane ran amo'k on Queen's Wharf early this morning, and crashing heavily into another crane, derailed it. The runaway crane was stationed at the seaward end of the wharf on tha eastern side, and last night had been jacked up so that its wheels were clear of the rails. This is always done when work is finished for the day. A crane is then considered to bo immovable, and incapable of breaking away. The Harbour Board's crane foreman had made his usual nightly inspection of cranes, and everything was found to be in order. At 7.40 o’clock this morning, ths boisterous wind that swept the waterfront proved too much and the crano moved off, and gathering speed, crashed with a resounding smack into another crane situated about twothirds of the way down the wharf. The impact was so violent that the stationary crane was thrown from its jacks on to its wheels, and is now lying askew the rails. It was also derailed from the overhead rails on the wharf shed. The surface of the wharf has been damaged, though not to a large extent. The offending crane is none the worse for the collision. It is thought that the heavy wind throughout the night played continuously on. the crane in its exposed position, caused the jacks to “work'’ and loosen gradually, so that finally the wheels descended on to the rails, the jacks lifted clear, and the crane moved away.