THE INQUEST.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 426, 7 December 1889, Page 2

THE INQUEST.

An inquest wns held on Thursday at 10 a.m., nt the Waiorongomai Hotel, before Mr J. Ilott, J.P., Acting Coroner. Sergeunt Eiwerfapn conducted the onquiry,

The following constituted the Jury :—: — Messrs P. Ferguson (Foreman), A. Jamiepon, D MfL. Wullaue, S. T. Smardon, R. Forster, J. Samson. [The jury having been sworn and charged by the Coroner, nn adjournment was made to view the body, which lay at the de« ; ceased's late residence, and subsequently ! the Jury proceeded to view the scene of the find accident.] „ , . The, follqwing witneweß were examined, together with one or two others ■ whose evidence was unimportant :< — The first witness called was Thomas Hill, who stated hfi wis twenty years of a^e, raided at Wniorongomai, and was omnloyp'l by the Te Aroha S. and G. Mining Company, on the County tramway, as braaksman in charge of the break at the top of Fern Spur self-acting grade of the lino. The deceased, who was )m father, came to him on Wednesday after- ! noon about hnlf-past one o'clock, when witness wna at his pont at tho Fern .Spur break, and *aid he had got a job to go to work in the Colonist mine, was goingdown to thetownshipto Ree about a mate, and th »n got on to a truck load of quartz witness was just about lowering 1 to the lottery, without asking him if he might ride down. Deceased cot on by standing on the bnff-'rfl. and holding on to the back of the truck. That wan the safest way for riding on n truck. He proceeded to lower the truck in the usual wav, but more slowly than he would have done if nobody had been on it. Everything went well until about half tho distance to the loop line (nhout the cestre of th« grade, where the full truck going down phases tho empty truck coming up>, when tuddenly the wire ropo parted . He at once called out to his father to ]««ip off, and *>aw deceased apparently mako an attempt to do so, a« he got his feet off the buffers, but did not let go the hack of the truck with his hands. Saw the trunk moot and collide with tho empty truck just bel-ny the loop line, and saw his father thrown up in the air and strike tho empty truck, but did not see what hapnened him afterwards until he ran down and found deceased lyingacross the. line amongßt the quartz and broken truck, apparently quite dead. John Borrie was there before him. So far as he could see or know all tho machinery of the line wns in good working order when his father got on the truck. Had been nctimr as breakwnan at the Fern Spur break for two or three years His father \va* formerly employed on the. trnmway nnd he then used often ride up and down on the trucks running on thin grade. Witness was aware it was ntjainßt the rules ef the T» Aroha S. and G. Mining Company to allow any person to ride on the (rucks. Mr Gnvin, hr minnger of th s tramway line, told him no one wns to ho allowed to do so, nnd if any of the tramway hands did so it w.i« at their own risk. Deceased having been employed on the tramway for h number of years nnd knowing nil about it, and beinu: hit* father, he did not like tn prevent him from riding down. Would not have allowed »ny «»neel«*e to frivedone so. Deceased was fifty-ono years of p«re, nnd leaves a wife and nine children, the younire^t three year* of age. Had fre quoitly forbidden persons who w.int*<l <o ride doivn on the trucks to do so ; in fact iv* a rule prevented v>orsons fiom ho doing if they tried to. Was aware it whm a dangerous thing to do. Had never known the rop« to give wav before ; .and hud no idea what caused it to give way on the occasion referred to. Mm Margaret Wheelan stated she saw deceased on the truck romiu? down the gnulo :»t the time the accident occurred . Siw the truck strike against somerh ing and deceased thrown up in. the air; after which she saw no more, owmg"to the truck disappearing otit of Mght. J«vhn Bui He stated he »vas n " dumper," employed by th* Te Aroha S. *ad O. Mining Co., nt the foot of Fern Spur grade of tho tramway. On Wednesday afternoon when at hispowthe h&w struck break away as it was being lowered. Saw there wan a man standing on the buffers of it behind. Ban to one side off the line out of the way, and did not see the two trucks come into eolluion ; but on returning in A few seconds found deceased lying across the line amongst the debris and quartz, apparently quite (lend, and he made no movement afterwards. Deceased appeared to be greatly bruised and battered all over, and the back of the head was badly cut open . Assisted to Carry deceased into the tramway smithy close by ; and Bent for the doctor and police. Heard afterwnrds the doctor was not at home when sent for. Witness had been employed about, the tmm way for several years. Believed he had seen deceased ride on the trucks over the Fern Spur grade before. Know the tramway men frequently rode on tho trucks over this grade ; but htd not seen outsiders do so. The instructions of Mr Gavin, the mannger.in charge of the tramway, wag not to allow any one to ride up or down on the trucks. If he wero in charge of the break at the top of the grade he would think it safe enough to ride down on a truck. Never saw one of the tramway ropes break before ; and bo far as he was aware the plant of the tramway was in good working order. The truck of qunrtz deceased rode down on wa* just an ordinary truck load. When tramway hands rode up or down they fully understood they did so on their own responsibility. If deceased had thrown himself off the truck when the rope gave way in the opinion of witness he would have hud a ehanoe of saving his life. The extra weight of deoetiped on the truck would uot be sufficient, in witness 1 opinion, to cause the rope to break, The tramway was working all Tuesday. Considered deceased was on the truck contrary to the instructions of the tramway manager. There wore two very bad wounds on the backjof \ deceased's head, either of which in the opinion of witness would have been sufficient to have killed him. Thomas Gavin stated he was in the employ of the To Aroha S. andGL Mining Company, as manager of the tramway at Waiorongomni, At the time of the accide.nt he was at work some distance up the line, at another self-acting grade kno .vn as Butler's Spur. When lie heard of the accident he at once went clown to where itjoccurred. Found deceased lying dead in the smithy. It was quite contrary to the instruction's to al^v anyone to ride up or down the self-acting grades. Witness had personally war-nod the hands employed on the tramway not to allow any one to do so. Examined the tramway plant the afternoon previous (Tuesday), when apparently everything was v "»il right. Deceased was not in the employ of the Company nt the tinio the accident occurred, nor for some weeks previously, Thomas Hill had been in

charge of the Fern Spur brake for several yearn, and well understood how to work it. Speaking for himself, so far as the condition of the line, w irking plant, and capability of the breakstnan were concerned, he would not be afraid ,to ride down on ohe of the, trucks ; but necessarily, it was a risky thing to do at any time, there would 'be risking his lifo, and the Hsk of being dismissed, if lie were seen ; for "disobeying orders by so doing. Had been in charge of the tram why for the past four years, and hud never known the rope to break like that before. , The ropo on the Fern Spur grade was the same as the one that was there when he toon charge, and he believed had been in use about six or so ven years. In witnesses opinion the ropo was safe to use for the purpose for which it was required, viz., the lowering of quartz and materials. It' was not, placed there" to permit people to travel up and down oh the trucks. The truck of quartz deceased rode on was an ordinary truck load, indeed if anything a lighter load than an ordinary one, as it was anrfuce ore. Witness said he further wished to state that lie had instructed deceased himself, when he was in the Company's employ, as weH as the other hands employed on the tramway, not to illow any one to ride on the trucks ; and deceased was well aware it was contrary to the rules to do bo. It was well and generally known it is against the regulations to ride up or down the.self-actinsj grades). Sinco witness took charge of the line he had cautioned several whom he had heara Mid ride on the trucks, and prior to his taking charge two men were instantly dismissed for bo doing. The rope in question was a inch diameter steel wire rope, Had examined the rope caref ullj Mince the accident and from appearance* there wan nothing in that portion of the rope to lead any one to suppose prior to the accident that it was defective where it broke. In ' the opiniou of witness the rope would be quite Kafe to resume work with after it has been carefully overhauled on account of the accident, whereby it may have got knocked about. Will "ram Adams stated he was acting manager of the Te Aroha S. and Gr. Mining Company, Waiorongomai. Knew nothing with lespect to how the accident occurred whereby Richard Hill fowt his life. To his knowledge Mr Howell, the late manager of the Company, issued instructions £01 bidding any person to ride on the tramway trucks. Of his own knowledge witness could not speak as to the condition of the wire rope, tho examining of which was entrusted to Mr Gavin, the manager in charge of the tramway, and Mr J-ninieson, the ' fitter. . Witness had not heard anything to lead him to suppose the rope was unsafe in any way. [f it came to his knowledge any person rode up or down the graden on trucks ho would certainly dismiss them it in the employ of tho Company. He w.is nn.ible to account for the rope breaking. S.uce the accident he hail carefully t'X.iminud tho 1000 where tin* fracture occurred, and had come to th" conclusion some of the strands nin^t hive corroded in the centie, which woiiM weaken tho rope, but would not b a , obs'Tvabhj from , outside uramiti itiou. With respect to- future workinir he wished to state that ho hlioiili) haw the section broken off, cut into shott pieces, aud carefully examined- by a competent person, to see if it was cni roiled 01 otherwise detective in ary place, all the n-st of the ropo would also be carefully examined, ami if it was found to be defective, a re v rope won d be obtained, which would have to com * ffrom Melbonre. He would also have notices posted up along the line, forbidding people from either riding on the trucks or trespassing on tho line, or on the self a<:ting grade* at ail. It' these instructions were disobeyed he should certainly at once distiii** the offender i* in the employ of tiie Company, and with respect to out* siders, prouecute them. This was all the evidence of importance adduced. The jurj retired for a short time to consider their verdict which was us follows :—: — '♦That the said Richard Hill, on the fourth day of December, in the year aforesaid, being then — contrary to the known regulations — riding on a trnck filled with quartz, which at tho time was being lowered down the Fern Spur self-acting grade of the County tramway, at Wai >rongomai, through the accidental breaking nf the wire rope used for lowering the said truck, wa» then and there violently thrown ojff the- said truck, and then and there received Ktxeh injuries as thereby caused hit. instant death, and not otherwise.