THE TRENTHAM FATALITY

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 224, 27 January 1911, Page 5

THE TRENTHAM FATALITY

XO FAULT OK RAILWAY OFFICIALS. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Xight. At the inquest concerning the death of .Mr. H. U. Lyon, who was killed by a train at the Trentliam racecourse siding yesterday, the facts adduced were an amplification of those summarised in the telegram last night, and the Coroner returned a verdict of accidental death. The story of the accident was contained iii the evidence of Albert Edwara Dawson, traffic inspector. He stated that he was the officer in charge at Trentham on Wednesday. About 3.30 p.m., Lyon came into his office complaining that he did not feel well. Witness advised him to sit down. Lvon usked him when the first train was leaving for Wellington, and he told him at 5.5 p.m. Deceased asked if there was any chance of getting home sooner if he went to the Upper Hutt, and he told him a train would be coming in a few minutes for Upper Hutt, where he could join the 4' p.m. train for Wellington. He looked along the line nnd saw the smoke of the Upper Hutt train just leaving Silverstream. He got the tablet, and in about a minute's time assisted Lyon from the racecourse platform down on to the rails of the racecourse siding, and told him he must not cross until the train arrived, when ho was to go round the end of the van. Lyon said allright, and witness left him standing there. Witness went himself in front of the approaching train, which would then be about four hundred yards away. After setting the tablet—his back was then to Mr. Lyon—he was bringing the arm of the exchange round, when deceased came into his view again. Lyon was then in the act of crossing the main line, with the train about twenty yards distant. Simultaneously with witness' seeing cue deceased, the driver whistled and applied the emergency brake. Lyon had actually got one foot on the platform just where it began to slope upwards. Witness was four feet away at the time, and tried to assist him, but he lost his hold of him, and deceased fell hack. His body got twisted between the platform and the engine, and was dragged under the carriage. Death would be instantaneous. Jacks were procured, and the body was extricated as soon as possible. When witness saw the imminent risk deceased was running, witness rushed forward to save him at the risk of his own life. He would not forget it in a hurry. As a railway officer of thirty years' experience he was perfectly satiesfied that no railway official was responsible for the accident. The train was pulled up, he should say, within twenty to twentyfive yards. It was a light train, and everything was in favor of smart pulling up. It was a pure accident, for which no one was to blame. If the deceased had stood where witness told him to stand, he would have been perfectly safe.