STYX RAILWAY FATALITY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 191, 10 February 1912, Page 5

STYX RAILWAY FATALITY.

THE. INQUEST. LOCAL BODIES' LIABILITY. By Telegraph—Press Association. Christchurch, Last Night. The jnquest on the bodie* of the vie- •- tims of the Styx, railway crossing accj- ' dent, Marshall Brown and Peter Fransi den, was held by the Coroner (Mr. H. W. Bishop, S.M.) to-day. Robert Pringle,. railway engine-driver, said he >yas in charge "of the midday train from Christchurch to Rangiora on Wednesday. Three hundred yards from the crossing witness blew the whistle,, and then again fifty yards from thecrossing. The last whistle was in answer to the statiOnmaster's signals. Im- , mediately before the engine entered the crossing the fireman sang out "Look out!" Witness applied the brake, and the next instant he saw a motor car and the cow-catcher meeting.' Other evidence was given as to the speed of the car approaching the crossing, the collision and smash up of the car, and the death of the occupants. The Coroner said it Was quite c]ear it was one of "these unfortunate accidents." Whatever speed might be proved did not/ alter the fact that there had been a calamity. He had himself been over the crossing scores of times, and it ■ was a dangerous one. All crossings were dangerous. • . .' In reply to an interjection from Mr.. Stringer, K.C., who appeared for the Railway Department, the Coroner said ke knew the Railway Department'had statutory right with regard to crossings, ' and cars should pull up when approach, ing them, "but we all take riSks » said -he. -, ,".. Mr. Strmgsr said he wished to point out a fact which the public generally, and probably even the Automobile Asso- ' ciittion did not know. It was that the Public Works Amendment Act, 191,1, ' threw upon the local authority the duty of seeing that fences, hedges, etc., of the nature in question, were removed. The Coroner returned a verdict that the deceased met their death" by accidentally cdlliding with a train when travelling in their motor-car from Rangiora to Christchurch. [Fuller details of the accident appear on page 6J . y : , . « ;