TRAMWAY ACCIDENT.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 June 1919, Page 5

TRAMWAY ACCIDENT.

CORONER'S FINDINGS. < By Telegraph.—Press Association; Christehurch, Last Night. '( The adjourned inquiry into the death." of Wiffiaro. 6. Brunton, the victim of the tramway accident at Ifcathcoto on May iIS, was resumed to-day. The only evidence called was as to the cause of death. The finding of the coroner, Mr. S. E, McCarthy, was: "I find deceased died on May W by reason of haemorrhage, dueto laceration of the brain and fracture of the skull, being injuries inflicted by* a tramway accident." He submitted the following riders: (1) The evidence as to the speed at wJiich the tramcar was •travelling is inconclusive, hut the fact that the trailer jumped the points, and, after overturning, was dragged on its side for a distance of about IT feet, is indicative of excessive speed; (2) tha 'train consisted of a motor and two traillers, each with upptr oi', and was controlled by a motorman and one conductor; (3) the train was huilt to seat 136 passengers, whereas at the time of the accident it was carrying about 250 j passengers. All the passages, including stairs leading to the upper decks, were blocked,. There were about 90 passengers on the overturned trailer, of whom 51, including deceased, were injured, most of the injuries being slight; (4) the conductor was in the middle vehicle when the hindmost trailer became derailed ! Had there heen a conductor in the de- ) railed car at the time of its derailment the death of deceased or injuries to other passengers might have been averted. As it was, valuable moments elapsed before the conductor became aware of jthe derailment, and vhen that knowledge reached him the car in which he i was for the-' time being travelling was so overcrowded that he could not reach the buzzer, and had to rely on his whistle, which the motorman did not hear; (5) the practice of running an overcrowded tram, consisting, as this one did, of a motor and two upper-deck trailers, controlled by only one conductor, albeit it is authorised on the Sumner line by the Tramway Board and by Order-in-Conncil, is an extremely dangerous one; (6) that some provision should he mado for limiting the number of passengers which each tram vehicle can lawfully carry.