TRAM FATALITY.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 January 1920, Page 8

TRAM FATALITY.

THE WELLINGTON ACCIDENT. FURTHER EVIDENCE. By Telegrjph.—Press Assn.—Copyiisht. Wellington, Jan. 15. The inquiry into the fatal tram accident was resumed this morning. Conductor Quayle, who was on the car which came to grief, was cross-ex-amined by Mr. O'Shea, city solicitor. He put in the report which he presented next morning, in which he distinctly stated that the car stopped at the city end of the tunnel. Before presenting that report he had not been approached by any tramway official. A heavy wind was blowing at the time of the accident. Other people were standing in the'car when he first saw a woman beckoning to him. He used the bracket at the foot of the hand brake when he put it on. He had been taught that it gave the brake more leverage. When the car turned over he was,still working on the hand brake. He subsequently discovered that he had been somewhat seriously injured. It was absolutely incorrect to say that he jumped off the car before the accident happened. Re-examined, he said he did not see that the car stopped at Austin Street, a compulsory stopping place, because the car practically stopped, and no one attempted to get on or off. Inspector M'llveney suggested that the conductor might be accused of being responsible under the Crimes Act. The Coroner said, witness twas not obliged to answer any question of an incriminating nature. Mr. O'Shea said it was highly improper that witness should be prejudiced by any answer he might give to the questions put to him. Inspector M'llveney urged that it was for witness to refuse to answer any questions the answer to which might be incriminating. His only suggestion was that witness was suffering from defective memory. Mr. O'Shea agreed with this. Witness was perfectly truthful The Coroner: What is the reason of compulsory stops? Witness: I object to answer. Further examined, witness said he started entering up the running sheet while coming down the incline, as the car was going all right. He was writing and looking out at the same time. Wellington, Last Night. Constance Kitching, a passenger on the car, said as far as she remembered the car did not stop at the compulsory stop on the city side of the tunnel. It was just before Austin Street that Mrs Evans first called out that the motorman had fallen. John William Range, another passenger, and a former conductor in the employ of the Tramways Department, said the car emerged from the tunnel mouth very slowly and proceeded steadily on past the stop. He did not know 'whether the conductor gave the bell to proceed. From there it went at the usual speed towards the Austin Street stop, and there was nothing to indicate it was going to stop there. Thence 4t seemed to gain speed. He noticed people standing up just after passing Austin Street. Replying to questions, witness said the car did not slow down at Austin Street. The application of the brakes by the conductor had no apparent effect. The first indication something was wrong was when the car passed Austin Street without stopping. Mr Neave: The car could have travelled the rest of the distance from the ■place where the speed increased if the brakes had been kept on? "I do not think so." Mr. Neave explained that his tion was that, although Motorman Small Hud become incapacitated the fact he had put on the brakes »t the top of the hill would have carried the car around the loot of the hill in safety unless the brakes were accidently released or were defective. Witness continued that neither he nor other conductors were ever trained in the use of magnetic and air brakes Ho. md been told about dislodging the trolley pole in case of emergency ' Alexander Mt-Stay, another" passenger mid the car did not slow down or pull >!P at any point after leaving the tund,f w'u" cGil ] superintendent of the Wellington tramways, said from the mmination made before the bodies were ,£/]?« Wlt " eS , 9 f0 ™ d thc controller with the power handle missing, the ma»netic>rake on one notch, and the bapdTe of the airbrake on the release position Jfe placed little importance on the post |on of the handle, or the brakes™ a a IT,?: r n % t0 t,m ' m W* of the car at the time n f overturnin? ihe inquiry was adjourned."