TRAM FATALITY.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 January 1920, Page 5

TRAM FATALITY.

THE WELLINGTON DISASTER. EVIDENCE AT THE INQUIRY. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. Mr. Cable, asked if recommendations for the instalment of special appliances for runaway cars had been received from the Public Works Department even after two runaways occurred in Auckland, replied in the negative. CONFLICTING STATEMENTS. Frederick R. Furkert, Assistant Engineer in Chief, Public Works Department, said the object of compulsory stops on inclines was to enable a motorman to keep his car properly under control. The Departmental definition of a compulsory stop was a place at which a stop must be made, no matter what the load was, or any other circumstances. Witness said the happening of the accident was not consistent with the conductor's statement that the car came practically to a stop at Austin Street, and he applied, the brake at Ellice Avenue. Assuming the motorman was down, and the car had come practically to a stop at Austin Street, and the conductor had applied the hand brake at Ellice Avenue, the accident could not have happened. Witness assumed the conductor, being a new hand, would hot have been able to apply more than GO per cent, of what was possible by an experienced motorman or conductor. This he assumed in the conductor's favor. Replying to Mr. O'Shea, witness said it was possible the late Mr. Evans could have interfered with the handle aud released the brake.

To the Coroner: It was possi' 'e to fit city cars with the "dead man handle," and that would have the effect of stopping a car automatically if the motorman became incapacitated. Gwynne Dinnig, 14 years of age, who saw the car emerge from the tunnel, said it did not stop after coming out.

MEDICAL EVIDENCE. Dr. McEvedy gave evidence touching the post mortem examination he held on the body of the deceased motorman, Small, the afternoon following the accident. The blood vessels were normal. The heart was contracted, no blood being in the left ventricle, and very little blood in the right ventricle. The stomach was absolutely empty, and there was no sign of food or fluid of any description. The rest of the organs were quite normal. Witness had no opportunity of examining the brain on account of the nature of the injuries. The cause of death was laceration of the skull. To Inspector Mcllveney: The whole evidence of the post mprtem pointed to the fact that the deceased had fainted. To the Coroner: The post mortem disclosed that the man was not dead at the time of the crash. This concluded the evidence. The Coroner intimated that he had already arrived at his conclusion, but as the evidence was very lengthy, and as the matter was of some importance, he was desirous of putting his finding in writing. He would, therefore, deliver his verdict to-morrow.