TRAM FATALITY.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 January 1920, Page 6

TRAM FATALITY.

THE WELLINGTON DISASTER. EVIDENCE AT THE INQUIRY. By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, Jan. 19. The inquiry into the Pirie Street tram fatality was resumed to-day. Mr. M'Gillivray, traffic manager, on being further examined by Mr. O'Shea, city solicitor, said that to the 'best of his belief the conductor noticed the excessive speed of the car as soon as anyone in the car. If there was any invention from any part of the world to obviate such accidents he would recommend such an invention to the council, but he knew of none. Telegraph Messenger Whithouse said that he and another boy saw the car travelling very fast near Austin Street. He remarked that it appeared to be a runaway car. It kept on past the stopping place, and appeared to be going faster, tt eventually left the line at Brougham Street. The motorman was lying down on the front platform, face upwards. Matthew Cable, assistant general manager of the tramways, and an electrical engineer with long experience, said that he examined the ear after the accident. The rear bogey wheelß were completely severed from the car; the bolts of the centre plate were broken, and the brake connection between the body of the car and the trunk was severed; the control apparatus was intact. He said that the back of the car was the best position for the conductor, who could thus see the car clear before starting, and could keep an eye on the trolley rope round curves and when passing places where neglect might be dangerous.

DUTY OF A CONDUCTOR. The first duty of the conductor in the event of a car attaining excessive speed was to apply his hand brake. The general practice was to continue at compulsory stops if no one was alighting or intending to board the car. There was no possibility of the motorman having been electrocuted, judging from the condition of the brakes. If the conductor had been in the front of the ear it would be advisable for him to apply the power brake in case of emergency, but he considered the hand brake safer for an inexperienced person.

Mr. Cable added that he knew of no better brake system in the United Kingdom than that in use in Wellington, but said there, was no way of eliminating the possibility of the failure of the human element. A young conductor would have confidence in an old motorman, especially in such a case as the present, where he had spoken to the motorman a few minutes earlier and found him in apparent good health. A lapse of six seconds on such a grade was equal to an increase of 10 miles an hour in the speed of the car. This incline was regarded as dangerous, but no special instructions were given to conductors for their conduct on that route. As a rule, on that route the conductor was fully occupied in the inside of the car. He had not recommended that the conductor be instructed going down that incline to remain at the front or back of the car to take action in case of emergency.

VALUE OF COMPULSORY STOPS. Mr. Cable continued that in regard to compulsory stop's, it was in the province of the motorman to decide whether a car should stop or not. It would be extremely dangerous to supply conductors with duplicate controls and levers at the rear of a car. Compulsory stops at Austin Street were fixed by the Public Works Department and the late Mr. Richardson, General Manager of the Tramways. A compulsory stop at the tunnel-was fixed so as to enable the brakes to be tested before commencing the descent of the hill. The arrangement entered into between the Government and' the Council was that cars should stop at compulsory stopping places. Even so, they j countenanced men using judgment in [ such a case, providing the car slowed | up.

The Austin Street compulsory stop was provided specifically for the safety of the public. If he had himself been conductor of a car passing Austin Street at more than normal speed he would have applied the hand brake. The "dead man's hand brake" was not applicable to our cars. To adopt it would mean discarding the whole of the present system.