ROTORUA RAILWAY ACCIDENT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8510, 15 August 1907, Page 5

ROTORUA RAILWAY ACCIDENT.

JURY'S VERDICT,

By TelegrapL—Press Association,

ROTORUA, August 14

At the railway accident inqutst, to-day, the evidence of the Putaruru Stationmaster, Mr R. E. Robertson, Westinghouse brake expert, ard Constable Spellman, was taken. Tay- \ lor. the driver of the first engine, recalled, gave further evidence. Nothing new was elicited from the evidence, which was'very conflicting. -The engine-drivers and staff declare that the brakes were put on before the engines were uncoupled. The passengers say that no brakes were applied. The inquiry closed at a quarter to five o'clock. The jury retired, and returned in an hour and a-half, with a verdict that Guard Lowe came by death as the result of injuries received through an accident to the Rotorua goods train on August 3rd, owing to the vehicles receding from the vicinity of the 48 mile peg, when the engines were detached, through partial failure of the second engine. The evidence was too con-' flictng to justify the jury in arriving at a decision as to why the vehicles receded. DEPARTMENTAL ENQUIRY. By Telegraph—Press Association. WELLINGTON, August 14. The enquiry into the recent fatal railway accident on the Auckland Rotorua line will open at Auckland ! to-morrow week. Mr A. L. Beattie. ! Chief Locomotive Engineer, and Mr H. Buxton, Chief Traffic Manager, will be present to give evidence if desired. Evidence will be given by Mr R. E. Robertson, expert in New Zealand for the Westinghouse Brake Company.