D.—7

39

No one spoke about the position we were in. After we had been stationary a little while the train commenced to move buck. It might be ten minutes or it might be longer between the time the train stopped and when it commenced to move backwards. When the train commenced to move back I started to put the brake on. There was no bump, and I did not hear any click of the carriages. I did not put the brake on because Guard Lowe told me it was all right, " Never mind the brake." Shortly after that I heard three whistles repeated three times. The train was then moving slowly—four or five miles an hour. 1 put the van-brake on then, and Lowe went through and put the car-brake on, and when he came back he pulled the Westinghouse tap down. The gauge was empty. There was no air showing at all. When lie pulled the cock down there was no Bound of air from it. As Lowe was rushing through to the carriage I looked at the gauge. The hand was right down to zero. I had looked at it some minutes previously and it was then showing ;il>nut -SO 11). That was after we had stopped. Lowe was then in the van. After we stopped and before (lie train began to move back I looked at gauge, and it showed about 301b. Four or five minutes later I looked again and saw the gauge was down to zero. When we started to move , there was no air shown in gauge. Lowe would certainly have put the Westinghouse brake on, and I think he noticed the gauge showed no air. Before the train started to go back I said to Lowe, " She lias not got much air, Jack." He did not say anything. A few minutes after that we started to go back and we put on the brakes. Lowe might have noticed the gauge was at zero but Ido not know whether he did or not. When he pulled the handle down lie looked at me but said nothing. Kingdon helped me to put the brake on. When engine whistled we were only travelling about four or five miles an hour. I did not know the engine was uncoupled. I thought we were coming back to get a better place to start up the hill again. When the train was going about four or five miles an hour it would have been possible to get out and put hand-brakes on. I did not know engines were uncoupled from train until I was pulled out from wreckage. The long stoppage on , incline did not cause any remark between us. I did not know where we were, but thought we Were furl her up at the tanks. No one remarked that they thought we were at the tanks. I have talked over the accident with Taylor and others. Beyond the engines being uncoupled nothing was said. I said I did not know the engines were uncoupled. I was never told by either driver they had made a certain reduction on applying the brakes. I had this conversation before the inquest. There was talk of the engines being uncoupled, and I said I did not know that until I was pulled out of the wreckage. Nothing more was said. I never asked any question as to the brakes. 1 was present during the time Porter Tyer's evidence was given at inquest. I heard the brakes being applied very quietly when we stopped on the hill. I said so before Coroner and believe so still. 1 never heard them released. I never heard pipes being clapped or recharged. I never heard a second application of brakes. I have done a fair amount of travelling in trains. I never heard before of engines being uncoupled from train without warning the guard. I did not talk about that with the others. I only discussed my troubles with the others. All I said to the enginedriver Taylor was that I did not know the engines were uncoupled. He made no reply, and that was all that was said. When we started to go back I never heard any grinding of the brakes. Everything seemed smooth. I feel positive there were no brakes on when we started to go back until we put the screw brakes on. That produced is the evidence I gave before the Coroner (pages 84 to 92, inclusive), and the evidence I have now given is substantially the same. Baiime: The train ran smoothly. If there had been brakes I would have heard them, but I do not mean if there had been brakes in front part of train. I have no idea. I only know there was no Westinghouse brake on the van. I was severely injured at the accident, and was suffering when I gave evidence at inquest. I was certainly very weak. This is the first time I have been allowed out of hospital. I was much weaker than I am to-day. When on the incline I believed it was the Westinghouse brake went on. lam not certain now. In any case it was a very slight application and I heard no release. There was certainly no Westinghouse on when we started to go back. It is quite possible that I may have been mistaken as to the Westinghouse going on when we stopped. The 35 lb. I saw on the gauge dropped very quickly—in a second or two. A quick reduction like that puts on the brake, but apparently it did not put on the brake. We moved off slowly and gathered speed rapidly. It would take three men to put the hand-brakes down on twenty-two ordinary vehicles about six to seven minutes, but if the brakes were working freely it could be done in about five minutes. That is a good average time. It is not like putting brakes on a corridor train. After train started we might have put three or four hand-brakes on, but no more, before it became dangerous. Before the engine was connected at Putaruru the train might have been empty of air. As soon as the engine was connected the tr.ain would be charged as the pump was working. The sound of application of brakes I heard at Putaruru was behind be and in front of me. I have sometimes been responsible for brake-test. If it is working on the van I would be satisfied. I would be satisfied by actually seeing the brakes clap on, by night as well as by day. I do not judge by the sound, but by seeing. Before giving the signal for brake-test I look at gauge in van to see if brakes could be tested. If there is not sufficient air in' gauge I know (he brakes will not go on, only perhaps a little. When the blocks go on the wheels I cannot tell with what pressure they are put on. I can tell if they go on hard. His James Thomas X Dwyets. Witness—Chari.es F. Reehai,. mark. Taken and sworn at Auckland, this 3rd day of September, 1907, before me—Chas. C. Kkttle, D.J. This deponent, Hebbbrt Bdxton, being sworn, saith :— I am Chief Traffic Manager for New Zealand Government Railways. I think I can give no information on the subject. The reissue of the Appendix is in hand. Those connected with train-