W. F. ENGLAND.

41

I.—6a

14. Did he ask you to blow the whistle on the crossing?—l could not swear to it. 15. Did you advise the driver and give him the benefit of your knowledge of the road and tell him whether he was running too fast? —No. 16. Did you know how often he had been over the road? You assumed he had a perfect knowledge of it?—l considered he xvould have. lam under the instructions of tho driver. 17. Did the driver ask you to give him any information at all respecting the road?— Not that I can remember. 18. Did you blow the whistle at all coining down? —Yes, where I thought was the bottom crossing. 19. Why did you?—l blew it on the spur of the moment. 20. Without the instructions of the driver ?— Yes. 21. It is the practice of the driver to do so? —Yes. 22. You had no reason for doing it ?—No. 23. Was that at the Titirangi crossing?— Yes. 24. Hon. Mr. Herries.] You knew the road well, did you?—Yos. 25. .)//'. McVilly.] When you blow the whistle at the crossing did you make tiny remark to the driver? —The only remark I made was that we must be getting close. 26. What is the distance from the trussing to the New Lynn semaphore? About 200 yards. 27. Did you suggest to the driver that he should reduce the speed of his train? -No. 28. Did you expect him to reduce the speed?—No; I considered he had control of the train. 29. What speed was ho travelling at?—l should say ho was slowing to about ten miles an hour. 30. And you had about 200 yards to go?— Yes, about that. 31. How far could you see ahead of you? —About 20 yards. 32. Hoxv far off were you when you got a view of the signal?—l did not get a viexv at all — it was on the driver's side. • 33. What speed do you reckon the train was going down the grade?— From twenty to twentyfive miles an hour at the top end. The time-table says thirty. 34. Did the driver check the speed at all?—He had control all the way down as far as I could make out. 35. When you got to the bridge and blew the whistle, did you find it necessary to apply sand? —Yes, I thought the engine was skidding, and 1 applied sand. 36. Whereabouts did you fancy she was skidding?—l could not say definitely. 37. Who saw the other train first —you or the driver? —I did not see it till after the acci dent. There is a slight bend just on the bridge. 38. Did you stick to the engine?—No, I jumped off after we had collided. 39. How long have you been firing?— Two years, 1 think. 40. Where have you been running?-—Only on the Auckland Section. 41. Hoxv long had you been running on the New Lynn Section?— Permanently, about eleven months. 42. You have an intimate knowledge of the road?— Yes. 43. And there was nothing unusual to prevent you stopping before you got to tho signal?— No, I did not see anything. 44. Where xvas the first place you noticed the application of the brakes? —I noticed it just before we came to the crossing. 45. That is at tho curve near the foot of the grade? —That is before the road, I think. 46. Did you use your hand-brake? —Only sufficient to take up the couplings of the train. 47. What was tho speed of the train between Titirangi home crossing and tho home signal? — I should consider it about five to eight miles. 48. At what speed do you think you were travelling when you hit the other train?—l could not say. The brake was on and she was slowing. 49. If you were running at a speed of from five to eight miles near that crossing and had the brakes on the train would stop automatically, would it not? —That all*depends. I consider the brake xvas hard on. 50. And yet she ran from the semaphore, 14 chains, without stopping?—lt is quite possible. If you start, say, at sixty miles you must slow down to eight and six and one. 51. Where xvere you travelling at eight miles an hour? —I could not say —it would be back towards the crossing. 52. What was the fog like that particular morning?— Very thick. 53. How far from New Lynn Station did you run into this thick fog?— About half-way down. 54. How far from Scroggy Hill? —About a quarter of a mile. 55. That is half a mile from New Lynn Station?—l do not know the distance. 56. Have you not a time-table?— Yes. 57. You do not study it, then?— Not from that point. 58. Do you not think it is part of your business? —No. 59. A man in charge of an engine should know? —I am not in charge of the engine. I am supposed to have a working knowledge. 60. What certificates have you got?—A cleaner's examination for fireman. 61. You have not a driver's certificate?— No. 62. If you do not know anything about the distances, what would be your duty if anything happened to your driver?—l have not been asked that question up till now, but I believe there are posts that give the distances between the stations,

6—l. 6a.