NEARLY CUT IN TWO.
DUNEDIN, June 5. Thelma Austen, three years of age, met her death in George street about one o’clock to-day, when she was run over by a tramcar. As the car went along it met a cart going in the opposite direction. The girl ran out from the back of the cart on to the rails, and when the motorman saw the child she was only about three yards away. He applied the magnetic brake, and then the hand brake, and pulled up very promptly but not in time to save the child, who, not seeing the car, ran right into it, was struck by the comer of the step, missed the life guard, and was nearly cut in two by the wheel. -NZ Times, 6/6/1911.
TRAMCAR FATALITY.
INQUEST ON THELMA AUSTEN.
An inquest touching the circumstances under which Thelma Valquadar Austen, aged 2 years 11 months, met her death in George street on Monday, was held in the Magistrate's Court yesterday before Mr C. C. Graham (coroner).
Station-sergeant King conducted the inquiry, while Mr W. C. MacGregor watched the proceedings on behalf of the City Corporation, Mr Lang on behalf of the motorman, and Mr C. N. Scurr for the relatives of the deceased.
Charles Harold Austen (Furniture dealer), father of the deceased child, said he did not know any of the circumstances surrounding the fatality.
To Station-sergeant King: It was not true that his little girl was in the habit of wandering about the streets, and going from his house to the shop.
Peter Howman, dairyman, North-East Valley, said that on Monday, at about 1 p.m. he was driving down George street, and noticed a little girl crossing the street. There was a car going south, and a cart was going in the opposite direction. The child was behind the cart, and just as she got clear of it the car met and crushed her. The car was going at the usual pace, and it was pulled up within 10 or 12 yards.
To Sergeant King: He was about a chain away from the accident.
To Mr Scurr: He saw the child about three or four yards before the car struck her. The car was not pulled up with a sudden jolt.
George Melville, bread carter, Caversham, said he was driving his cart behind a tramcar, going south. He saw a child running across the road. When he first saw her slip was about 10 paces from the west footpath, going in a diagonal direction. She was between the two lines where witness first saw her. He could see that an accident must happen, as the child was not watching the car at all. He thought that children on the opposite side of the street were attracting its attention. He did not see the car overtake the child, as he was level with the car. On looking back he saw the car had stopped, and that the child was under the wheel.
To Station-sergeant King: From the time he first saw the child the car would travel about 12 or 15 yards before it pulled up.
To Mr Scurr: His view was obstructed by the car, but he thought that the motorman's view of the child would also be obstructed, because the child was so close to the car. The child was in the centre of the track running north when he saw her, and he did not think the motorman could have seen her, because she struck the ear at a point between the motorman's platform and the wheel. He did not hear a bell sounded.
Dr Clew said he was called to the scene of the accident, and found the child half under the car and right across the rail. There was something in front of the car like a guard which prevented the body from being pulled out. The child was quite dead. The car was backed a few inches, and the body was taken from underneath.
George William Connolly, tram conductor, said he was the conductor on the car in question. He did not see the child. The first intimation he had of the accident was when the brake was applied suddenly. He did not remember hearing the motorman's bell. He considered the car was pulled up within two car lengths. A car was 20ft long. The car was travelling at the usual pace — from seven to 10 miles an hour. There were four passengers in it at the time. He was at the rear.
John Crawford, motorman on the car, said he was coming along between Albany and Frederick street. About half way down a cart was travailing along on the west side of the road about 3ft from the other line. The cart had just passed him when the child ran out from behind it. She was running and not looking where she was going. He rang the belt two or three times, put on the brake at once, and pulled up within two car lengths. The child ran into the car, and struck it on the right hand corner. Immediately the car stopped witness got out. and Found the child caught in the magnetic brake. He saw at once that the child was dead. He did not see the child before it came from behind the cart. As soon as he saw the child he recognised the danger.
To Mr Scurr: The emergency brake was put on when the child was about three yards away. That brake acted almost immediately. He could not tell how the child had got under the car, which was going at about 10 miles an hour. The shortest distance under which the car could have been pulled up, under the circumstances, was a length and three quarters. The child did not fall in front of the guard, but went down the side of the car — between the guard and the step. There were children on the foot-path on both sides. It was quite impossible for him to stop the car before he did.
Frederick William Furkert, district engineer for public works, said he had examined the car at the carsheds by request of Mr Alexander shortly after the accident occurred. They ran the car out, and made four emergency stops. Before taking the car out he examined the life guard, and found everything as it should be — in perfect order. The car was taken on the St. Clair line, and he instructed the motorman, after a fair speed had been obtained, to make emergency stops. He considered the brake worked satisfactorily. There was no grade where they tried the experiment. On a down grade a car would take longer to stop and on an up grade shorter. The quickest stop they made was a shade under 13 yards. He considered that quite satisfactory.
Mr Scurr said he understood that a man named O'Keefe, who had been a passenger on the car, had expected to have been called because he had made a statement to the sergeant at North Dunedin Police Station.
Station-sergeant King said he had not heard any mention of O'Keefe at all.
The Coroner said it seemed to him from the evidence that the fatality was a case of pure misadventure.
Mr Scurr remarked that he understood O'Keefe's evidence would be that he did not feel any sudden stoppage.
The Coroner said he had no desire to make a full inquiry, and adjourned the hearing until the witness came.
John Joseph O'Keefe, shopkeeper, said he was travelling on the car in question. His attention was called to the accident by one of the passengers getting out and walking over to the footpath towards Frederick street. After the car stood still for two or three seconds he looked out to see what was causing the stoppage. He then heard a little boy shouting out that his sister was under the car. Witness went round to the front of the car and could not see anything. He was standing on the platform at the back. He could not remember hearing the motorman's bell, and did not feel any jerk out of the ordinary — nothing to lead him to suppose that the magnetic brake had been put on.
To Mr Scurr: The man who went away walked off as if nothing had happened, and he (witness) had no idea that an accident had occurred.
This closed the evidence.
The Coroner said that a very plain statement of the circumstances connected with the unfortunate accident had been given, and he felt justified in saying that the fatality was due to pure misadventure, no blame being attachable to anyone. He recorded a verdict accordingly. -Otago Daily Times, 9/6/1911.
I have not been able to find the resting place of Thelma Austin.
No comments:
Post a Comment