RAILWAY FATALITY.
(By Telegraph. — Press Association.)
DUNEDIN, Tuesday.
John Rhodes, one of the men employed on the railway, was killed at Burnside by being struck by the cowcatcher of an engine. He had knocked off work, and was crossing the line, not observing the approaching engine. He leaves a widow and one child. -Auckland Star, 19/6/1901.
FATALITY ON THE RAILWAY.
An inquest was held at the Wharf Hold yesterday concerning the death of John Rhodes who was killed on the railway at the Cattle Yards on Tuesday evening. The inquest was conducted by Mr C. C. Graham, coroner, and a jury of six, of whom Mr J. Baxter was chosen foreman. Rhodes was about 34 years of age and was a native of Birmingham, England.
David Kay deposed that he was employed on the railway, and he knew deceased John Rhodes. On Tuesday evening witness was in his company. They knocked off work together. They were waiting for the train at the Cattle Yards station, and when the train was approaching witness said they had better go across to the platform. Did not see deceased again until his body was taken from under the train. Witness walked along the platform a few yards and picked up a hat, and then a bag. He knew the bag belonged to deceased, and he heard someone call out that there was someone under the train. Witness said, "Good God, surely that can't be my mate." He struck matches and went along the platform, and found the body of deceased hanging on to the axle box of the engine. Two or three men were extricating the body at the time. Deceased was quite sober when with witness, and they had only knocked off work about 20 minutes.
To Sub-inspector Kiely: The engine, witness thought, was about two chains away when they crossed the line. It proved to be closer than he thought, and he started to run. Witness was about 40ft from the platform when he spoke to deceased. It was pretty dark at the time. It was possible that deceased tripped on the rails, but witness could not say that he did so. There was a double line of rails there.
Thomas Thomson, labourer on the railway, stated that about half-past 5 o'clock he and another person were standing on the platform at the Cattle Yards station. Witness saw three men crossing from the end of the station, across the front of the incoming train. Two got on to the platform; but witness could not account tor the third, and did not know whether he had got knocked over or had stepped back. Witness was a little suspicious, and looked at the side of the carriages as they came up, and saw a man being dragged along. He was under the axle of about the third truck back from the engine. Witness sang out that a man was under the train, and followed it up to try and get the man out as quickly as possible. He assisted to take the body out. The three men were very close to the train when they began to cross the line, but what the distance was witness could not say. Witness saw the men taking shelter from the wind under the lee of a tank before he went on to the platform.
James Slight, the driver of the engine, said that on the train approaching the platform his mate sang out to some persons crossing the road. He (witness) immediately whistled and looked out, and saw two men rushing across the road right in front of the engine. Witness thought they were cutting it too fine, and that they were too close. It seemed to witness that the men got across. He did not see another man. When the train stopped he heard a commotion behind, and got off the engine and went back and found that a man had been knocked down by the cowcatcher, and dragged alongside of the trucks. It would have been utterly impossible, even in daylight, to have pulled up in time to save the man, though they were going slowly. One of the relief cocks of the cylinder was broken off, and it was there the man must have been caught first, after being struck by the cowcatcher.
Mr Graham, addressing the jury, said there appeared to have been no necessity for the men to have gone to where they did, as they approached the platform from where they worked; but they had gone across to obtain shelter under the tank while waiting for the train. They had not kept such a strict lookout as they might have done for the approaching train, and they were unfortunately a minute or two too late in crossing over. There did not seem to be any blame attachable to anyone except the unfortunate man himself; and he (Mr Graham) did not think the jury would have any difficulty in arriving at a verdict that death was due to pure accident. The Jury returned a verdict that deceased met his death by being accidentally run over by a railway train, and added that no blame was attachable to anyone. -Otago Daily Times, 20/6/1901.
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