FATAL RAILWAY ACCIDENT.
An accident, attended with fatal results, occured on the railway line last evening. William Paul Cunningham, master of the steamer Ino, with Mr Henry Guthrie, was crossing over the line at Jetty street when the 5.40 p.m train from Dunedin to Andersons Bay approached. The whistle was sounded, as we are informed by Mr Guthrie and oters, but something seemed to attract Mr Cunningham's attention, and the engine knocked him down, carrying his body about two engine's-lengths along the line. Mr Butchart, the stationmaster at Dunedin, was at once sent for, and he found the body lying between the rails with one of the legs over them. Both legs were nearly severed at the knee joints, and there was a small wound on the crown of the head. The body was removed to the morgue at the Hospital, where an inquest will be held tomorrow. Deceased was married, but leaves no children. His wife keeps a grain store at Kakanui. The crossing in question was protected by gates until recently, when the railway line was altered. A watchman is now kept there until dusk, when the dray traffic ceases, and this man had left his post but a short time before the accident happened. -Evening Star, 7/5/1879.
FUNERAL NOTICE.
THE Friends of the late Mr William Paul Cunningham (who was accidentally killed by the train on Tuesday) are respectfully invited to attend his Funera1, which will leave the Hospital, Dunedin, To-morrow (Saturday), the 10th inst., at half-past 2 o'clock, for the Northern Cemetery. WALTER G GEDDES, Undertaker, Octagon. -Evening Star, 9/5/1879.
Judicial.
INQUEST.
An inquest on the body of William Paul Cunningham, who was killed on the 6th inst. by a train at the Jetty street crossing, was held at the Hospital on the Bth, before D Hocken (coroner) and a jury of 12.
Superintendent Weldon watched the proceedings on behalf of the police. The Coroner said a main object of the inquiry was to see whether the occurrence was the result of a pure accident, or whether there was blame attaching to anyone. As the body was fearfully mangled, there was no doubt death had been instantaneous.
Matthew Halliday deposed that on Tuesday evening last, between 5 and 6 o'clock, he was coming up the Jetty street Jetty with the deceased, when they met Mr Guthrie. As they approached the railway line he saw the train coming. Mr Guthrie and the deceased were about four or five feet ahead of him. Witness called out, "For God's sake, look out, man!" Mr Guthrie caught hold of Mr Cunningham by the coat-collar and attempted to drag him off the rails. The deceased's foot hit against either a stone or one of the rails, and he fell between them. The engine was upon him the moment he fell, and he was dragged along the ground. The train was pulled up as soon as possible, after it had traversed about 25 feet. Witness then saw the body lying on the ground completely smashed. When he first saw the train it was about 15 or 20 feet from the crossing. He could have seen it 50 or 60 feet away if he had looked. He could not say he heard the engine whistle. Cunningham was perfectly sober. He was 48 years of age, and had been married only eight months. Witness thought he could have got across the line had he not caught his foot against the rail or stone.
John Guthrie deposed: On Tuesday evening, I was walking up Jetty street Wharf in company with the deceased, talking as we crossed the line. I heard somebody call out, "Look out!" I turned my head, and on observing the train I leaped across the rails. The engine pulled up very quickly. I believe if I had jumped a second later I would have been caught by it. I heard a whistle before the accident happened, but did not think of it till afterwards. I was only two or three minutes with the deceased, and could not say whether he was not sober. The engine had lights, and I could have seen the train half-way to the station. I could not have blamed anyone if I had been hurt myself. If there had been a person at the crossing or gate to pass through, I do not think the accident would have happened.
Frederick Moorhouse, porter at the Dunedin railway station, stated that he was acting as pilot on the engine at the time of the accident. When 200 yards from the Jetty street crossing, witness saw two gentlemen walking very slowly from the jetty to the roadway. They were about six yards from the line, and the driver whistled, and kept on doing so until within two yards of them. He then shut off the steam and reversed the engine. It was dusk. Witness saw Mr Guthrie jump forward. The deceased tried to jump backwards, but slipped, and the left hand side of the engine caught him and knocked him down. The train was going at the rate of five or six miles an hour.
Thomas Foote, enginedriver, said he was on the engine of the 5.45 train to Anderson's Bay. On leaving the station the alarm whistle was blown as an alarm for the crossing. Witness saw two persons approaching the crossing when the whistle was blown. They still walked on, and witness kept whistling. When the train was within 20 feet of them witness saw that they were in danger. He then shut off steam and reversed the engine. The fireman had the brake screwed down as far as it would go. Witness saw one of the men look towards the train and then jump forward. He put his hand backwards, and witness did not know whether he pulled or pushed the other man. The enginedrivers have instructions to blow the whistle and proceed cautiously at crossings. The train was going at the rate of about seven miles an hour. The whistle was open from the time the engine started.
Alexander Day, who was a passenger by the train, gave evidence as to the whistle sounding so shrilly that he could not hear his own voice. He thought the whistle was quite sufficient to warn anyone.
Henry Guthrie, shipping agent, residing in Dunedin, deposed: I saw the deceased about 5 o'clock on the day of the accident, and he then seemed as if he had had a little liquor. He was talking to me, and I could detect, by his manner and the way he was speaking that he had had some drink. He could walk quite steadily.
Thomas Butchart deposed: I am stationmaster at Dunedin. On Tuesday evening Moorhouse came and told me that there had been an accident at the Jetty street crossing. On arriving there I saw the train just beyond the crossing, and the body of the deceased lying between the rails, with the left leg over one of the rails. He was quite dead, and the body was taken to the Hospital. The whistling of the train was unusually long. A single line of rails goes over the Jetty street crossing. A man is stationed there when dray traffic is on, and his duty is to keep vehicles back when a train is passing. He was not there at the time of the accident, for he does not stay after half past 5. There is very little traffic after that time. Alterations have recently been made to the main line by the Public Works Department. There are no gates to the crossing. There were gates previously. I do not know whether it is intended to re-erect them. The permanent way is under the charge of the engineer. Hardly anyone crosses the line there after dark.
Alexander Grant, general manager Dunedin section of railways, stated that the only protection used at the crossings, with one or two exceptions, was the whistle of the engine. Alterations have been made near the Jetty street crowing, and the fence and gate have been taken down. It is not intended to re-erect these, as they are considered unnecessary. Witness thought the whistle was a sufficient safeguard.
This was all the evidence, and the Coroner asked the Jury to say whether the deceased met his death accidentally, or whether any blame was attached to any of the railway authorities. It seemed to him that every precaution had been taken.
A verdict was returned to the effect that the deceased met his death accidentally. The Jury considered that no blame was attachable to the railway authorities. -Otago Witness, 17/9/1879.
William Cunningham lies in Dunedin's Northern Cemetery.
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