The fatal accident reported in our Dunedin telegrams in having occurred to Mr Oliver Wakefield, is a shocking affair indeed. Mr Wakefield was, as everybody who had come in business contact with him will testify, one of the most gentlemanly, painstaking, and thoroughly efficient Civil Servants any Government ever possessed, and in him the Mines Department at Wellington will lose a powerful and most creditable chief. The whole circumstances attending his death renders it a peculiarly sad one, and well may the wires say it has "given a shock to the colony." Mr Wakefield was a strictly temperate man in his habits, being a zealous abstainer of many years standing. How he got under the tramcar seems undecided. -Thames Advertiser, 21/3/1884.
SHOCKING ACCIDENT.
DEATH OF MR OLIVER WAKEFIELD.
Dunedin, This day
Mr Oliver Wakefield, Under-Secretary for the Goldfields, who was on his way from Wellington to Melbourne by the Waihora, was very seriously injured by a steam tram motor in Princes-street yesterday. He was crossing the street, and in trying to avoid an express waggon was struck by the tram engine and knocked down. The front wheels ran over him, but the engine was stopped before the back wheels could touch him. He was taken to the hospital in an unconscious state, and there it was found that both thigh bones wore severed, and that he had sustained a severe scalp wound. He recovered consciousness at the hospital, and messages were sent to his friends. The doctors amputated both legs, but he died at 6p.m. He was a brother of Mr E. Wakefield, M.H.R. When he recovered consciousness in the hospital he gave his name, so that his friends might be communicated with, and he mentioned Mr Driver and Mr Larnach, from whom he had not long before parted, as Dunedin acquaintances. Four doctors performed the operation. It was not for a moment believed that his life could be saved, but it was the only chance, as the thigh bones were severed. He was sensible after the operation and spoke to his acquaintances present, but he only lived about half an hour. The doctors remained with him till he died. He was going on a visit to Melbourne on leave. It is not certain whether the tram engine knocked him down or whether he got confused and fell. Some persons on the pavement who saw the occurrence believe that he lost his nerve in front of the engine and fell down before it struck him. The news of the accident has caused a great shock in the city. -Daily Telegraph, 21/3/1884.
FATAL TRAM ACCIDENT.
An inquest was held at the Hospital this morning touching the death of Oliver Wakefield, before Mr Coroner Hocken and a jury of twelve, of whom Mr A. Sligo was appointed foreman. Inspector Weldon conducted the inquiry, and Mr Stout watched the proceedings on behalf of the Tramway Company.
The Coroner said he need hardly tell the jury that they had been called together to inquire into the circumstances attending the death of Mr Oliver Wakefield, who was killed on Thursday afternoon from injuries received from one of the tram motor engines. The important part of the inquiry was to see whether death was the result of pure accident, or whether blame was attachable to anyone in charge of the steam tram. He might tell them that Mr Oliver Wakefield belonged to a wellknown family of ability and eloquence — a family which, perhaps more than any other, had been engaged in the early colonisation of New Zealand. It would be of some interest to the jury, perhaps, to know that.
Edward Wakefield, journalist, residing at Timaru, deposed: The deceased, Oliver Wakefield, was my brother. He was forty years of age at the time of his death, a native of Tasmania. and unmarried. He was Under-Secretary for Minos and Goldfields. I had a letter from him on Wednesday last, just as he was leaving Wellington, in which he stated that he was in a very low state of health, and had been ordered a complete change, for which purpose he was going to Melbourne, and, if he could stand the climate, to Adelaide thence. He had been in weak, nervous health for some time past; and when in that state was very deaf, and quite likely to lose his nerve.
Dr Maunsell, an honorary surgeon to the Dunedin Hospital: Last Thursday afternoon, about half-past two, I was telephoned for to come to the Hospital immediately. On my arrival there I proceeded to the operation-room, where I found the deceased wrapped up in blankets. I made an examination, and found both thighs terribly crushed, almost as high as the hip joints. I piled some more blankets on him and waited a few minutes until the arrival of Professor Scott and Dr Copland. The resident surgeon was in attendance when I saw him. The deceased was perfectly conscious at the time. I asked him how the accident occurred, and he said he was run over by the steam tram. I asked him why he did not get out of the way, and he said it was Impossible, as there was a cab in front of him. He said no more, and did not seem to blame anybody. He gave me his name. After consultation with the other medical gentlemen it was decided, as his pulse was good, to remove the crushed limbs. He had a wound on his head above the forehead. He did not seem to rally, but gradually sank, and died at about 6.30 the same evening from the injuries described. The deceased seemed to hear very acutely. I remarked that at the time on someone mentioning that he was rather deaf.
Alfred Charles Kimbell, wool-classer, living in Dunedin: I was a passenger by a steam tram on Thursday afternoon last, going north, a little before three o’clock. I was standing on the rear platform of the car. When opposite the ‘Herald’ office the engine stopped, its speed having gradually slackened. The tram had not gone fast from the Criterion Hotel, I saw a rush of persons towards the car, and on looking under the engine I saw the body of a man lying at the back of the front wheel of the engine. The body was under the engine; the legs on the road, on the off side. Someone dragged the body from under the engine, and I hailed a passing express. The man was placed in the express, and I got into it. There was no sign of life on the way down to the Hospital, except that the eyes rolled once or twice. On reaching the Hospital door I observed that the man put up his hand to remove a handkerchief which I had placed over his face. The man was placed on a stretcher and conveyed into a ward. He then gave his name as Wakefield. I said “Of Timaru?” He said “No; a brother. I am from Wellington by the Waihora.” I asked if he had any friends in Dunedin, and he mentioned Mr Larnach, He further said: “In case I am unconscious will you get my things off the Waihora. On me you will find papers which will say who I am." I asked him if he would like me to communicate with any person in Wellington, but his agony was so great that he could not speak. After leaving the Hospital I telegraphed to Mr Wakefield at Timaru that his brother had met with a serious accident, and requesting him to come to Dunedin at once. I also went to the Union Steam Ship Company with respect to Mr Wakefield’s luggage.
The Coroner: You seem to have done everything you possibly could have done.
Examination continued: I saw no unusual traffic that day, and cannot account for the accident. There is usually a deal of traffic about that end of Princes street. The engine seemed to have slacked speed twenty or thirty yards before It stopped.
The Foreman: Do you think that the engine was stopped in consequence of danger?
Witness: I saw nothing. I stopped off the car to see the cause of the stoppage, and the first thing that met my eyes was the body under the engine. The stoppage was not very sudden.
To the jury: I did hear a whistle sounded. It may have been sounded without attracting my attention.
Lewis Martin, fishmonger, carrying on business in George street, stated: I was a passenger by the tram-car on Thursday afternoon. I was standing on the right-hand side of the front of the car the side on which the accident happened. I was watching an express going in front of the tramcar. The driver of the steam tram had whistled twice for the express man to get out of the road. I found that the engine was going very slowly, and as I saw a horse opposite Paterson and McLeod’s store apparently going to shy, I thought that was the cause. I looked through the engine-window and noticed a man fall in front of the engine and about three or four feet from it. The engine stopped directly, and I thought the wheel could have only skidded over the man. I jumped off the car and saw the man’s hat just clear of the engine. The body was pulled from underneath, and I found that his legs were terribly crushed. The rate of speed of the engine from the Criterion Hotel was not more than four or five miles an hour.
To the Jury: I am sure the man fell before the engine touched him. I could not understand how he fell. On considering the matter I thought he must either have lost his presence of mind, taken a fit, or been the worse for drink. There was nothing to prevent him crossing the road except the express in front and the car behind.
Mr Stout mentioned that the deceased was of temperate habits.
Robert Andrew Dunne: At the time of the accident I was passing Mrs Gill’s millinery shop, next to the 'Morning Herald' office. I heard the whistle of the tram behind me and turned round. An express was almost opposite to me, and looking back at the tram I saw a man on the ground lying about a foot in front of the engine. The front wheels passed over his legs, and the engine was then stopped. William Glass, expressman, living in South Dunedin: At the lime of the accident I was driving up from the Octagon, and saw the engine coming from the Criterion Hotel. There was an express in front of the engine all the way down to where the accident happened. I slowed my horse when I saw the position of the engine and the express, and watched them. I saw a man going to cross the street from near Begg’s music-place. He crossed over behind my express. I was just about opposite the lower part of Herbert, Haynes’s shop, when I looked round and saw the man about 15ft behind me. The engine was then about opposite me, and the other express was just ahead of the engine — about the length of his express ahead of it. I stopped my express and watched the movements of the other express. The engine-driver had whistled desperately, but the expressman made particularly slow movements towards getting out of the way. I saw the engine stop, and my first impression was that it was foul of the express. When I last: saw the man he was three to six feet in front of the engine’s corner. The engine was going very slow indeed, on account of the express. The speed did not appear to be more than two miles an hour.
To the Jury: I could see an accident was likely to occur, but my attention was particularly directed to the engine and the express in front of It. I observed a man running across the street behind my express and towards the front of the engine. The promptitude with which the driver stopped the engine was almost miraculous.
Alfred Hughes Keene said that while walking along Princes street he observed the deceased, in crossing the street, fall in front of the engine, which ran over him. Witness was an engineer by profession, and was surprised at the promptitude with which the driver stopped his engine.
John Saunders saw the deceased start to run across the road towards Herbert, Haynes’s establishment. He fell on to the rails about 4ft in front of the engine, which passed over him. The engine was going very slowly, and the driver was whistling to an express about 12ft In front of him. Had the deceased not fallen there would have been plenty of time for him to have got over safely.
Charles Waud also gave evidence to the effect that deceased fell about a yard In front of the engine.
The Foreman remarked that deceased probably slipped on some new metal which was laid on the road higher than the rails.
William Robertson, express-driver: At the time of the accident I was driving in front of the tram-engine, and when the accident occurred was about 20yds in front of it. I had heard a whistle some few moments before, and drove on in order to get off the tram-line. There was an express backed in front of Paterson and McLeod’s, and I had to pass that before I could got clear of the rails. I was going at a good pace in order to get out of the road; the engine was going faster, probably nine miles an hour.
Peter Jack, engine-driver: I was driving the tram at the time of the accident. I was coming down towards the Octagon when I observed an express in front of me and about eight yards ahead of me. The driver kept his express before me. I whistled to him, but he would not get out of the way. He heard me, but kept about the same distance before me. When about the 'Herald’ office I saw a man run across the street and lie down in front of the engine.
The Coroner: Did he not fall down?
Witness: No, lie down. I put down the brakes immediately, but could not avoid the accident. We were going from three to four miles an hour. I did not see the man trip or fall. He seemed to lie quietly down.
The Coroner: Do you mean to say that he deliberately throw himself down like a man going to lie down on this floor? — Yes; he did not trip himself in any way. I did not see him trip himself or even make a stagger.
You say he did not fall down? — He laid down. He started to run across the street at right angles; but did not try to cross after he got to the middle of the rails. He looked up to me.
The Foreman: I think that a decided statement scarcely justified by the opportunities you had of forming a conclusion. Your attention immediately before the accident was directed to the express.
Witness: Well, he did not stumble.
Robert Stout, solicitor: I have known the deceased for the last nine years He was a very able man, and I became directly acquainted with him when he was Under-Secretary for Mines during my office as Minister for Lands. He was of a nervous temperament, and if a thing came on him by surprise he would be taken aback and require a second or two to collect himself. He was a thoroughly sober man— a teetotaller, in fact, for years.
The Coroner said that the evidence pointed to the strong conclusion that death was the result of pure accident. The jury could have come to no other conclusion were it not for the evidence of the engine-driver, which would almost lead to the fancy that the deceased had sought death. Apparently the evidence of the other witnesses who saw the accident did not point to that conclusion.
The jury returned the following verdict: — “The jury believe that the death of Mr Wakefield was the result of pure accident and misadventure, resulting, in our opinion, from him nervously losing presence of mind, causing him to fall In front of the engine. The following rider was added: “ The jury strongly agree with the action which has been taken by the City Council for the removal of the steam-engines, and trust the Company will see their way to anticipate the time at which they have agreed to remove the motors, and will withdraw them as soon as possible.”
Mr Duncan, secretary to the Tramway Company: That is to be done as soon as arrangements can be made — in about ten days probably horses will be substituted for them.
The Foreman: The jury differ entirely from the driver in the opinion he has formed, and have asked me to say so. -Evening Star, 22/3/1884.
