A VOLUNTEER KILLED
ON THE RAILWAY [From Our Own Reporter.] PALMERSTON. April 17.
Last night, when the 9.20 troop tram from Dunedin was between Puketeraki and Merton, a member of B Battery - Gunner John Logie - while crossing from one carriage platform to another, slipped and fell and the guard's van passed over him. The bump was distinctly felt. On reaching Waikouaiti a trolly and a number of men were sent back. Before they reached the body, however, the midnight express had also passed over it, and when discovered by the searchers only a mass of unrecognisable pieces showed where the accident had occurred. The remains were brought on to Waikouaiti. Logie, it is stated, was perfectly sober at the time. -Evening Star, 18/4/1908.
TRAIN FATALITY.
MEMBER OF B BATTERY KILLED.
In the course of his account of the Easter manoeuvres, our reporter says;
— Sadness pervades Battery "B" owing to the awful death of one of their comrades on Thursday night.
The troop train conveying the battery left Dunedin at 9.20, and when in the vicinity of Merton, Driver J. Logie, in passing from one carriage to the other, was seen by Sergt.-major West to disappear, and the train jolted horribly twice. At Waikouaiti Lieut.-colonel Brigade Surgeon de Lautour went back down the line on a velocipede to render first aid if possible while the ambulance followed by road. The unfortunate man was found cut to pieces. It is also stated that the body was run over by the engine and three carriages of the following train before it could be stopped, but it seems certain that Driver Logie was killed by the train from which he fell. There had been a heavy fall of dew, the stanchions, hand rails, and platforms being slippery. More of the remains were picked up this morning.
Driver Logie was very highly thought of by his officers and comrades. He worked in the Hillside Workshops, and was a single man, said to have resided with his people in South Dunedin.
THE INQUEST. Yesterday afternoon an inquest on the body of the deceased was held at the Railway Hotel, Waikouaiti, where the body had been lying since the accident. Mr Thomas Hutchison, S.M., Oamaru, was the presiding coroner, and Mr Arthur Heckler was elected foreman of the jury. Mr J. P. Matheson, traffic inspector, represented the Railway Department.
John Neil Miller, a member of the B Battery, residing in Dunedin, said he was on the spccial train which left Dunedin about 9.45 on Thursday evening en route for Palmerston to the Easter Volunteer encampment. On leaving Seacliff, where the train stopped for some time, deceased and other members of the company, including witness, who had been standing on the platform, got into a carriage in which were some Otago Hussars, and shortly after, near Puketiraki, Corporal Smith, deceased, and witness, in that order, left for their own carriage. Smith went first and deceased followed. There was no gangway between the two carriages. Smith got across safely. Deceased, in crossing, had to stoop under the rails, at the same time putting his foot on the coupling. He put his hand out to catch the opposite rail, and that was the last witness saw of him. Could not say whether he missed the railing or whether his foot slipped off the coupling. Witness went to the guard's van and informed an official there that a man had fallen off the train. Two officials who were in the van signalled, one on each side of the train, with red lights, but the train did not stop until Waikouaiti was reached. Immediately on reaching Waikouaiti a trolly was procured, and a return made to the scene of the accident.
Coroner: Was the deceased sober?
Witness: Undoubtedly, sir. To my certain knowledge he had no drink at all.
Coroner: Was the train jolting. Witness: Yes. There was a good deal of jolting right through. We were in the second last carriage of a long train. Those in the last carriage heard crunching and jolting just at the time the accident occurred, and concluded that the train was off the line. Witness attributed deceased's fall to the slipping of his foot on the coupling, which was greasy with the mist that was falling.
Andrew Clarkson, guard, in charge of the train, also gave evidence.
The Coroner said the jury was anxious to know something as to how the terrible mangling of deceased occurred. Would they want the evidence of the man in the van, who was first approached?
Mr Matheson: We could not get the brakeman.
The Coroner said probably the train had swerved just as deceased had his foot on the couplings.
Mr Matheson: Word was sent from Waikouaiti to Puketiraki to warn the express train, which was following. The driver of that train, he believed, struck the body, which was lying on the rails, and the engine went over it.
The Foreman: Could you not have some means of connecting with the enginedriver of a train.
Mr Matheson: In this instance the guard was in the centre of the train collecting tickets. If he had been in the guard's van he could have put on the Westinghouse brake and so stopped the train. It would have been a risky procedure, but a capable man could do it. In response to another question, Mr Matheson said every effort was made by the department to have cars fitted with gangways. Out of 1000 cars 500 were so fitted, and every car that went to the shops came out with a gangway fitted.
A verdict was returned "That the deceased came by his death by falling from the car of a railway train while travelling between Puketiraki and Merton, and being crushed by the train passing over him, and that he came by his death accidentally." -Otago Daily Times, 18/4/1908.
FUNERAL NOTICE.
The Friends of Mr GILBERT LOGIE (and Family) are respectfully invited to attend the Funeral of his late SON, JOHN, which will leave his Residence, 23 Brunswick street, Caversham, TO-MORROW (SUNDAY), the 19th inst., at 2.30 p.m. A. J. WYNN & HOPE. Undertakers, 36 St. Andrew street.
U.A.O. DRUIDS.
The Officers and Brethren of Royal Oak Lodge are hereby requested to attend the Funeral of their late BROTHER, JOHN LOGIE, which will leave his late Residence, 29 Brunswick street, Caversham, TOMORROW (SUNDAY), the 19th inst., at 2.30 p.m. Sister Lodges are cordially invited to attend. WALTER RUTLEDGE, Secretary. -Otago Daily Times, 18/4/1908.
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