SLIPS ON THE RAILWAY LINE.
A MAN SERIOUSLY INJURED.
Further slips, the result of the third deluge of the winter, took place yesterday on the line between Dunedin and Oamaru, with the results that the express from the North was intercepted, and, worse still, a man working on the line in the neighborhood of Purakanui was seriously injured. The man’s name is Gideon Williamson; he is a platelayer residing at Blueskin. It appears that since the slip of about three weeks ago small quantities of stuff have occasionally come down in the neighborhood of the Cliffs, and men have been told off to keep the track clear. Williamson was one of these men, and while occupied in helping to repair a small breakaway at the long embankment just to the south of Purakanui, a stone rolled down, apparently out of the bush, and struck him on the head, with the result that the skull was severely fractured. On hearing of the accident Mr Grant sent a special train to the spot conveying Dr Roberts, and the sufferer was brought to town and lodged in the hospital, where he was further attended by Dr Roberts and Dr Fleming. The poor fellow had not recovered consciousness this afternoon. -Evening Star, 7/8/1888.
It was between the time when the 4.10 p.m. train from Dunedin passed and 7 p.m. that the rock slip occurred at the Purakanui cliffs. Traffic was at once stopped, and men sent to clear away the debris. While they were working at this slip they heard another slip coming down farther up the line, and one of the men went to see what had taken place. After proceeding a little way he met a surfaceman (Gideon Williamson) walking towards him, lamp in hand. He accosted him but received no reply, and then on looking at him more closely he saw blood running down his face. He then took hold of Williamson, and calling for help some of his mates came up, and between them they carried the injured man to the house of the watchman. It was there ascertained that he had been struck on the head by a falling stone, which had caused a terrible wound extending from the forehead to the back of the head, and completely opening up the skull. The accident happened about 8.30 p.m., and rendered the man quite senseless. Even while walking along the line with the lamp in his hand he was quite unconscious, and it was with the greatest difficulty that the men afterwards removed the lamp from his grasp. As mentioned in our report yesterday no time was lost in conveying, the sufferer to the Dunedin Hospital by special tram. Williamson, who is a powerful man in the prime of life, is highly spoken of in the district. He has a large family, most of whom are grown up. He was visited by several doctors in the hospital yesterday, and from what we can learn there is little chance of his recovery.
Men were kept working at the slip till midnight, and it seems extraordinary that further accidents did not take place, as stones were coming down in different places, and from a great height, nearly all the time. The men it is understood, are getting rather chary of this night work at the cliff, and it really seems as it very little is to be gained by it, while the danger to life and limb is by no means small. -Otago Daily Times, 8/8/1888.
Gideon Williamson, who was injured by the slip on the railway line near Purakanui on Monday afternoon, died at 3.15 this afternoon. An inquest will he held in due course. -Evening Star, 8/8/1888.
THE FATALITY AT THE CLIFFS.
The circumstances attending the death of Gideon Williamson were inquired into this afternoon, at the hospital, by Coroner Carew and a jury of six, David Dawson being chosen foreman. The following evidence was given:
William Williamson, farmer, residing at Catlin River, said that the body just shown to the jury was that of his father, Gideon Williamson. Deceased was born in Shetland, and had been thirteen years in New Zealand. He had been employed as a surface-man on the railway line for eight or nine years. He had been for the last six years working with the one gang on the Purakanui section, and had been working about the Cliffs for three years before that. He followed a seafaring life in the Old Country. Witness had worked on the same section of the railway for some time. It was quite common in time of rainy weather for slips of stones to be dropping here and there. The workmen knew that they had to keep a look-out to avoid accident. Deceased was fifty-eight years of age last birthday. He left nine children alive.
By the Jury: While witness was working at this part of the line it was the practice to keep someone on the look-out for stones and slips, so as to protect the workmen.
William Seguin, laborer, had been working for the Government at quarrying, and was occasionally employed as ganger. On the 6th inst., at night, witness and Thomas Ansford were employed clearing away a small slip on the railway line at peg 222 three chains south, at the Cliffs, on the south side of the watchman's house. Subsequently more men joined them from Waitati; he thought there were five and the inspector Lee. Witness and the others were working under Inspector Lee's instructions after he arrived. The work was shovelling earth and rolling stones over the side. The cliff was to the west of the workmen. It was dark, and they had lanterns, which gave a good light. Witness believed that the inspector himself was keeping a look-out. The watchman at the Cliffs was also with them. This slip was cleared off the line; and witness, who had one of the lamps at this time, went south to see if the line was clear, as the Northern express was expected. He had proceeded about two and a half chains when he saw a light coming north. He sang out "Look out!" as he heard some stuff coming from the face. The man took no heed, but crossed over from the outside to the inside rail — to the dangerous side, near the cliff. Witness went over as quickly as he could and then saw that it was Gideon who had the light. Witness only knew him by that name. Witness went right up to him, as he was standing on the middle of the Hue. Witness saw blood on Gideon's face, and, seeing that he was hurt, called out for assistance to John Criss, who came with others. [Left sitting.] -Evening Star, 9/8/1888.
THE FATALITY AT THE CLIFFS.
The following concludes our report of the proceedings at the inquest on Gideon Williamson, which concluded at 5.15 p.m., yesterday.
William Seguin, continuing, said that when he came up to Williamson on the line he held up the lantern to the latter's face, and noticed that the blood on it seemed to be dry; and from this fact witness concluded that the accident had happened some time before he saw him, not from the slip that witness saw. Witness spoke to Williamson, but got no reply; he did not seem to understand. The men took Williamson back to the watchman’s house, and from thence he was removed to Dunedin. A doctor came by special from Dunedin, and saw Williamson before he was removed. After Williamson was taken to the watchman s house witness went south along the line and looked to see if he could find his hat, and at the same time to note whether the line was clear. Witness saw no cause for the accident at that time, but next day when clearing away the line he found some blood on the ballast. That was about half-a-chain south of the place where witness had met Williamson the night before. At that point some fine stuff had been washed down on to the line. There had been no big fall, but witness noticed stones that had evidently come from the cliff. Some of these might be as large as one’s fist, or perhaps a little larger. They were scattered here and there. Deceased must have been injured by a single stone falling on him. Single stones that come down on the line generally land in the table, between the inside rail and the cliff, but some pitch inside the rails. Witness did not consider this very dangerous work, but by an odd chance a man might be hit. The work was only dangerous in bad weather. Witness was accustomed to such work, and was not afraid of it. When stones are coming down there is mostly a warning, because a lot of small stuff comes first.
By the jury: The slip that came from the place where the accident occurred was only a small patch from the edge of the cliff; witness did not think that the stone that did the injury came from the slope above.
Henry Read, ganger of the platelayers, left work at 5 p.m. on the 6th inst. Deceased had been at work all day. Before witness left he told deceased that he was to watch a small slip that had come down at 222 miles 20 chains. He was to keep the line clear; or, if there was more work than he could do, he was to hang danger signals out and go for assistance. Deceased was accustomed to that sort of work. His hearing was perfect. They did not regard the work as dangerous, although there was a certain amount of danger incurred in it. Witness went down from Purakanui by the special train that conveyed the doctor, and found deceased's hat that night. If the workmen saw any dangerous stuff along the line they knocked it down to prevent it from falling. Close to where the hat was found witness saw about two cartloads of stuff near the face and several small lumps lying about. It was possible for a stone coming from the bank to strike the head of a man standing where deceased was. [Witness produced deceased’s hat, a thin black sou’-wester, with a cut in it over the part that would cover the left temple.] Witness was sure that the hat was not broken when he last saw deceased. It was usual in bad weather, when there is any danger of slips, to keep the men on to see the line clear until the last train passed, which would be generally about 8.30 p.m. Before leaving, at 5 p.m., witness told deceased that he would have to stop and keep the line clear, he replied: “I would rather go home, but there’s nothing else for it.” This order was in accordance with rule. Deceased was entitled to receive extra pay after 5 p.m. No tools had been found near where Williamson was struck, and witness did not think he could have been shovelling at the time tie was struck. He was probably walking along the line towards the north.
Dr Roberts deposed that on the 8th inst. he was summoned by the railway authorities to proceed to Purakanui by special train, leaving at 9.30. On arriving at the watchman’s house he found deceased lying on a couch in the back room. Deceased was semi-conscious. He had a severe scalp wound about five inches in length on the left of the middle line on the top of his head. At the bottom of the wound witness found fracture of the skull extending the whole length of the wound, and it was depressed in the front part of the fracture - the bone on the left side was depressed and driven into the brain. Deceased had lost a large quantity of blood. Witness ordered his removal to the train and rough-dressed the wound before he was removed. The wound was as might have been caused by a stone striking the head. The tear in the hat corresponds with the wound where the fracture was most depressed. Witness attended to deceased after arrival at the hospital, and saw him on the fallowing day. He was then quite unconscious, and remained so until his death on Wednesday afternoon. The cause of death was compression of and injury to the brain.
William De Gruchy, wardsman at the hospital, proved the death. Deceased was never conscious while in the hospital, and never spoke.
The Coroner said that the engineer was present, and if the jury wished they could ask him any questions, or perhaps Mr Maltby would like to explain any matter that had not been fully brought out.
Mr Maltby said that the whole matter had been sufficiently put before the jury and the jury had no questions to ask.
The Coroner said that he did not see that there had been all absence of anything like ordinary precaution; and without retiring, the jury returned a verdict to the effect that death was accidentally caused by a fall of rock or stone while deceased was in the discharge of his necessary duty, and that there was no blame attaching to anyone. -Evening Star, 10/8/1888.
It is considered probable that Government will make some provision for the widow of Gideon Williamson. The general rule in such cases is to allow a year’s salary. -Evening Star, 10/8/1888.
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