A RAILWAY FATALITY.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2654, 9 November 1909, Page 5

A RAILWAY FATALITY.

INQUEST AT GHIUSTOHUItCH

PItKHS ASSOCIATION. | CHRISTCHURCH, Nov. 8. An inquest touching the death of Sydney Carlisle Fred, 15 years of ago, who was killed by a collision with the first express at Templeton on Friday evening, was held on Saturday. Thomas Pringle, driver of the first express, said that ho had driven the train from Timaru to Christchurch. He remembered approaching the crossing, where be blew the whistle. Ho saw nothing. He heard some shingle strike the front of the engine. Such an occurrence was not unusual. The fireman looked back, and saw a spade stuck in the buffer of the first car. The train was 100 yards past the crossing, and witness thought the train had merely struck a spado on a truck. The train went on to Hornby, and stopped there ts usual. Witness’ attention was then drawn to the fact that two stanchions, on the front footplate had been broken, and be saw some hair there, too. He then took the train on to Christchurch, and did not hear of the accident until his return from Lyttelton. He would be travelling at about 40 miles on hour over the level crossing, and kept a. good look-out. The conclusion Ho came to was that* they had struck'a horse. Edwin Harvey Andrews, fireman on the train, gave evidence that he saw nothing on either side while travelling or when they arrived at the crossing.

In reply to the Coroner, Constable Pender said the spade had been in the gigThe fireman said that he had seen nothing of the contact with the gig. William Samuel Palmer, plajfe.ksser, said that ho found deceased lying quite dead on the road, and the trap was smashed. The horse was dead, its neck being broken. 'J'be Coroner returned a verdict that death was accidental.