1).—7

21

[Hilled the lover right forward and gave her steam. He gave three pops of the whistle, then three, and then three more. He did not say anything to me. We started in pursuit of the train. Cooper then called me over to his side ,and said, " If we catch the train reverse the engine and give her full steam ahead." Then he shut off steam and took a torch and got over the back of the tender. He told me he was going to drop the hook. I could not tell what they were doing in Taylor's engine. I think they had shut ofi steam. Cooper was out on cowcatcher for two minutes perhaps, and then came back into cab. Ido not think he said anything to me then, or Ito him. If ho passed some remarks I forget what they wore. I did not hear him call out to Taylor. I do not think Taylor would have heard him. Taylor's engine was controlling the speed. Our engine was running free so far as I know. Our engine had not control of Westinghouse brake. My tender-brake was (iff. We were under the control of the first engine. We followed the train for some distance. We reached scene of wreck and then came back to Ngatira, where both Cooper and I stayed that night. We talked of the accident. A lot of things were said. Ho asked me several questions. Ho asked me, "Do you remember what we stopped on the bank for?" and asked if I remembered what he did and what Taylor did. I was on the cab of engine with Cooper then and all that night, and part of next day. After giving up the chase there was no long conversation. It was about what happened on the bank and about the accident. There was no discussion as to how to account for it. He asked if 1 remembered about why wo stopped on the bank, what ho and Taylor did, alxmt what 1 did about my giving the engine steam. He said "You r< member the brakes being applied." I think that is all 1 remember at this time. I do not remember conversation about uncoupling or about the Westinghouse hose, or about the van-brakes. 1 did know why they stopped on the bank. 1 suppose ho asked me so that I would not forget. Ho asked me what the pressure was on the second application. He said, " Did you see the pressure on the gauge on the second application?" I said, " Yes, I did." I said it was over 80. He did not toll me ho had seen the gauge. 1 do not, think he would see the gauge on the second application of the brakes. As far as I remember that was all he said. I have never spoken to Taylor aboul tin , accident. I never saw Taylor and Cooper speaking together after the accident. Taylor wont to Rotorua that night with the wounded, and did not come back on Sunday. I did not see Taylor and Cooper meet after the accident. Before the inquest we did not all meet and discuss Iho accident. The four of us were never talking together at one time. I said before the Coroner I hat I was prepared to corroborate Cooper's evidence in every detail so far as I knew it. After we pulled up by the wreck Cooper left the engine. I could not say how long he was away. He was away for some time. Ido not think Cooper ever asked me if I remembered if Taylor let down iho hand-brakes before or after the uncoupling. I did not see the brakes let down. Cooper told me the brakes were dropped. He told me so after he had told me to ease up. We were uncoupled after he told me they had put the brakes on. It was not after we chased the train that I was told the brakes were let down. We were standing on incline when I was told. It was before we moved away from the train and after the uncoupling. I would not like to say whether each could have seen what the other was doing when they were putting down the brakes. When we eased up we never bumped the train. I never felt any bump on £he engine. Court: lam positive I saw Cooper enter the van-door. I could see over the tender. I have operated the brakes under the driver's instructions. We act on them any time on his instructions. The porters, as a rule, couple the train to the engine. It is the fireman's duty to see that the engine is coupled to the train properly. There is a rule to that effect. I have never had Hie " Instructions to Trainmen." By coupling the engine to the train I understand coupling the whole lot. I would not like to say that the fireman is expected to and is responsible for the connecting of the Westinghouse brake when he also couples the engine to the train. The pilot—the porter —who takes us up to the station generally attends to the coupling of the engines to train and the coupling of hose. The pilot generally does the whole coupling; the fireman looks at it afterwards. When Idoit I couple the hook and chains, and couple the hose and adjust the cocks. Most of the firemen see to it before starting. It was done at Putaruru that night. I did not do the coupling that night. I think a porter did it. I went round afterwards with a torch and examined the couplings at back of my tender. It is my fluty to do so. I do not know if (Ik , engine-driver also did the same. I could not say if he inspected the couplings that night. Baume: I inspected the couplings and they were all in order. Court: It was the fireman of leading engine's duty to inspect couplings between the engines. Baume: I am sure Taylor's engine was not steaming when chasing the train. It steamed at (he start and part of the way and then stopped steaming. Court: 1 gave evidence before Coroner (pages 76 to 79). What I said there was correct. While we were shunting the van was on our engine all the time. I think wo had a van on our engine all the time we were shunting. W T e had to shunt to get the van to the engine. We had to couple on to the van. A porter coupled us on. I did not do it. Afterwards when we were attached to the train I examined that coupling and the Westinghouse cocks. I could not say if Cooper also examined it. Everything was coupled up properly. The handles of cocks were down. I did not do any coupling that night at all. The only coupling I examined was that between the front van and the tender. I did not examine couplings between front truck and rear of van, and I cannot say who did that coupling. I did not examine that coupling. It must have been a porter or guard coupled it. If there is no pil-ot Ido the coupling between the engine and the train. C. V. Kerr. Taken and sworn at Auckland, this 28th day of August, 1907, before me—Chas. C. Kettle, D.J. This deponent, Thomas Maurice Cooper, recalled, saith: — Court: I did no coupling whatever that night, and I did not see any of it done. When we