25

D.—7

I was in the second compartment from the van. Dr. Endletzberger was in the compartment with me. I got off and had dinner at Putaruru. I got on board again a few minutes before the train left. I remember the Westinghouse being tested once along the line, and I think it was at Putaruru. I was in the carriage and heard the clap of the brakes and hissing of the air. I have a slight recollection of it. I was simply a passenger and had no duty to perform. I remember the train stopping at Ngatira. I could not say if any shunting was done at Ngatira. We did not stop long, and I did not get out of the carriage where I was sitting conversing with the doctor. 1 remember the train stopping on the incline. I could not say whether I was sitting or lying down when it stopped. 1 went out on the platform. 1 was fully awake. The train was stationary. I might have remained a minute on the platform. I had a look round and returned to compartment. The platform I went on was the channel between the two compartments. When I went back I sat down, I think. I heard a click as if the train had started. When 1 was on the platform I heard the engines moving away. It was a dark, still night—very cloudy. There were no outside noises. I heard the ordinary puff of the engines. I know the noise the pump makes. I think it was the puffing of the engine I heard, and. I judged the engines were going ahead to get water. I re-entered the carriage and sat down, and felt no motion of the train for five or six minutes. I • then heard the click of the carriages, and thought we were on the move again. It was like the ordinary way the train starts. The train moved slowly. After going a few seconds she seemed to gather speed. About a minute after we started I heard three pops of the whistle—altogether. Three in half a minute. I heard three more pops and another interval, and three more pops— nine altogether. I went out on the platform as soon as the second signal was given. I saw then we were running downhill. I reckoned we were then going about sixty miles an hour—top speed. I had an idea wo were going backwards. It was the first time I had been on that line. Dr. Ktidlctuberger never knew anything about it. He was lying down all the time. I thought we were going down an incline towards Rotorua. I had an idea we were going backwards. I did not put my head round the corner to" see. When I spoke to the doctor about it he reassured me, as I thought he knew more about it. Then I lay down. The doctor was reclining in a corner trying to sleep. Some one passed through the carriage after the third signal. He came back again in a couple of minutes. He passed through rapidly and I did not take notice who it was. I did not see what he did or where he went. The train was going top speed at the time he went through. I saw Rappard after the wreck. He was the first man I saw. I told him I was lying down and got tumbled on to the floor and scrambled through the wreckage. I did not jump out of the train or tell him I did so. The doctor had a conversation with Tver. I remember the doctor congratulating him,on keeping cool and on the way he acted. Ido not know exactly what Tyer said. He seemed dazed —not quite sensible. I think the train stopped on incline not longer than six minutes. It seemed no longer than an ordinary stoppage. I think it was about a minute between the train stopping and when I heard the engine puffing. Court: I gave evidence at inquest (pages 35 to 44, inclusive). I have not seen a copy of that evidence except what I have seen in the newspapers. When the train stopped on incline I went out on platform to see where we were. I. remember looking out and seeing the bush at each side. Ido not remember putting my head out and looking up the train. I heard the engine puffing. I did not hear any other sounds that attracted my attention. I have no recollection of hearing the Westinghouse brake applied. Just before the train started I heard a click. I thought the motion of the click was up hill and not down. I remember what I said at the inquest about what I did on the platform. I do not remember putting my head round the corner the first time. I did not do so the second time or I would have seen the van was leading. After the second time I went out I returned to the carriage and lay down. I have no recollection of hearing the Westinghouse brake applied on incline. I heard it once and that was either at Putaruru or Ngatira. When on incline the click I heard may have been the noise of hand-brakes. I heard eight or ten clicks. I heard them in the distance. I think the clicks were the clicks of the couplings—they seemed to come right through the train—and as soon as they came to the next carriage we moved off. I never heard any brakes put on. There seemed to be dead silence until the clicks came through. If the carriages were all hard up Ido not know that the click would come through. Ba/ume : I said at inquest I heard a few clicks a's of trucks, and I adhere to that. Ido not know that I said "of trucks " any more than of carriages. I think I was about a minute on the platform, and then I went back and remained in compartment about five minutes. I understood the engine was going for water. The sound I heard of puffing was as of the engine moving off. That was about five minutes before the train began to move down. By " click of couplings " I meant the same thing as "click of carriages." I heard the pops of whistles about a minute, I think, after the train started. The clicks I heard were the last thing I heard before the train moved aw ay. P. Dromoool. Taken and sworn at Auckland, this 29th day of August, 1907, before me —Chas. C. Kettle, D.J. This deponent, Robert Simpson, being sworn, saith: — lam Car and Wagon Inspector on Auckland Section of New Zealand Railways. I have held that position four years and a half, and have been twenty-five years in the service. On the sth August I proceeded to scene of accident, and arrived there about 4.15 or 4.20 p.m. I made a thorough examination of the wreckage. Mr. Macdonald had been there before me but went on to Rotorua. So far as I know I was the first to make examination. I made the examination as part of my duty. I carefully examined every vehicle and every brake, and everything I could see. I took notes on the ground of what T saw. I have my original notes here [produced (Exhibit No. 23)1- I cannot say in what order the vehicles were placed in the train. The Traffic Department might know. I believe nobody can tell the order in which the vehicles were placed in the 4—P. 7,