I.—6a.

54

IW. SCOTT.

66. Therefore they xvould not all pass the north end of Henderson? —No, oily in the course of shunting. 67. Do you know whether he was on duty on the 27th May —the day before the accident i No, he was off duty. The accident happened on a Wednesday, and he was off duty on a Tuesday, for adjustment of time. 68. Did you think Corich would take any longer to learn the road than the average roan?— I had no reason to think so. 69. How long did tho twenty-one trains he was on spread over in point of time?— From tho 11th March on the first occasion. 70. That would be something over two months? —Yes. 71. You questioned him as to the cause of the accident? —Yes, I put a Few questions to him when I arrived there. 72. What condition was he in when you met him that morning ? He knew what In was talking about —he was quite rational. 73. Did he appear to be shaken up?—He had had a shake up, I take it, with the result of the accident. 74. He appeared to be unnerved?—He may have been to a certain extent. 75. In your opinion, did the wheels of No. 0 engine pick up? — 1 would not like to express an opinion on that. 76. Did she run into Auckland after the accident ?--Yes. we had her into Newmarket at 9 o'clock that night. 77. Were you riding on her? —Yes. I piloted her into Newmarket. 78. If the engine had skidded any distance going into New Lynn and sand had been used, would it have had any effect on the wheels of No. 6?— Yes, if there had been any extent of skidding it would have had some appreciable effect on the tiros, in tho way of leaving Hats on them. 79. Had there been any flats made in this manner would you have detected them when the engine xvas taken to Auckland? —Yes, I was riding on tho engine. 80. Therefore it is not likely the engine was skidding?— The engine-wheels did not shoxv any indication of it. 81. Mr. Green.] What is the weight of the engine?— 37£ tons. 82. Do you think that is sufficient weight to carry 111 tons down a grade like that?— Yes, more than sufficient. The hand-brake is sufficient itself to control it down there without any automatic brake. 83. When going round the curve is it not a fact that at twenty-five miles an hour the carriages would tend to lurch over suddenly?—No, there should not be any lurching at that speed. 84. You consider the passengers were not correct when they said there was a lurch?—l am not expressing an opinion about that, but there should be no lurch on a road xvhere a speed of twenty-five miles an hour is authorized. 85. Mr. McVilly.] When you sent Corich out to take up this line did you consider he would require to rely on his fireman to any extent?—No, not in any way. A man who has been over the road so often ought to know it. 86. Do you consider that England was competent as a fireman?- Certainly, in every way. He had been two years on that run up and down, nearly a year at Henderson, and about a year running from town on the same run. 87. Supposing the driver had been in difficulty in connection with knowing tho road, would you expect the fireman under circumstances of that kind to advise him?- —Certainly, it is the duty of the fireman. 88. Assuming that the conditions were as stated that morning-—that is, that there was a good view of that signal—what, in your opinion, was the cause of the collision?— Coming down the grade at an excessive speed. 89. From the damage that was done to the train do you think the impact was a severe one?--It must have been fairly severe. 90. If the weather-conditions were such as have been described by Mr. Corich and his fireman—that is, that the fog was so thick that they could not see more than 25 or 30. or perhaps 40, yards away —xvhat would you have expected them to do?—To keep the train well in hand and come doxvn prepared to stop at a very short distance when they got a sight of that semaphore, if it were against them. 91. Mr. Dickson.] You say that the accident was due to excessive speed coming down the grade. What is the speed-limit for that grade?— There is a speed-limit of twenty miles an hour from beyond the top of Scroggy Hill until half-way down the incline. 92. Have you any evidence that they came at a faster speed than the limit?— No. 93. What evidence can you give us that they did come at an excessive speed?— That is just my opinion. 94. You have no proof?—l judge from the conditions that the speed must have been fairlyexcessive to result as it did. 95. What if they say they were travelling at ten or fifteen miles at Titirangi crossing; I could not contradict it. Francis Taylor Mubison sworn and examined. (No. 10.") 1. Mr. McVilly.] You are a locomotive engineer, Auckland?—Yos. 2. You remember the date of the New Lynn collision?— Yes. I first heard of the accident at 9 o'clock.