Compiled by Cameron McCullough
AT the Mornington Court on Friday last Mr. D. Berriman, the Coroner, held an injury into the death of George Cook, who was well-known in the Peninsula, and who was killed in a collision at Pt. Nepean crossing, between a motor car driven by himself and the 8.30am motor train from Frankston on January 5.
Mr. C. J. Walker, an accountant of Essendon, who identified the body of Geo. Cook, said that deceased was a careful driver and had never drank.
Dr. Somers stated that he attended to the victims of the accident on 5th January. George Cook died on 6th January.
Mr. G. H. Hallum said that deceased and his father called at his garage at Mornington at 8.30am on January 5, and obtained some petrol. Deceased informed him that they were going to their work at Leongatha.
Witness examined the car after the accident and found that the brake band on the near off side was missing. This would cause the car to skid. The other brakes were in good order.
Gordon Willis, labourer, stated that he lived near the crossing concerned. At the time of the accident he was outside his father’s front gate looking towards the crossing.
He heard the motor train coming at the usual pace and saw the wig-wag signal working and heard the bell.
Next he saw a motor car come past his place towards the crossing with two occupants at a medium pace. He then saw the two of the motors meet and a smash resulted.
He noticed the car swerving to the side of the of the crossing before the accident. Then he could see nothing for some time and the smash sent up a cloud of dust. He hurried to the scene and found the car wrecked. One person was thrown clear and he could not see deceased till the car was lifted off the line.
Witness knew Geo. Cook well as he had often used this crossing.
Arthur Davies gave corroborative evidence. He added that he heard Wm. Cook say: “Don’t blame the man on the motor train.” The driver of the car, when he saw the motor train, appeared to swerve to the side to the cattle pits. He said that it was difficult to see the motor train coming because of an adjoining house and trees. He thought that if a car driver kept a good look out he could see the train approaching. He said the motor train came over the crossing like a “shot.”
Annie Cecilia Chenneworth, married, living in a railway residence a few feet from the accident scene, said that she was standing in her garden at the time of the smash. She saw a motor car coming from the intersection of Main and Pt. Nepean Roads with two occupants at a good speed.
She then saw the rail motor train coming by Hurley’s crossing (about 400 yards away). The warning bell and signal were operating at the crossing. The car was travelling at about twice the speed of the train.
When the occupants of the car saw the difficulty in front of them they desired to make a dash to get over the crossing. The car was caught on the centre of the line and hurled against her garden fence and completely wrecked. The train stopped about 15 yards further on.
William Cook was pinned underneath the car.
Both of them spoke and said: “It was our fault as we saw the train coming. All we want to do is to pay the damages.” Geo. Cook was conscious.
She also said that the bell was a good warning sign and could be heard a good distance away. The trees on the side of the line would obscure the view of the rail motor driver.
Albert Geraghty, motorman of the rail motor, said that on January 5 he was approaching the Pt. Nepean crossing at 8.30am. He sounded the horn incessantly from about 500 yards away. He saw a motor car coming towards the crossing when it was about 25 yards away. The car was travelling at 35 miles an hour. He saw the accident was likely to occur and applied the brakes. The warning signal and bell were both in action at the time.
When the car driver saw the train he tried to steer on to the side near the cattle pits. The next he knew was that the train had struck the car and hurled it aside, carrying with it a large post. The train travelled further on for ten yards before stopping. He got off the train and looked for the injured and sent the guard for assistance.
He saw William Cook near the house. Some men lifted the car and found George Cook underneath the wreckage. The motor train was running to schedule time and was travelling at 25 or 27 miles per hour near the crossing. The car was travelling faster than the train. The average speed of the train near Hurley’s was 35 miles per hour.
He usually came over Pt. Nepean crossing cautiously. Previous to the accident, he had been driving on the Frankston-Mornington line for a week. Witness had been driving rail motors for three years on busy lines.
There were hand and foot brakes on the rail motor and others, on the trailer, all of which were applied at the time of the accident.
He considered the wig-wag signal a good device for warning the public.
John Hedley Fawkes, the guard on the motor train, gave similar evidence.
He added that when he had applied his brakes, he felt the impact caused by the smash. He noticed the wigwag signal working when the train was at Hurley’s crossing and heard the bell ringing about 100 yards away.
Constable Carey stated that in response to a telephone call on January 5th, he visited the scene of the accident and saw the motor train derailed and a smashed car. From marks on the side of the line he considered the car was struck 9 feet from the side of the crossing.
J. J. Montgomery, railway engineer and chairman of the Victorian Railways Level Crossing Committee, said that he visited the crossing in question on January 13. He stated that at 400 feet from the crossing (south) a driver of a motor car could see the train coming past Hurley’s crossing. At 117 feet there was an open space also. When the motor car was 65 feet away the driver could see a train when it was 204 feet along the line. In 1924 this crossing was inspected and it was decided to erect a wig-wag signal, and standardise the crossing.
This level crossing is well defined and for users of the road there is adequate indication of it being a railway crossing and also of the approach of a train. It is the duty of the public to take its share of the responsibility. It is a safe crossing for careful drivers.
If the wig-wag signal fails it shows a red light at night and a “Stop, Danger” at daytime.
Mr. Wilbur Anderson, appearing for the deceased and relatives, said that unfortunately William Cook could not appear owing to injuries received in the accident.
The Coroner adjourned the inquiry until Mr. Cook could appear. He predicted a verdict of accidental death.
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Bush fire at Langwarrin – A night of terror
At about 7 o’clock on Wednesday evening a bush fire was noticed to start in the dense scrub some distance back from the main road.
With a strong north wind the fire soon reached alarming proportions, and was dangerous to many homesteads along Cranbourne Road.
During the night most strenuous efforts had to be resorted to in checking the fire at many danger points, and it was not until 3 o’clock in the morning that the workers had any respite from their labours.
One unoccupied house and outbuildings (Cain’s) were destroyed, together with much fencing and 100 tons of firewood.
Much exasperation is felt at these fires being started during hot weather when the bush is so inflammable.
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From the Pages of the Frankston and Somerville Standard, 26 February 1926