![July 20, 1952: tram in Athol Bight, HMAS HOBART [I] in mid-Harbour - courtesy Bruce Constable. | by Kookaburra2011](http://live.staticflickr.com/7178/6933980297_b8917ac0f9.jpg)
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July 20, 1952: tram in Athol Bight, HMAS HOBART [I] in mid-Harbour - courtesy Bruce Constable.
5536. The naval interest here is the glimpse of cruiser HMAS HOBART [II] in mid Harbour. It is a month before the veteran WWII cruiser will be towed to Newcastle State Dockyard for her aborted
modernisation, much covered in earlier photo entries. A long photo series on that HOBART project begins at pic 591, here:
www.flickr.com/photos/41311545@N05/3954750273/in/photostr...
Contributor Bruce Constable can't quite recall where he originally came into possession of this tram accident photo, which he's had for years - but meantime, we can tell you that in the 1950s there were THREE more or less identical runaway tram accidents accidents in this place, above, where trams heading off down the steep hill to the lower entrance of the famous Taronga Park Zoo in Sydney entrance sped off uncontrollably, and ended up in the drink.
The accidents were in 1942, 1952 [above] and 1958 [next entry]. Her is an image of the recovery effort of this tram, but - unfortunbately - witgh HMAS HOBART [I] no longer visible. It is from the NSW State Records Photostream here on Flickr.
www.flickr.com/photos/state-records-nsw/6218525645/
Also, to make this more interesting, below is an EXTREMELY DETAILED report on the dramatic mishap, early in the morning of Sunday, July 20, 1952, obtained through the Trove newspaper reports facility of the Australian National Library. Hold onto your hats. This is very exciting reading.
Sydney Morning Herald, July 21, 1952.
SKIDDED A MILE
OUT OF CONTROL
Runaway Tram Hurtles Into Harbour: 4 Hurt
A runaway tram rushed more than a mile downhill in Bradley's Head Road, Mosman, yesterday, hurtled 60 feet through the air on to some rocks-and came to rest with its driver's cabin and front seats in the Harbour near Taronga Zoo wharf.
Four people were injured - a man and a woman who were the only passengers, and the driver and conductor who jumped clear just before the crash.'
THE CONDUCTOR, Alexander Erban, 39, a Dutch migrant, of Tutus Street, Balgowlah, is in the Mater Misericordiae.Hospital with a fractured skull and other injuries.
His condition last night was critical,
THE DRIVER, Raymond John Simpson, 25, of Spruson Street, Neutral Bay,- suffered head injuries and severe shock.
THE .PASSENGERS were Charles Leacock, 75, of Prince Albert Street, Mosman [head injuries and shock], and Mrs. E. L. Barbayrook, of Garland Street, Lane Cove [head injuries, cuts and shock].
The driver and passen- gers were detained in the Mater Misericordiac Hospital for observation.
THE CRASH Early In Morning
The tram was the 8.23 a.m. from Balmoral to Athol Wharf.The crash occurred at 8.50 a.m.
The tram -one of the new corridor type- crashed through the blocks at the end of the rails, tore up 30 feet of road and shot off the embankment into the sea.
The tide was out and the tram came to rest partly on the rocks and partly in water 20 feet deep.
The force of the crash broke the tram's windows, splintered the wooden framework, twisted steel and wrecked the driver's cabin.The wheels and electric motors were wrenched off and many seats were ripped from the floor.
Driver Simpson called the ambulance and helped the injured passengers after jumping from his cabin. Three waggons from Central District Ambulance were soon on the scene
Ambulance officers found conductor Erban unconsci ous on the road with his head in a pool of blood.
THE DRIVER:Changed Trams
Driver Simpson said yesterday: "I changed trams at the top entrance to the Zoo because the brakes on the first one were no good.
"As soon as we started off in the second one it began to skid. The wheels were locked, but they just skidded down the wet rails.
"I dropped sand on the rails to try and get the wheels to grip, applied the hand brake, and did every thing "possible, but I never had a chance.
"We skidded down beside the Zoo. We turned sharply to the right at the entrance to Ashton Park and I thought we would leave the rails.
"From then on we increased speed rapidly.
"We were doing at least 45 miles an hour as we rushed past the lower entrance to the Zoo, where the conductor jumped.
"I called out to the passengers to jump, then jumped myself. The passengers stayed in the tram."
THE ONLOOKER;"I Heard A Scream"
Mrs. O. Moffitt, of Badham Avenue, Mosman, who runs a kiosk on the Zoo wharf, saw the accident.
She said: "I heard a scream and then someone say 'She's running away'.
"I looked through window of the kiosk and saw the tram rushing down the hill at a terrific speed.
"I saw the conductor jump off, then the .tram flash past me. "I saw the driver jump just before the tram left theend of the road.
"He rolled over several times and got up. There was a terrific crash at the end of the line after the tram disappeared.
,
"The driver ran to à phone and called the ambulance.
"I rushed back with him to get the passengers out. We took them to my kiosk, where I gave them hot soup and wrapped them in coats until they were taken to hospital.
"The conductor was unconscious. His head was in a terrible state."
A tramway breakdown gang worked all day yesterday getting the tram hauled back on to the roadway.Tram schedules between Balmoral and Athol were not affected.
Detectives from the C.I.B., including Detective sergeant H. J. Crowley, Detective S. C. Turbitt, A. D. Mantell, and members of the Scientific Bureau are investigating the accident the second of its kind at this spot.
An image of the tram being raised appears on the Mosman City Library website, here:
www.photosau.com/Mosman/scripts/home.asp
This photo: courtesy Bruce Constable, creator of the Perthone.com website. .
July 20, 1952: tram in Athol Bight, HMAS HOBART [I] in mid-Harbour - courtesy Bruce Constable.
5536. The naval interest here is the glimpse of cruiser HMAS HOBART [II] in mid Harbour. It is a month before the veteran WWII cruiser will be towed to Newcastle State Dockyard for her aborted
modernisation, much covered in earlier photo entries. A long photo series on that HOBART project begins at pic 591, here:
www.flickr.com/photos/41311545@N05/3954750273/in/photostr...
Contributor Bruce Constable can't quite recall where he originally came into possession of this tram accident photo, which he's had for years - but meantime, we can tell you that in the 1950s there were THREE more or less identical runaway tram accidents accidents in this place, above, where trams heading off down the steep hill to the lower entrance of the famous Taronga Park Zoo in Sydney entrance sped off uncontrollably, and ended up in the drink.
The accidents were in 1942, 1952 [above] and 1958 [next entry]. Her is an image of the recovery effort of this tram, but - unfortunbately - witgh HMAS HOBART [I] no longer visible. It is from the NSW State Records Photostream here on Flickr.
www.flickr.com/photos/state-records-nsw/6218525645/
Also, to make this more interesting, below is an EXTREMELY DETAILED report on the dramatic mishap, early in the morning of Sunday, July 20, 1952, obtained through the Trove newspaper reports facility of the Australian National Library. Hold onto your hats. This is very exciting reading.
Sydney Morning Herald, July 21, 1952.
SKIDDED A MILE
OUT OF CONTROL
Runaway Tram Hurtles Into Harbour: 4 Hurt
A runaway tram rushed more than a mile downhill in Bradley's Head Road, Mosman, yesterday, hurtled 60 feet through the air on to some rocks-and came to rest with its driver's cabin and front seats in the Harbour near Taronga Zoo wharf.
Four people were injured - a man and a woman who were the only passengers, and the driver and conductor who jumped clear just before the crash.'
THE CONDUCTOR, Alexander Erban, 39, a Dutch migrant, of Tutus Street, Balgowlah, is in the Mater Misericordiae.Hospital with a fractured skull and other injuries.
His condition last night was critical,
THE DRIVER, Raymond John Simpson, 25, of Spruson Street, Neutral Bay,- suffered head injuries and severe shock.
THE .PASSENGERS were Charles Leacock, 75, of Prince Albert Street, Mosman [head injuries and shock], and Mrs. E. L. Barbayrook, of Garland Street, Lane Cove [head injuries, cuts and shock].
The driver and passen- gers were detained in the Mater Misericordiac Hospital for observation.
THE CRASH Early In Morning
The tram was the 8.23 a.m. from Balmoral to Athol Wharf.The crash occurred at 8.50 a.m.
The tram -one of the new corridor type- crashed through the blocks at the end of the rails, tore up 30 feet of road and shot off the embankment into the sea.
The tide was out and the tram came to rest partly on the rocks and partly in water 20 feet deep.
The force of the crash broke the tram's windows, splintered the wooden framework, twisted steel and wrecked the driver's cabin.The wheels and electric motors were wrenched off and many seats were ripped from the floor.
Driver Simpson called the ambulance and helped the injured passengers after jumping from his cabin. Three waggons from Central District Ambulance were soon on the scene
Ambulance officers found conductor Erban unconsci ous on the road with his head in a pool of blood.
THE DRIVER:Changed Trams
Driver Simpson said yesterday: "I changed trams at the top entrance to the Zoo because the brakes on the first one were no good.
"As soon as we started off in the second one it began to skid. The wheels were locked, but they just skidded down the wet rails.
"I dropped sand on the rails to try and get the wheels to grip, applied the hand brake, and did every thing "possible, but I never had a chance.
"We skidded down beside the Zoo. We turned sharply to the right at the entrance to Ashton Park and I thought we would leave the rails.
"From then on we increased speed rapidly.
"We were doing at least 45 miles an hour as we rushed past the lower entrance to the Zoo, where the conductor jumped.
"I called out to the passengers to jump, then jumped myself. The passengers stayed in the tram."
THE ONLOOKER;"I Heard A Scream"
Mrs. O. Moffitt, of Badham Avenue, Mosman, who runs a kiosk on the Zoo wharf, saw the accident.
She said: "I heard a scream and then someone say 'She's running away'.
"I looked through window of the kiosk and saw the tram rushing down the hill at a terrific speed.
"I saw the conductor jump off, then the .tram flash past me. "I saw the driver jump just before the tram left theend of the road.
"He rolled over several times and got up. There was a terrific crash at the end of the line after the tram disappeared.
,
"The driver ran to à phone and called the ambulance.
"I rushed back with him to get the passengers out. We took them to my kiosk, where I gave them hot soup and wrapped them in coats until they were taken to hospital.
"The conductor was unconscious. His head was in a terrible state."
A tramway breakdown gang worked all day yesterday getting the tram hauled back on to the roadway.Tram schedules between Balmoral and Athol were not affected.
Detectives from the C.I.B., including Detective sergeant H. J. Crowley, Detective S. C. Turbitt, A. D. Mantell, and members of the Scientific Bureau are investigating the accident the second of its kind at this spot.
An image of the tram being raised appears on the Mosman City Library website, here:
www.photosau.com/Mosman/scripts/home.asp
This photo: courtesy Bruce Constable, creator of the Perthone.com website. .