Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-08-12
PLANTATION NOT
RESPONSIBLE IS
MANAGERSPOINf
Oahu Sugar Company Railroad
Tragedy Declared Due to
Mems CareIeSsness


tien was In charge OF the two cars
which last week ran down hill and
/: crashed into an up-coning train
with the loss of two lives and injury
Ito nearly a score more, was the
declaration made yesterday to the
Star-Bulletin by Manager Z. 4. Bull
Iof the. Oahu Sugar Company.
He agrees with the verdict of the
coroner's jury which investigated the
accident that the men came TO their
deaths and injuries BY their own
carelessness
He says that Deputy Sheriff Jack
Fernandez statement that testimony
showing 4 plantation, Luna caused the
accident when he released the brakes
on the two unattached cars, Is in
correct.
..All OF the men, talking over get
ting home quickly, agreed on taking
these cars down the hill and no one
man can be held responsible Man.
ager Bull says. THE men are cane
contractors and the one who actually
released the brakes was not put in
charge Of the cars or. the men by
inference in published stories, that
the plantation is in any way re-
sponsible for the accident, is unjust"
Manager Bull adds. that the men
have been warned again and again
not TO take these chances on planta-
ton railroads but that warnings seem
to have little effect. You know
how these men are-they will take.
chances. That was the case in thia.
instance"
He was asked what the plantation
did to discipline men who persisted
in disobeying orders regarding TAX
ing chances" M
What can we do! We do our
best and no plantation in the isl
ands is any more careful than Oahu
and yet accidents will occur, as they
do In any business"
1t appears that in spite of verbal
warnings the plantation hands per
sist in taking chances" on the plan.
tation railroad.
As to the lack Of lights on the
cars running down-hill, he said that
lights would have done no good, as
the curve where the cars smashed
into the train was. so sharp the two
approaching parties could not see
each other
Verdict and Testimony.
The verdict of the coroner's jury
says in part that Sakuta Kawanage,
aged g.. and Masajiro Matsushima,
aged Al, both natives of Japan, come
to their death August 4. 1916, at Wal
pahu, district Of Eva, from extensive |
crushing injuries accidentally receiy-
ed in a head-on collision of empty |
cane cars of the Oahu Sugar Com
pany, causing shock and hemorrhage, |
said deaths being due to their own
The burden Of the testimony of |
John Carlos, engineer of the locomo-
tive pushing the train up the hill; of |
his brakeman, r. Rodrigues, who was
on the front of tbs train when the |
crash came. and of T. Kiano, labor
er who came. down on the two unat- |
sached cars, was that Carlos had pass |
ed the working men about $50, tell
ing them he would come back up the
lii for them about o'clock.
Matsutaro Dodo, who has been en-
ployed by the Oahu Sugar Co. for
about 10 years and who was in. charge
Of the men who were killed and injur.
ed, as luna, said he did not know
The locomotive was coming back and
did not see it pass the first time, as he
was working In distant part of the
ield. The copy: Of his testimony does
not include an admittance that he
released the brakes. but
his was understood over the tele-
phone by a Star-Bulletin representa-
i've talking to- Deputy Sheriff Jack
rernandez, coroner at the inquest 1t l
s presumed. however. that Dodo did
start the cars from this part of his
testimony, IF any one had told me
hat the locomotive was coming back
would not have done this" The
this" refers to q previous statement
Not knowing that the locomotive was
coming up afser us. as soon as we got
through work we all boarded the cars
ind started down" Dodo also test.
led that the men worked cvertimed
hat night.
Iai, brother here and a sister. The