The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1876-01-29 00:00:00

THE BOARD OF TRADE INQUIRY.

Captain Tyler, with Mr. Bowen as assessor, opened an in-
quiry at the Town Hall, Peterborough, on Monday evening.
The scene of the accident was of course minutely inspected.
The engine of the express which had run into the coal
train was now on its wheels again, but looking in a
very dilapidated condition. The once splendid engine
of the down express, which was so conspicuous an
object at Harlington' last year, lay a terrible wreck on the
side of the embankment on the down side, and not far from
some few vestiges of the huge tender of the up train into
which it had elan, and which it had cut and smashed into
fragments. The coal waggon which had been caught by the
Northern express hid almost disappeared. All that re-
mained of it was twisted wheels and axles. The scattered
toofs, sides, and doors of passenger carriages and brake-
vans, with pieces of torn cloth, horsehair, and spiral springs,
lay about everywhere except on the rails. The permanent
way itself had been restored to very good order. . ,
Mr. Oakley appeared on behalf of the company eand
Gacheii, of Peterborough, on behalf of Miss lieLlie and another
lady, who was injured.
Mr. Cockshott said that neither the guard nor the fire-
man of tl4,Scotch express was able to be present through
the injuries they had received.
Mr. Richard Johnson, engineer of the Great Northern
Company, after giving evidence as to the various signals on
that portion of the line where the accident occurred, said
that he left Peterborough about half-past eight o'clock on
the evening of the accident, and arrived at 'Abbot's Ripton
about eleven. The train in which he travelled was much de-
layed by the signals at Holme being against them. The first
thing he saw at the scene of the accident was a coal train
partly shunted in the up 'siding, with 26 Waggons in the
siding; the next or .27th waggon, with ene pair of wheels off,
on the road; the 28th waggon, or second from the engine,
had been smashed to atoms by the Scotch express; the 29th
was almost smashed ; the 30th had its trailing axle very much
bent, and the engine of the coal train had been taken away.
The engine of the Scotch express was lying on its side, with its
head towards London, on the west aide of the down line. When
It hit the truck it cannoned on to the down line, carrying
with it its tender and three or four carriages. The tender
was cut to pieces, apparently by the engine of the down
train, which had run through it. The engine of the down
train lay on its side on the down side of the line, with its
tender partly above on the embankment at the south side.
The carriages of the down train were very much off the line
on the near side, and one-North-Eastern third-class carriage
was on the top of a Great Northern brake-van which had be-
lined to the down train. The brake-van and two first car-
tes --s of the up train were off the line but not mach injured,
but :he forth carriage and a brat e were very much injured,
ane were lying under the brake-van of the down train. It
was there the greatest loss of life occurred. Soon after he
reached the scene of the accident he met Mr. Cockshot,
the traffic superintendent, who had come down from Lon-
don; also Mr. ROll3, the local superintendent at Peter-
borough.. Mr. Ward, from Ilitchin, had arrived, and had
commenced to remove the carriage so as to extricate the
sufferers. Witness went up into the sigeal-box with Mr.
Cockshott, and they saw the signalman who was on duty.
They saw that his lever for admitting the coal train into the
siding was over in the forward position, which would be to
open the points of the siding, and that theievers on the home
and distance signals were locked fast for danger. Witness
tried the home and distance signal levers, and they were all
locked. He asked the signalman to move the siding points.
They were, however, immovable, owing, he believed, to the
coal trucks and carriages having fallen on to the connecting
rods and wires. He did not notice the signals themselves.
Ile did not go back to them. He devoted himself to assist-
ing the sufferers.
Mr. Cockshott, superintendent of the Great Northern
Line, "put in" the regulations of the main line, which, he
said, was all worked under the block ay: tem. There
were regulations as to the number of brakes also, in-
structions for signalling by telegraph the arrival and de-
parture of trains, and regulations for woraing during fogs
and snow storms. None of these regulations or instructions
were read in court, but were "put in" and marked with
the letters A, B, C, &c. Witness said that the block system
was in operation for all trains, whether passenger, goods, or
mineral. On the evening in question, with its weather, it would
have been the duty of the signalman at Abbot's Ripton to
abstain from giving "line clear" from Wood Walton until the
whole of the mineral train was clear of the main line, and
if that had been properly done the coal train ought to have
been protected by the home and distance signals at Wood.
Walton as well ashy the home and distance signals at-Abbot's
Ripton. Witness received information in London of the acci-
dent, and left at 8 30 by the Scotch express, reaching Hunt-
ingdon about 9.4 t, and he ascertained there that the passen-
gers who were injured had already been removed from
Abbot's Ripton, and-that others who were able to con-
tinue their journey were by that time in special trains to
leave Abbot's Ripton in each direction. Having also ascer-
tained that the lines were so much blocked that it was un-
likely any train could be run for several hours, he had an
engine and carriages got ready at Huntingdon to take on
from that station to London any passengers who had . Come
down by the 8 80 P.m. express, and who might wish to re-
turn, as well as any passengers who had been in the trains .
which had come into collision. About halt an hour after"
an engine and carriages came from Abbot's Ripton, bring-
ing passengers who wished to proceed to London. He also
sent a message to the hotels in Huntingdon to see if there
was any one who wished to go south. Other carriages were
attached at. Huntingdon, and the train was then sent
to London. As soon as he saw it ready to start he
took an engine ana went to Abbot's Ripton. Arrived
there, he looked round to see as to the state of the
line, and what chance there was of opening it for traffic.
He inquired of those on the spot whether there
was reason to
.believe that any passengers were still
under the carriages; and about that time he met Mr.
sJoheson, the last witness. They looked very carefully, and
totald that at least two carriages had been broken up.
They ceme to the conclusion that there must be other pas-
sengers under the train They had by that time closed the
line against traffic, and a large staff of men from Peter-
borough, who had already removed several broken carriages,
were concentrated on the removal of those under which
bodies were supposed to be. The only statement made by
Mr. Johnson which did not appear to witness to be quite
correct was as to the number of waggons in the Coal train.
There had been 33 in all, and two or three, which were un-
injured, had been removed south of the signal-box, and in
the darkness of the night they would not have been observed
by Mr. Johnson. Witness did not look at the ague' lights
at that time. Seven bodies were taken from under carriages
after witness's arrival on the scene, and the work of getting
them out prevented him from observing the signals. He
believed the snow was 41n. deep. It was the wildest night
cf snow, sleet, and frost that he ever experienced:
Joseph Bray, engine-driver, said he left New England, close
to Peterborough, at 5.63 p.m. on the evsning its question,
with a coal train of engine, tender, and 33 weave's. The
engine was a little late after working cut, on leaving the
shed. He should have left at 5 35. The weather was against
them, and there was a little delayln starting in consequence
of their having been-tuffiallie wrong way. —Nothing hap-
pened on the way till they reached Abbot's Balaton.
Ile ran through between New England and Abbot's Ripton
at the usual speed, and up to the distance signal all
the lights were white. He could not tee the home
signal at Abbot's Ripton,bwing, he suppored, to the snow
in the cutting. ' It was snowing heavily.- He expected
that his train would be shunted at Abbot's Ripton for
the expresses to pass. Be saw the signalman waving
him on, and When he reached him the signalman gave
him to Understand that he was to shunt into the
sid Witness said, "What is it, Bobby?" and he replied,
"Siding." 'While he was going back into the siding the
signalman said, "Come on back; !look sharp; you', are
As soon as he had said those words
thest stopping
expressppi ng the eraenxpirnetsos" his train and struck the fifth or sixth
carriage from the engine. The. water was thrown out of
witness's engine and the engine was thrown forward. Wit-
ness was very-much confused. Ho remained on the engine,
but did not recover hientelf fir five or sit minutes and then
Mr. -Haber, a clerk in the traffic; department, eame to him and
said "Let us be off to Huntingdon and get some assistance
for the passengers." Witness told him to go to the signal-
man and get pet mission. He did so, returned, and said, "Alt
right," for them to go. Then a gentleman and the guard of
the coal train got on the engine, the guard standing on the
off-side of the engine with his hand-lamp, ready to Allow a red
light to tiny train coming in an opposite direction. Witnesshad
heard his fireman theta out, and they picked him up. He
sent his, fireman with fog-signals towards Huntiegdon. Ile
had hardly started before witness saw the down expteas
coming. As semi as he saw it he opened his whistle, and
kept sounding it to- attract the attention of the driver Of
the down express, while the guard showed his red light.
As this time witness and his eeg ne had not reached the
Abb d's'Ripton 'distance signal on the Huntingdon side
He did not know whether the driver of the down express
saw him. Witness went on with his engine to Handing-
den. , ;flee that red light he saw was the advance signal
beyohd Abbot's Ripton, on the Huntingdon( aide.
In rept.): to Mr.' ' witneiS daid'thatt riAgiing kon
from Abbot's Ripton he did not notice the home signal.
Be Captain Tyler: He got to Abbot's Ripton at about
6.47.

In reply to a solicitor who appeared for some of the in-
jured, the witness said that if the Scotch train had been
punctual, the signalman at Huntingdon would have shunted
witness's train there ; where he shunted was left to the signal-
men.

Mr. Cookahott pointed out that in the time-table there