The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1883-08-14 00:00:00

InYwzY,
BHOCKING ACCIDENT IN THE RIDGE WAY TUNNEL.

An accident of • terrible natnre owe wi in the
Ridgeway Tunnel early on Thu. 6 lay mo.aing. The
signalman lo the box at the Dorche ter end, • young
man named Watts, had left work. and was returning
to his home through tbe tonne,. when the Bristol
goods train, die at Weymouth at 7.30, entered the
tunnel. Shortly afterwards some men proceeding
through found Watts on the down metsls literally
cut to picas's. It is supposed the unfortunate man
had g t on the down rails to get out ..f the way of the
uptrein, and did not bear the goods approaching.
Mr. Dile. Symonds, district corourr. held an inquest
at the Royal Standard on Friday rfteranon, touching
Sydney the death of Watts, a sigualmsn, whose body
mu found in the Ridgeway Tunnrl on the previous

-
morning.
Mr. H. D. Roy sr was foremen of the jury.
Francis (jholker was first nailed. H nepoeed he
was a signalman on the Great Western Railway, and
was stationed at hincombe Tunnel, on the Thrchester
side. The deceased was also employed at that en I of
the tunnel, and heel been so saga e I since the begin.
ning of May. Witness was on duty at seven o'c ock
the previous morning. relieving the deceased, who had
been On duty for twelve hours—from seven on Wed-
nesday evening. 1). *need stopped talking to witness
until 7.31. at which time he left to walk through the
tunnel toward Upwey, when he lived. The South.
Western train, leaving Weymouth at 7.20. had not
then pawed up, but passed the signal box at 7.32, when
deceased was about half-way between the box sod the
tunnel. Witness saw no more of deceased. The next
train that arrived was a Great Western goods, which
palmed the box at 7.37. and entered the tunnel in the
ordinary way. At a querter.pest nine a packersman
named Jews. Guppy called out there was somebody
In the tunnel knocked down. Witness told him to ,go
back and see wiso It was, and he presently returned
and said " Had your mete got any slippers?' Witness
replied "Yes," and Guppy then said" Then it's him."
Witness then called a gang of packers working near,
and mot them down the line. They called out the
man was dead, and witness telegraphed to the station.
master at Upwey to send • policeman at once. The
deceased was a quiet, steady, sober man.
James Guppy, a packer On the Great Western
Rsilway, stated On the previous morning be was going
through the tunnel to his work at • quarter-past nine
when he found a basket, an overcoat, and a pair of
slippers near each other. and about 83 feet further on
the body of the decreased. He was lying on his beck
between the metals of the down road, and one of his
feet was severed from the lag. and outside the outer
rail. The body was between 60 and 70 yards from the
entrant's to the tonne,. It was not very d rk there.
Witness went a-,rl found Chalker, and called the
gangers, afterwards going for P.C. Matchans.—ln
reply to • question by the Coroner, Chalkee stated
at the time the 4•cessrd entered the tunnel it was
full of steam ai d smoke. When the tunnel was in
this state it wa• impossible to see more than five or
ten yards. . . . .

Oliver (Jbeudi r, the enjoe driver of the goods
train from Bristol to %WS mouth, clopowd the train
entered the tunnel about 7.34. The tunnel wrs very
full of emoke and steam, and he had never Peen it
more no due;ng the eleven years he had driven
through IL It was no dark he cull 'namely see his
mate on the footplate. He wee not conscious of
running over anything in pawing through the tunnel,
but on ex iminiug the engine about two hones after
bloat was found ripm the inside of the hr he rod on
the left gide of the engine sod also upon the arm nf
the broke. The dart beneath the ash-pen had hen
brindled away an if It hai pawed over e•mething.
Witness added if deccwed on being knocked down
had hat the praence of mind to lie @Weight between
the rails the probability 1/114 the engine would not
have touch. I him, It being a new engine end three
Inches higher than usual.
The Coroner, having brie fly summed up the
evi•lenoe, the jury re' urned a verdict of "Accidental
I death."