The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-06-14 00:00:00

THE LATE FATAL RAILWAY
ACCIDENT AT DOWNTON.

On Friday in last. week the inquost on the bodies
of four of the five persons killed by the above
accident was resumed at Breamore by Mr. Rainier,
coroner for the district. The inquiry excited great
interest, the real cause of the accident being still :s
matter of much speculation. The names of the four
deceased are George Waters, Mary Ann Lush, Emily
Corbin, and Lydia Kate Chandler.
Mr. Noble, barrister, appeared for the London and
South-Western Railway Company.
William Witt, of Charford, signalman, said he
was gatekeeper at Charford crossing. He saw the
train leave Downton Station and proceed along the
line until one of the carriages left, the metals. He
observed that the carriages were oscillating, and
appeared to be running into one another previous to
the accident. Immediately after the accident
occurred he ran to the train to render assistance.
He noticed that the coupling of the first van was
broken. He did not consider that the speed at
which the train was travelling was more than the
ordinary speed.
Jtimes Porton, a shepherd employed by Professor
Wrightson, said he was in the high turnpike road
about five o'clock on Tuesday, near the railway line.
He saw the unfortunate train approach and pass, and
it appeared to him to be going at a faster rate than
he had ever seen it travel before. He saw it cress
the pile bridge, and further on one of the carriages,
which appeared to be in the middle of the train, left
the rails. 'Witness went to the scene of the accident,
and saw that two cars were slightly off the line. The
remainder were precipitated to the bottom of the
embankment. By the Jury: He believed he was
about 200 yards away at the time the train passed
him. In reply to another question, the witness said
he was in the road by the side of a field known as
"Rushy Grammer," but Mr. Noble said that if that
were so, the witness must have been 400 yards away.
Mr. Raikes, surgeon, of Downton, said that on
Tuesday afternoon between five and six he was sum-
moned to the scene where the accident occurred. On
his arrival he found that the train was a complete
wreck, and after attending to one or two of tl.e
wounded he proceeded to view the dead bodies which
were lying in the meadow adjoining the railway. lie
saw there one male and three females. From the
appearance of the bodies he was of opinion that two
of the females certainly died from drowning. The
other deceased, Mr. George Waters, and Mrs. Lush,
seemed to have died from concussion.

Mr. Clifton, surgeon, of Fordinebridge, considered
that from the injuries Mr. Waters sustained he must
have died almost immediately. Miss Chandler and
Mrs. Corbin died from drowning. and Mrs. Lush
appeared to have been partly drowned.
Mr. James Coventry, of Fordingbridge, a passenger
in the train, said he was in the third car from the
engine, a first-class smoking carriage, and there were
several other occupants. The first thing he noticed
which was unusual was a sudden lurch of the train to
the right, but it was not much more than usually hap-.
Dened when passing over points. The carriages then
lurched to a greater extent, and he was then thrown
to the bottom of the compartment. The same sensa-
tion was again experienced, and the carriages were
thrown over the embankment. He did n4A observe
that the train was proceeding at more than its usual
rate of speed. He assisted in extricating the
wounded. The first was Mrs. Lush, who died almost
immediately:. _ _

Mr. 11. Withers, of Fordingbridge, a passenger in
the train, said that after the train left Downton it in-
creased in speed. Indeed, it made him feel quite
giddy, and he was obliged to hold his breath. He had
travelled on the line during the last seventeen years.
The train on previous occasions travelled fast. The
speed on the present occasion appeared to be greater
than usual. He was in one of the carriages at the rear
of the train, and it was checked in its descent over the
embankment by a. tree. He believed his life was
saved by this circumstance.
Mr. W. R. Neave, of Fordingbridge, a passenger,
said he also noticed that the speed at which the train
was going at the time of the accident was more than
usual. Having cleared Downton it seemed to him as
if the drivers increased the rate, and the carriages
rocked violently. He had travelled on the line fre-
quently.
Mr. Herbert Hall, of Breamore, another passenger,
said the carriage in which he travelled, a second-class
one, shook violently just before the accident. He was
thrown from side to side and then to the bottom of
the compartment. He escaped from the wreck and
went to the assistance of the sufferers. Witness did
not think that the train travelled usually at an ex-
cessive rate.

Mr. W. F. Alexander, Fordingbridge, the next wit-
ness, deposed that the line for a considerable distance
from the place of the accident was out of repair, a
quantity of chalk ballast having been thrown to the
side of the line. At a brick-bridge on the Charford
side of the pile-bridge he found the metals, chairs,
and sleepers intact, but shifted bodily 4 inches.
This was the case on the brick-bridge. For a short
distance on the south side he found that the metals
and sleepers maintained their position. There was
consequently a parallel reflection of the metals. Some
of the metals were turned up. This witness produced
some sketches in illustration of the condition of the
line after the accident. -:-• Albert Nichols, a ganger, -.21 1t Salisbury and
junction line, said he knew spot where the acci-
dent occurred. On the Monday previous to the
calamity he was at work on the Breamore side of the
line. The men were using gravel ballast and the
sleepers were all covered over. The particular
portion of the line where the accident occurred was
quite perfect on the Tuesday afternoon prior to the
accident. Some chalk had been put down the same
afternoon.

Mr. Henry Colson, inspector of the permanent way,
said he was on the scene of the accident on the even-
ing of the day that it occurred, instructing the men in
the clearance of the line. He said he examined the
line four days before the accident, when it was M
perfect running order and well ballasted with gravel.
Robert Miles, who drove the 4.33 train from Salis-
bury, said that when he arrived at the pile-bridge, he
' found that his engine was gaining in speed. Witness
was driving the train, another engine being behind.
While turning round to ease the regulator he ob-
served his van was jumping. He then shut off steam
altogether. He went to the fireman's side and looked
behind, when he saw he had not his train, and a short
distance back he saw a cloud of duet. He then gave
a sharp whistle to draw the pilot's attention to the
fact. Not being able to see the train they let their
engines run on a bit further, not knowing but that the
train was following them, but on looking again a few
seconds after he saw the train had collapsed by the
side of the line. He then stopped as soon as possible,
and went to the scene of the accident. In reply to
questions from the coroner and jury, the witness said
he could not, as a driver, account for the accident.
He believed the average rate of driving, including
stoppages, was 35 miles an hour. The witness also
said he had never been reprimanded for his work, but
had been rewarded twice for his conduct.

George Waters, of Salisbury, guard of the train,
said that he took charge of the train at about 4.10
p.m. on Tuesday. It consisted of two engines, one
van, two third-class carriages, two first-class, one
second-class, and one third-class. He looked at the train
before leaving Salisbury, and found everything was in
proper order. Just after passing Pilebridge witness
felt a tremendous oscillation, and in a second the van
was overturned and witness found himself underneath
the luggage and the milk cans. He could not form
any idea as to the actual cause of the accident. He
found the broken link which connected the carriages
with the first van, and there was a flaw in it.

Thomas But er, the driver of the pilot engine, wEo
belongs to Salisbury, said that according to his watch
the train left Salisbury at 4.38. He said that on look-
ing behind he saw some dust, and on ascertaining that
an accident had occurred immediately ran his engine
to Breamore and gave the alarm.
Other evidence was taken, and the inquiry was
further adjourned until Friday, the 4th of July.