The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1872-10-01 00:00:00

SHOCKING RAILWAY ACCIDENT IN
RIDGEWAY TUNNEL

On Tuesday afternoon, Giles Append., Req., coroner,
held an inquest at the Royal Oak Inn, Ridgeway,
toad:leg the death of William /Coate, • packer on the
Great Western Railway, who we. killed in the Ridgeway
tunnel the earns morning, by being overtaken by • train
ea he was panicle through it to his work. Mr.
Inspector Monison and Mr. George Stevens, station
master at rearm represented the Great Western Rail-
way. The 1t.,. C. W. Hon, was also present.
Charles Loveless, a fel'ow packer with the deoeued,
raid he left work with him on Monday night. The usual
time for going on in the morning was six o'oloc,r, but
on Tuesday entrees wee half-an-hour late. They had
work to do the Dorehester side of the tunnel, and he
went through it. That was the usual way—there ..11
no other way: they were bound to in that med. It
was the nearest way from where they both lived at
Liparey. About 25 minutes to seven he walked through
the tunnel, along the down road—the proper way, a.
there he would meet any train on the line, and see it
0001110 a. When about AB yards into the tunnel from the
Weymouth end I maw something—l didn't know
whether leers • parcel or not. 'Twos in the spread,
between the narrow and broad gauge lines. I went
across and looked, and thought it some person lying
deed. I saw 'trims free from the metals. I said
"Halloo," but got no answer. Believing it was some-
body dead, I took to my heels and ran to the upper
end of the tunnel to sail the men of the party I was
going to join. I couldn't gee who it was—"lt." was all
in • hip... We got a light. and Guppy, Chalker, and
Raker returned with ma Then we found it was William
Keats. We moved him, but one went for the
policeman. Deceased was torn to pieces as be now
appears. Heats was going through the tinnel to join
the 'Mlle party as me. Ile had been employed on the
line more than five years. Witness had been eight
years at it. Deceased was well sequainted with the
proper way to walk on a railway. Sometimes we need
to walk through the tunnel together. We've walked
on the up line sometimes, but In • tunnel you can hear
drains oomieg in time enough to get out of the way.
Can't tell how It happened this morning • there are
man-holes every chain length. Believed I;istructioes
111.11, issued by the comesty to the men to walk on
the use so as to meet trains. Wheel a rang was at work
on the down line and a train approached they had to
go to the bank on the opposite side. The rules were
better °however' than formerly in this respect. Deceased
Ind hie basket containing his dinner with him. He had
not any tool.. Had Dever notioed deceased walking on
the up line when going towards Dorchester when a
train was close: he had not noticed him doing it at any
time.

The rcroner remarked that he very often saw men
on the line when going between Dotche.ter and W,T.
mouth, and be thouAt the company should discharge
an. ganger who 'Lowed it.

-
Witness continued the fir•t train left Weymouth at
25 minutes to six in the morning. The next—a South-
Western train allied the tunnel about half-past six.
and a Greet Western :cods train left Weymouth at 25
minutes to seven. Witnes+ saw the 630 South-Western
go up, and the Greet Wretsra go:do. When the latter
same along he hs,l got nearly to the and of the tunnel
to call the other rasa. Th. goods train posed while
deoe•sed was there—he couldn't help that, but he hod
seen deceased WWI free frost the mr Ws. lie would
not be caught by the are-box of the goods—theire
were higher up than the Ssuth- Western. Between the
rails the ground was hollowed out, and • man coati lie
there right enough sad a Great Western train pan
over—he didn't know about a South-Western. Wit-
ness said the deceased told bias lost night as half.pus
fire when he left work, that he was going bock again to
cork at 10 o'clock—he ant Baker (the polioemen at
the top of the tunnel) were going to do something to
the hut.

One of the daughters of doused said he left home at
20 minutes past six.
Henry Baker, signelmon at the Dorchester end of the
tunnel, said th.y had had gOtne flees and bop in the
hut for yeses, and on Monday night deceased name there
at 10.15 to help fumigate the place, and get of
them. lie remained there till 2 o'clock. Then they
went to the packer's hut at the south end of the tunnel
—the pima where the packers kept their tools and
went into in wet weather. They stayed there till helf-
peat 4. There is a policeman on watch at the tunnel
all night. About 4.30 they went to the other hut
again, let out the smoke, and removed the stopping
from the door, chimney, Ire. lie lit • fire, and they eat
there till 5 30, when deceased left to go home to get hie
breakfast and his day's food to come on duty Wan.
That was the MA time witness saw him alive. When
he left he seemed perfectly well, all right, and sober;
end he remarked "he should be back lean before he
(witirees) left." Witness iaon duty at the tunnel 12
hours, and hue week by day and a week by night.
About • quarter to 7 Loveless came running out of the
tunnel. saying there wee some one dead there, and bak-
ing if Keats was with them. Witness said no. Then,
Loveless said, he's dead in the tunnel,. Halite lamp,
went into the tunnel. and found him. It seemed as If
the engine caught him, turned him from right to left,
and out him up. Be thought he must be torn in two.
He Will in • heap, and his few was lying over on Lis
back. There is a South-Western down tram arrives at
the tunnel at 7 20, the ume engine and driver as takes
the previous train up. He 'topped that train on Tues-
day morning, and asked the driver if be felt or noticed
anything as be Game up through the tunnel. lie said
no. Toll him he thought he bed run over and killed
• mon, and examined the engine to surf there were any
marks, but there were none at &IL It had rained
slightly between the going tip of the engine and Its
return. Trate* always whistle on entering the tunnel.
' Did not hoar it this musing on &coolant of the wind—it
was blowing very hard just then • but did hoar the first
Great Western up and the goOds whistle, Can see
through the tunnel when 111. clear, end observe a train
approaching before it gets op. Knowing the time,
when tub:rears due he looked out for them. Did'ot notice
either of the trains enter the tunnel on Tuesday morn-
ing. If It were clear could see • person walking,ell
through the
By a juryman: Believed deormaed's hearing was
pretty good. He was 59 years of age.
Joseph Lowther., carpenter, said he saw deireabed pus
his shop at Ridgway corner, between 6 and 6.30 on
Tuesday morning on the wsy to Ma work. Saw the
South- W. stern train and the Great Western goods go
up. Could not say whether the South-Western had
paned when he saw Keats or not. Hod previously wen
the Great Waken passenger go by before six o'clock.
The Rev. C. W. Hony wished the jury to notice that
the man might be a little bit stupid through being at
work all night, and asked if they would not ooniemn
the practice of working 36 hours at • stretch.
The Gunner : Was this Company', work?
Witness said ye., and they bad extra pay for it.
Generally the men did those things by turn.
A juryman uld the work was not very hard all night.
Witerree said the work he did waa done in two hours.
Formerly the men used to knock off on wet day. and
not be p.bi, and these extra John wrre then reckoned
instead of • wet day, but now they were paid for u
extra hours.
It was raid a man named Charles Danielle saw
deceued walking on the up In., and the Sruth-Western
tram following blur, within about 103 yarda.
Witness suggested the man might have thought Keats
wuertersios to • run-hole.

I The Coroner nil be thought then wee no doubt the
South.Weetern train knocked him down, and there
seemed no reason to suppme the man wilfully brought
about his on death, fork, had taken hie dinner with
Be wee killed by walkiog on the up lige latticed
of the proper one.
A juryman suggested the C,oroner &timid caution Use
Company against peckers waiking no the wrong line.
Mr. Symonds said he did not thick tbe recommenda-
tion of en Cpway jury would hays mush effect on the
Great Weetoro Board. He had preriouely rgsda a
representation to Mr. Graham on the subject. If all
the instrocUons of the Company were followed there
would IsPy.r be any ambient', barring by the braking
dons of a bridge or something of that kind.
It was "feted thie WM the 'second death out of this
gang by walking on the wrong lice; and deoeased took
the ply* of the last man that was killed by it.
The jury returned a verdict of "Aocitiontal death,"