The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-12-13 00:00:00

611UCKINC, ACCIDENT Al' TILE RAIL.

WAY S rATION.

A ehoeking accident, by winch &stoker on Vic
Apeciel goods train for Dudley, lout his iife, oc-
curred at the btourbridgu Railway Statiou, on
fucaday I,et. 'rite twee of the unfortnuete
wan la Jain a Edwaria, of !lereford, aoi 10.
&ayes a aife and two cLildreu.

Au tugged:. W. held nu the bo,ily at Mr. C.
1it,unr,..04 the S itt..o lnu, yest.rusy, lintoro
Air. R. Locker. Corober.

District il.spector Le.ibrook, Inspector Lock,
Mr. Pniliips, station waster, and Mr. Warner,
4011.1 a agent, attended on behalf of the Great
Western Midway Company.
The fist. wituess aord wivi Francis Lyth, who
said he resided at Hereford, and was employed
at the Uas Works Deceased was his nephew
Aud ruslded at Maim...a s..reet, H•reforil. lie
Nas a fireman in the service of the Great West.
ern Rahway Company. Ha was 23 years of age.
Charles Williams said he lived at Hereford,
and was a driver in the employ of the Great
Westeru Railway Uo.upany. Deceased wee his
fireman, and came with Lino to Stourbridge
s•atiou on TileSdAy !sat. Tile trail' WAS the
2.10 special goods to Dudley and back. On
t•leir return journey, wituesa's train Was cuunee-
ul with two others. At Stourbridge station
they drew into a si ii ig far a time, and deceased
(who was wituess'a fireman) got out of the ten-
der to detach their train truth the leading one.
the first train had to shunt out of the siding
tirst. They were drawing through the yard
when the Lccident happened. The train was
going at a speed of 9 or 10 'Mice an hour at the
time. Deceased went on to the hunt of wit-
•iess's engine to unhook the train. It WAS MlS-
to,mry, whilst doing this, to sit astride the
niffer pl ink. It. was the ordinary custom to
.ithook trais, under stiuilar eireUlubi.AUo6B,
whinci in motion. Tile company aid not appoint
Lora to uocoupic tribe. It was dune by any
me. At Breueil Lane Station one of the men
there hooked witueea's train to the others. 'lnc
uuhaokiug when in motion was done to save
'tine. Whilst the deceased was onlooking the
train he must have had his foul, on the siue of
lie break vu f the preceding Iran, tuti when
i parted, he fell down. The guard in the van of
•. . . .

_
-
preceding train gave witness the signal to
0.0, and or did so us 40 yards. IL, was eimbled
.0 stop in this shoit die -ince, himmuse tattO WWI
na break.vau or °aril:v.:es at:Ached to bpi engine.
Witness jumped down 48 nooa as nis train inn!
stopped, and found the deceased st the back of
dis van, on the lines ; but some one nbo was
there before him wail supporting the deceased.
[deceased had the foot of his right leg cut off,
sud there was i scalp wul on the beim. He
was not dead, but oncusincioun ; and he expired
in about 15 miuures afterwards. A surgeon was
immediately sent for.
In answer to the Coroner, witness said it was
the 'doper thing to do to uncouple a train when
it LUOLIOII. He had had 20 years' experience on
tie railway. and had been it countantly done
during that hoe. He did not say that it was in
accordance with the rule, but ii was the univer.
841 pi actice ; and, in fact, they could not al ard
tail time to stop for uncoupling every time they
stopped.
Mr. Ledbrooke here finked Williams if it was
not the rule of the company that trains should
rue brought to a dead siancl, before uncoupling.
Witness admitted that there might be a rule
to that effect, hut urged that it I•Kti
met up to it witheet going beyond the time
lir, scribed them. He worked 17 hours • day

The Coroner here remarked that it was well
koown there were tunny of the rules of Company
which were totady impracticable.
Witness said the Inspectors were aware of the
fact thitt the role was not act.-d upon, lie
dared say Mr. Le,lhrooko had done the same
thing himself Chat is uncoupled trains when in
notion) before now.

The 'lnspector h.re real a section from the
b.•ok of rules which stated that wb-n a bank
wit+ shunting it should be brought to a
it, el bet re it. ...Is ancontiled.
Wit.•e,s rc-nin.io.! the luapector that his was
a
Ledlir..oke ii he knew that, but he
d the saute rale would apply.
The Coroner remarked that it was evident
there WAS a rule to the effiet that they should
come to stand when uncoupling, brit it was evi.
lent that they habitually disobeyed their instruc-
t:lo,ls. and the company were aware of it.
David Hodson, who was the next witness
on'!1, sai.i that he resided at Wolverhampton,
is employed as a breakaman by the Great
Western Railway Compaa v. On the above date
h. was wi,h to train which was coupled to the
...gine en which deceased was. He saw the
iir.ceimed come to the end of the engine and
ll'hook it. Ao the trains veere parting, deceased
h d one of hilt feet on the (main..., and the other
on he break that witness was in, and he was
also holdini.r to the break with his hands. He
I osed the 1.. at to regain the engine, and in
doing II o he ftll. The engine knocked
him down 1-1, Witn...s iii not sea the
train pass .. ased. A. soon as he saw
hire fall. , gave the aimed to stop.
Th., tr•,in a, • • a. to a eta el in-re wituess
ti•on.iht— •• e • • rile. It 'era ping very
s.owly as MAU lloatle