The Express.
London, England, 1865-01-13 00:00:00

THE LATE AMIDE'S IN BLACKHEATH

TUPYI7.

The adjourned inquest on the bodies of the Un-
fortunate woes who were killed by • collidou Is the
Blaekheath tunnel on Friday, the 16th al Desentho wee
resumed at the Railway Hotel, Blaoklesath, yeetsidey, be-
fore Mr. 0. J. Gutter, comes' for West Kest.
Mr. Freeland spin represented the company and there
were also prided, te wake the coo, Mr. 51reff. the esse-
ral manager ; Mr. Oadwortle, leacedive sepostatended ;
and Kr. Knight, the kale seperithendent.
Mr. Woollett, berrieler, last:mated by Mr. Robinson, ap-
peared on behalf of Joey, the signalman implketed ; Mr.
Olsydos and Mr. Chaco's, adios masters as Chalks sad
Blackheath, were also preessk
Captain Tyler than read the following extracts frees his
Nrri
• The different circumstances which have cestributed
to produce this collides may be the stated :
• I. A load was attached to the ballast algae heavier
thee it oould, sifter being stepped at Charlton. take through
the Blackheath tuned, and this ought sot to have bees
dose, if only on account al the risk incurred a moony..
steno of delay to the pareager tmffie of the company.
" 2. The station-make at Charism sent the realiage,
• train waitho to Bkakkeath isdepodesily Of the signal-
man ; sad by thus latorfering with the take sigma*
with a good intentioe of avoiding as unneowevary adaysilt
was the MOM 01 causing the mistake which led to the
0011WOD.
" 3. The Blackheath signalman, who was acipesatively
isexperksoed, and who wee put oat and coot wed by no
advice the verbal message, 'train waiting' at Charltos.
ooramitted the fad 'tier of signalling the me•linickar to
Medico, in spike of the record which was pigsty before
him co his iagrumest of es up-trays being already between
Obailtos and Blackheath.
" The railway company had dose what they could la this
case to provide for the public safety by wiabbskteg
• good system of train signals, citesded he pee-
vest more than ono eagles or Oda from being
apes either line ef tails between Charities and Blackheath
at the same time. But there remained the defeat which
I have had amok* to point oat is ether mesa on the
North Kent Railway, of the diealmse Wag
with speaking detrained; in addition to Tyeer=fiaian-
strunieuta. It is no doubt desirable, after • sertate period
has elapsed, that a signalman ocean ender that gases
should have the means of soiertaiaing tom the mot tele-
graph box whether • Ode has bees delayed is the progress
for an extraordinary length of time, or whether the slog-
man in that box. as may oceasionally hawse, bee termides
or been tumble to give • tins clear,' Si st
him. Bat it is better that this shoal
Lind ens in a recognised masses--that the kale
about which the inquiry in made should be spoilled, sad
that a clear *atomise abosld be given fa reply es to the
passing of that particular train before mother is allowed to
follow it. The danger of allowing any other sort if
OOP
teethes with the train signals is Muskated by the 'mistake
which was mole by Joon on this cosmos. lf, on the ens
hand, he had been let alone, and had reesked se verhal
Mill11:1111 from the telegreph desk at Blackheath, it wall
Itncause, have occurred to him to give • line dear'
lharltom until the ballast Usk had paused him. It, es
the other hand, be bad bees provided with, sad bees sibsl
to use, • speaking inetomeat, sad bad repaired aow
memoupoe it from the etiolates at
?.• in Mathes,
the balled kaki posed Illeekbeath
place of receiving • verbal reessege from • porter, it in ba-
ptised* that own be himself, or eves a lase experiesced
man, should have replied otherwise than wilfully, ' Ballad
train has psamid,' salsas II bad really dame so. While,
therefore, the speaking instransuis leader the astral of
the station-masters, from being worked indepeselentl2 of the
'lgnacio at Cbarlice, and from iaterferiag with dodged.
man at Blackheath, may be said "dolly to km caused this
theident, it is evident that the eon peeking instrulawits.l
if placed in the telegraph boxes sad Corked alder peeper
regulation by the signalmen thencelves to each Mil;
would, by affording • safe. MOW of akin for sad Akio
hag the required information. have preveated its cow -
r
The Coroner said that Chided Tyler had stated any
concisely the facts of the collision, but he bed sot aimed
tow fact that it was the duty of the guard lege to the
tail of the teas to send the breams. beak after peeling
the break as.
Captain Tyler said that he hod taken the point late deo
sitaratioe he the other poetics of his repel* Usellesidek
it would be the guard's duty to go back to the breshemas
to tell him to pet hie break on, and protect the line Were
he moesded to uncouple the train, but be had sot sulkiest
• to my whether the guard had taken selleiest
mans toiaSit the line. That, et course, wouldelepeed
upon bow the trais bad get stuck is the tetanal, and
whether t time had elapsed to suable the breakarnan
to igo back.
This being the whole of the evidence. the jury retired
to: coeditor their verdict, and atter being shoot some time
they returned into court, sad
The Coroner stated that in consequence of the i
of the breaks:nth at the ballast train, who woe still rushed,
by the injuries he had received, is the hospital, the jury
had determined to adjourn to that day forteight
1 o'clock. The COMM added that it was the diastase of
the jury, if the witness in quiches we sat able to be
premed oa that oceasion, to adios= to the hooded sad
take his evidence, ; after which they would ostlers to the
inquest room, and be should then be prepared to hear any
datereent which Jones might shoos' to make, and to close
the to Thursday, the
inqairy.
The inquest was aceerdingly adjourned
26th inst.