The Express.
London, England, 1847-07-17 00:00:00

time. It is not usual to communicate to the drivers that we
are behind time. We have no orders to do so. The driver
carries a watch, and 4 able to know the time as well as we
do. The guards only have to give an account of the time,
and we have to render an account to our superior officer; but
I have never been fined for any tom of time. I went back
to the line, and saw the left-hand rail of the up line had
" fallen out," but Ido not know how much. I went back
to the viaduct, and found the rails were torn up about 50 or
60 feet from it. The ballast was torn up, and the sleepers
cut through.
The Rev. R. G. King, of Wisbeach said I was a pigeon-
ger in the train from Wisbeach to London, and took a seat
an the coupd, the window looking towards the engine. Just
before the accident happened I remarked to my companions
that we were travelling at a good speed. Suddenly, without
any warning, the Pronto( the carriage in which I wassailing
was broken in, and at the same moment I saw the engine
bottom upwards at the bottom of the embankment. The
wheels of the carriage in which 1 was riding were off the
metal, and I was assisted out of it through the window. The
rails for some distance :rom the end of the viaduct were per-
fect, and the engine must have gone off the line suddenly as
we were brought to a stand still in a moment.
Wm. Stanfield described the state of the rails, it being
his duty to inspect them between Ely and Peterborough.
The nil at the spot where the accident happened were
lifted on the Saturday previous, it having "run down a bit"
at this spot, but I did not think it very dangerous. I think
18 sleepers were cut through. I cannot anyhow the accident
happened.
James Dykes, a plate layer in the service of the company,
also spoke to the state of the rails, and admitted that he had
said that sufficient hands were not employed to keep the
road at the spot where the accident happened in a proper
state of repair. It settled so much at the spot where the
accident took place, that he told Mr. Jackson, the managing
foreman to Mr. Peto, the contractor for the permanent way,
that more hands were required to keep up the embankment.
Three days after that mare men were sent. The con-
versation took place about ten days before the accident.
The last time the rails were raised up to their true gauge,
wag three months since. If there had been more hands, the
rails would have been lifted oftener. It sank more than
usual just off tke viaduct than in other places. I was about
290 yards from the spot when the accident happened, and
before it ran off the line I saw the engine wriggle a good
deal, as engines do when they go fut. I never saw one go
so fast on this lice before as the one deceased drove at the
time of the accident. The up line is sunk six inches lower
than the down line. I know at by having measured it by my
gauge stick.
Mr. John Hunter, locomotive superintendent, spoke to
there being no defect in the rails (portions of one broken
being brought into the inquest-room for veaminstion), and
also to the condition and working power of the engine,
which was capable of going at the rate of 50 miles an hour.
The rail appeared to have been broken by a lateral and not
by a downward pressure.
ELT.-BATURDAT MORNTNO, 2 o'CLoeg.—(By Electric
Telegraph.)—The jury have just returned a verdict to the
effect " That the deceased's death was reamed by the too
great speed of the engine on an embankment out of order."