The Express.
London, England, 1851-05-24 00:00:00

TII E ACCIDENT AT CLAY-CROSS.

THE ADJOURNED INQUEST.
CIMITEILFI ELI), FRI DA T.
The coroner's inquiry was resumed this morning
at II o'clock at the Municipal Hall.

Geo. Carter, the Inman of the pessenger train, stated
that immediately after the accident, and they found the up-
line was ',leaked up, he went in the direction of Chester-
field with a rcd signal light, to prevent any up train
approaching.
By Mr. Fretson—l do not know what was done to prevent
any train coming on the down line.
John Thompson—l wan guard of the passenger train on
Monday night. We left Derby at 20 minutes past nine.
The proper time was 6 minutes. Ido nut know where the
13 minutes had been lost. When we got opposite the Clay-
Cross station I noticed the slackening of the engine. When
we had gone 150 or 200 yards the train stopped. I put my
head out, and went to the engine driver, and asked "what a
the nutter '?•• lie did not know exactly the cause. Ile ex-
amined the wheels and pump, and then said there was
something amiss with the pump rod. I asked him how
long it would be before lie was ready to go on. The fire-
man said be thought it would be 10 minutes, and the driver
said " • few minutes." I asked him if I should have occa-
sion to go back with the signal, and the driver said " Yes.
you had better." I got into the van to get my lamp and
signal out. I then went down between the two lines till I
got 30 or 40 yards beyond our train, when the driver
or the fireman shouted from the engine "all right." In re-
turn I shouted " Is all rialit " and commenced going back.
When I had got a short distance back I heard the approach
. .
beftee

of a train. - I had not Seen or heard the train
I turned back. Our train was mos ing on then. I continued
waving my red signal till I got on the foot-hoard of the last
carriage. I then shouted to the driver, " Make speed—
make all the haste you can, there is a train coming." We
were moving ; and had got a short distance whenthe other
train ran into us. It was coming faster than I thought.
The driver of that train could see our red tail lamp as well
insaltollomupr.traTinh.erel wind taurnta ei ad
bingepk, andbc;it:
heard the goods-train coming. I walked back with my red
.aisdnsighnaaniditg.
signal-lamp turned towards the Clay-Cross Tunnel. The
train consisted of four carriages and a
By Mr. Fretson—When we came to a stand it was about
150 yards this side Clay-Cross Station. We were a quarter
of an hour laic at starting from Derby, and we had lust
10 minutes ou the road. When I set olf back to walk half
a mile, I gut into my van, and took two fog signals with
Me.—Ought you not to have taken four ? We do some-
times. I have had a copy of the rules given to me. I
have seen the rule that we are to place a log signal on the
line every 200 yards, till we have got 800 yards. I only
took two, because 1 knew I had not to go beyond the
tunnel. I got within 1110 yards of the platform leaner I
turned back. I think I could run 200 yards in five minutes.
I had only one minute to go out before I turned back. I
had consumed three of the four or five minutes that we were
stopping by waiting to see what was amiss with the engine.
I think the goods train had corns up to us in half the time
they should-have done, or less than that. I have not told
any one that the reason of my turning Back was that I
heard a whistle blow. I think I have always given the
same account about the affair as now. We are generally
late; but the delay is generally in leaving Derby.
Samuel Stratton—On Monday night I drove the goods
train from Derby. The train consisted of 10 trucks and
a guards break. It was a light train. My regular time
for leaving Derby is 10 minutes past 9. I saw a passenger
train go off. I% e stood waiting at Derby for it. We
followed it out slowly about half a mile to the junction,
where we stopped a minutes. The next place we stop-
ped at was Helper. We stopped there about .5 minutes.
Our guard there told us to goon steady to Amhergate. At
Ambergate the purter stood on the platform and told us to
look out at Wingfield, as the passenger train was going to stop
there. I shut oft the steam about half-wav through the Clay-
Cross tunnel, and ran steadily through. At the north side of
the tunnel all appeared right. The two white lights were
on at the north end of the tunnel signifying all right. I
then put on the steam. When I got under the bridge on
this side of Clay-Cross station, I saw four red lights—the
tail light and two side lights of the passenger train, and
the baud. lamp of the guard. I saw them all at the same
moment, and immediately reversed the engine, and put MI
the steam, and did all I could to stop. I al.o called to my
fireman. That was just as we got under the bridge. Not-
withstanding all that we ran into the other train. I saw
we could not stop in time. 1 believe they were in motion
at the time. Our engine was thrown off the line.
By Mr. Waller—l have been a luggage train-driver only
a fuitaight. I had been a fireman six years. I had driven
to Lincoln a week before, and was practising in the yard
-.shunting " a week before that. I slid not stop at Amber-
gate, but went steadily past. I ought to have been at Clay-
crises at 31 minutes past 10. I believe it was half-past when
I got there. I looked at my- watch as soon as I got off
My engine. I Maud it was JO past 10. That was two or
three minutes after the collision. We are allowed to run
between 20 and 30 miles an hour from Derby to Chester-
field. When I first saw the red lights l was between 150
sad 200 yards off the passenger train. I was running at 18
or 20 miles an hour then. I hail just put ou my steam un
seeing the white light at the station. The guard regulates
our time on the road. We stop at uo station between
Derby and Chesterfield. We stopped at Helper because
the red light was on. We stopped there live minutes be-
cause the passenger train had only just gone.
By Mr. Fretson—The only place at which the guard
could have communicated with me to keep time was at
helper, and 1 did n t look at my watch till sifter the colli-
sion. That was my first trip from Derby to Leeds as driver
by myself, but I had been 12 months on the road. I thought
1 could keep time by guess. I saw the w kite semaphore light
at Clay-cows Station. If it had been a red light instead of
a white one 1 belitVe I could have stopped before getting
there, as my train was a light oue. 1 was nut going as fast
as I could at Clay-cross. I had not all the steam on. When
I first saw the guard's lamp the guard was on the last car-
riage, waving his Limp. The distance from Clay-cross
Statism to the place of the accident is between 21.10 and 300
yards.
To what do you attribute the accident ?
To not seeing the light or the danger signal sooner. I
was about 150 or 200 yards off when 1 first saw the signals.
It would take me about a quarter of a mile to pull up. If
the guard had turned on the semaphore light at the station
I believe we could have stopped in time.
The next witness examined was George Shaw, The fire-
man of the goods train. list evidence did nut differ from
that of his companion.

pleinent s a similar kind; only two addition's' bars or
Emanuel Merchant, the guard of the goods train, said, I short beams are placed one at each end of the transverse
base been in the compauy's service since 16M, and have beam, and parallel with the main beam. Upon these liars the
been guard five years. The first thing I saw after passing tines are fixed, currying chisel-points, followed by V slurs,
through the Clay-Cross tunnel was a white light, point foremost. The tines are fastened in a very simple
signifying all right, shown by the man at the telegraph manner •, they are nipped against the Nat side Of the bar by
box. After we passed the Clay-croes station, we came a screw bolt passing through ; a square iron plate held by
under a bridge. As we passed under, I saw four red lights. the same screw, keeps the time in its upright position by
I turned my brake quick as I could, and hung by it, but four studs, one on each side the tine both oboe*: and below
unfortunately we ran into the other train. I was knocked the bar.
down' s
but as soon as I recovered myself, I took some fog Of subsoil ploughs there are not many beside the old
signal with me and went to the front of the train. I forms already well known. Messrs. Wilkie exhibit that
turned my light on my time-piece, and it was 10.25. 1 ran invented by Slr. Smith ; and Itansomes and May show the
back to the station and turned on the red signal, to stop Itackheath subsoil plough, which will pertain the operation
any thin coming from the south. I then went forward to of breaking up the ground to the depth of from 10 to 16
the telegraph man and told him what had taken place. inches below the surface, and when preceded by the cum.
By Mr. Macauley—l, as guard, am not responsible for mon plough (as ought to be the else), reaching to that
the speed which the driver runs between one station and depth under the button, of the furrow. Several other ma-
another. lam responsible only for leaving the station at ken have specimens of this kind of implement, which is in-
the proper time ; ta, min. past 10 is the time according to valuable for breaking up the pun funned by lung continued
the table for our being at Chesterfield—that means the time ploughing,and allowing the water to percolate freely through
fur leaving Chesterfield, so we try to get there 10, 15, or 20 the bottom of the furrow. One of the simplest and easiest is
minutes previously in order to get on with our work. head's patent subsoil pulveriser. This cuusistsof a straight
By the Coroner-1 believe we are at liberty to make up beam, furnished with a pair of handles, and carried upon
time if the line is clear. four wheels, the leading pair being placed near the cock,
By the jury—It is not my duty to see that the driver does and the following pair near the after end of the boson.
not reach a station before the proper time. The stirrer or chisel-pointed share is let down through a
Mr. Fretsou handed the book of regulations to the mortice in the beam immediately behind the after pair of
witness. wheels, and set to any required depth. By this simple
The witness contined—l see by this regulation that it is plan the entire weight is carried on the four wheels, which
say duty to keep the time, but I think it ought not to be. run parallel in the furrow made by a common plough, and
By Mr. Freston—lf the driver had gained two hours be- preserves an even action of the stirrer below the bottom of
Wean Derby and Chesterfield, would you have stopped the furrow. This plough may also be used as mole-plough,
Ida?—Yes ; but he could nut gain two hours in one hour or as a broad-share plough ; and, by the addition of a frame,
Slid forty minutes. becomes a horse-hoe or sacrifier. J. Blight, of Edinburgh,
If he had gained an hour would you have stopped him? exhibits "an improvement " upon Bead's, by the Marquis
—I should have told him at Chesterfield. of Tweecldale, called a "sub-Roil trench plough." 'the
Then if you had been an hour before your time at Clay- difference is in the shape of the share, this being angular
mass you would not have stopped him, but would have and larger, and with a broad tail sloping upward, eu us
gene "withering" un to Chesterfield ?—I should have to raise the broken sub-soil to the surface. The most
stopped him at Clay-cross. extraordinary looking implement fur the purpose of
Then why did you not stop him at Clay-cross when stirring the sub-soil is the " revolving dub miler "of It. J.
you knew that you were 26 minutes too soon?—The sig. and It. Layeock, Newcastle-on-Tyue. A square frame,
nabs were all right. with shafts before and handles behind, holds on an axle in
By Mr. Macuuley—l am responsible fsr starting the its centre a large wheel, which carries a numb,r of lung
train at its proper time at the station, but have nothing to harrow tines or teeth in pairs upon its periphery. These
du with regulating the speed at which a driver goes. teeth are curved, and seem adapted for piercing and break-
A Juror said it was important that they should know ing up the bottom of a furrow. When out of work, the
whether this man had anything to do with regulating the machine rides upon two carriage wheels.
time.
Among the pluughs are to be seen, here and there, speci-
Mr. Macauley—That will be explained by the head of mens of the great monster implements used fur bringing up
the department. I understand him that he has nothing to the subsoil and mingling it with the suffaceauuld—as in
do with regulating the speed. the peat fens, wnere the clay lies sufficiently near, and in
Mr. Fretson said the regulation set forth that " the districts where an underlying stratum of clay or marl offer
guard must keep the time of running." a ready means of manuring the exhausted soil above, or of
Mr. Macsuley—That means that he shall keep an ae. changing its texture and qualities. M 111,411101 and Muy
count of the time of arriving at stations, bet he has no exhibit an immense eouble-breasted plough for trenching,
control over the speed at which the driver goes between each mould-board being in two pieces, joined by lunges. It
station and station. is intended to act upon the land in the same manner as
I Mr. W. Parker, the superintendent of the working of double digging, to the depth of from 18 to 20 inches, By
the anal' train, was called, and confirmed Mr. Macauley's removing the loft-hand frame, it tan be used as a draining
explanation. • I plough, opening drains to the depth of 20 inches, or mute
The inquiry was then adjourned till Monday. required.

IA