The Express.
London, England, 1847-01-28 00:00:00

THE ACCIDENT ON THE GREAT WESTERN

RAILWAY—CORONER'S INQUEST.
An inquiry was commenced yesterday afternoon at
the Red Lion Inn, Southall, before Mr. Wakley and t special
Hry, as to the causes of the deaths of Henry Bishop and
enry Halt, sufferers from the accident which took place on
Monday on the Oreat Western Railway. The jury having
viewed the bodies, Mr. Waklcy addressed them, hoping that
in the judgment which they were called upon to pronounce,
they would not be influenced by any opinions they might
have heard expressed on the subject, because the evidence to
be adduced was on the responsibility of an oath, while all
else was mere idle rumour. A great deal of prejudice was
afloat shout railways, but he begged them to WI to mind
that every locomotive vehicle ever driven was subject to
accidents ; therefore nobody should be considered to blame
in any matter of the kind, until blame was proved in evi-
dence; and, in order to judge, they should go to the root of
the causes, not so much to punish the culpable parties as to I
prevent a recurrence of a similar accident. He believed it
would he impossible to conclude the inquiry that night, so
he would adjourn it to an early day, and, meantime, he con-
sidered it best that some engineer, unconnected with the
railway, should be obtained to give evidence before them.
J Bishop, father of one of the deceased, identified the
body of his son, who was • dealer in cattle, and lived at
Cowley. He was 20 years of age, and unmarried. Saw
him last on Monday morning, when he left to go to West
Drayton, in order to proceed to London.
Thos. Weadon, lived at Tooting, in Surrey, where lie
carried on the business of a butcher. He identified the body
of Henry Halt, wbo was his brother-in-law. He was a calf
dealer, and was 27 years of age. Saw him last on Monday,
when he left London by the train for Southall.
J. Ma don, the next witness, lived at Uxbridge, and was
a cattle dealer ; sat by the side of Bishop at the time of the
accident, and opposite to Halt. Left London by the four
o'clock train. The accident occurred when near the South.
all station ; the first signs of it that he perceived was a
crushing on the roof ; could not say how it occurred ; saw
Halt very much hurt. The train stopped very shortly. He
then went home as fast as possible. His father was con-
siderably hurt, but witness was uninjured.
F. W. Austen, clerk at the Southall station, deposed that
he saw the bodies in the carriage directly the accident oc-
curved. The roof of the carriages was very muck broken.
The bodies were removed into the goods-house. A surgeon
was called, but be could do nothing. Could not say whether
the train was in motion at the time of the accident. Saw
in the train the piece of iron produced, which was the tire
of one of the engine wheebt. The train went on to London
with the damaged wheel. Had no doubt that the deaths
were caused by the piece of iron in question. Never knew
a similar accident occur during seven peen' experience at
the station. Did not know the maker of the wheel or
the tire.

J. Gauntlet, a police-constable on the line, said he was on
duty at the Southall station at the time of the accident.
Saw the express-train come ap shortly after four o'clock; it
did not stop at the station. The train should pass the
station at 13 minutes past four ; in the present case it was
25 minutes past. Saw the other train approaching at the
same time. Saw the piece of iron fly from the express
train ; went at once to the carriage, and saw the deceased,
one of whom was sitting up in the ruins ,• could not state
the position of the other. Believed that there were no per-
sons hurt in any other carriage. Could not tell the cause of
the tire flying off; the train was going at its usual speed,
I fifty miles an hour, or upwards. The down train was in its
proper time. The down engine was thrown off the line, as
witness snpposed, from a piece of the broken tire. There
were two or three pieces of the tire thrown up to a contd.
derable height; the piece in the carriage weighed 275 lbs.
James Lorton, inspector of metropolitan police, of the
T division, deposed to seeing the bodies in the carriage at

halt past six the same evening. Saw Mr. Whitehouse, the
distract superintendent, who directed him to rem..., them;
they were removed, accordingly, to Mr. WI i•ehouse's
house. Never heard before of the tire separatinl: from the
wheel of a carriage.
James Almond deposed that he was an engine driver oa
the Great Western Railway, where he had been employed
nearly nine years; drove the up-train' which start' d from
Swindon at .66 minutes pant two; arrived at the Southall sta-
tion about 23 minutes past four ; did not know hat made
him later than usual. Had driven the same coaine, the
"Queen," before. The wheel was made by the company,
but the tire was purchased, The first n'gn of the accident
' that he saw was fire flying from the tire and nphother ; and
then saw the carriage on the down-train breaking , did not
see the tire fly from the engine ; did not know, tic e, exactly
what had happened • stopped about two minutes. When he
proceeded did not observe any difference in the motion Of
the engine, although the whole tire was gone. Had sines
seen the tire, which was in four pieces, Tnere was. no is.
jury effected to the wheel itadf. The tire was competent
partly of steel tr:: partly of iron. It was not sound in the
inside, although the outside appeared perfect. The ere was I/
inch in thickness, and about half an inch only of this wan
sound. The bad Farts appeared very dark and dirty, and
the sound parts shiny.
The Coroner asked whether there wee any means of u.
certaining, previous to a tire being need, whetter it was
sound or not ? The witness believed that there was not—he
knew of no medical.
He had known a similar accident occur about eight months
ago, but not with the some engine. Its nn ne was the "
In that case the tire broke into live pieces, hot with-
out damaging the wheel ; neither was there any pcxson hurt.
The accident occurred near Slough ; its cause was the SUM
as the prerient—the unsoundness of the t re. It was wit-
ness's duty to inspect every part of the engine me,t minutely
before making a trip. Did so on the occasion in question,
and found everything satisfactory. After a tire has been
placed on • wheel, there in no means of judeing of its sound-
ness; has known an instance of a tire being condemned
before being put on—in that case the weld was unsound on
the outside. The other wheels of the engines are provided
also with tires, which are placed on always in one piece.
Mr. Wythe, surgeon, residing at Southall, deposed that
he travelled is the down train, and got out of the carriage
on the train ntopping and the alarm being given. Saw the
deceased. The skulls of both were severely Procured, the
brains being scattered about. They were quite dead when he
saw them. There could be no doubt as to the cause of
death.
. . . .

Mr. D. Gooch, superintendent of the locometirt depart-
ment of the line, was then called. He was an engineer, and
resided at Paddington. The "Queen" engine was built under
his inspection, and commenced running early in February lest
year. The tire in question was bought of the Rey Foundry
Company, Wigan, Lancashire. Saw it before it was placed
on the engine. It was the duty of a man named
John Faucit to inspect the tires, place them on the
engines, and report on any defect. In the present case no
report was made. The tire is made of steel and iron, in the
proportion of one-fifth steel (on the wearing surface) and the
rest iron. The tire had been used about four months. The
reason of its breaking was that the two ends of the bar were
unsoundly welded together, which undoubtedly clused the
breaking of the other parts. They endeavoured to test the
tire by blocking them—that is, placing them on a screw, and
stretching them ; when, if the tire is unsound, it ought to
break. Did not know how long a tire ought to last ; the
wear and tear had little to do with the questi,n, but a change
of temperature would often cause them to fracture, which
often happened in frosty weather. Did not know of any
precaution to prevent a recurrence of the accident, except
to enjoin increased vigilance on their servants. The tires
that they used were called "guarantee" tires, but the manu-
facturer would not incur any loss from an accident caused
by them, except loss of credit. Had known several
instances of tires flying off the wheels; and wore always sub-
ject to this in frosty weather. They did not limit the
period of using tires—they had some which had been used
since the opening of the line.
This being the whole of the esidence forthcoming, Mr.
Wakley, after expressing his thanks to Mr. Gooch for the
I frank and fair manner in which he had given his evidence,
said that as it was desirable to examine some other en-
gineer, he would adjourn the court until Monday next, at
ten o'clock a.m. The jury had seen the bodies, and they
could now be given to the care of their friends. The inquest
was adjourned accordingly.

GRAY'S INN, JAN. 27.—1. Worsley, Esq., and
S. R. Ewen, Esq., were this day called to the degree of
barrister-at-law, by the Hon. Society of Gray's inn.
REPRESENTATION OP WESTMINSTER.— Yesterday
C. Lushington, Esq., issued a circular to the electors of
Westminster, announcing himself as a candidate at the next
election. In his address he 'totes that he shall adhere to the
political opinions he has hitherto expressed, and refers to his
past votes as a test of those principles. On the Free-trade
questions he considers they should be carried out by a series
of measures prompt, but not precipitate; efficient, but not
destructive; and concludes this portion of his ad.'ress in the
following terms " I am the decided friend of free trade."
On the subject of education, he says the due instruction of
the people at large should be on the most comprehensive
basis. The poor-laws require extensive modification. He
concluded by declaring himself to be an advocate for the
ballot and the extension of the suffrage.

INCREASE OP PAUPERS. Yesterday, a second
special meeting of the board of guardians of t. George the
Martyr, Southwark, took place at the board-r ern of the
workhouse, Mint-street, to adopt measures relative to the
present serious increase of in-door and out door poor in the
above parish, as well as to show the Motility of the orders of
the poor-law commissioners, to reduce the number of the
inmates of the workhouse. The chairman said they had
been called together in consequence of a letter which had
been received from the poor-law commissioners, containing
instructions to them as guardians to thin the workhouse:
those orders they last week had carried out as far as was
practicable. Ile for one had always thought that if
they had been left to themselves, and 'had not been under
the control of the poor-law commissioners, the rea-
mers would have been in a far better conditioa
than they were at present. At times, the board
of guardians had been charged by those in authority with
being too lavish of the parish funds, and that they did not
properly investigate the claims made upon them. Yet they
were compelled to take those in who were a disgrace to the
lowest society, and who were a nuisance to those who had
once been rate-payers. This state of things arose from the
operation of a bad law.
UNITED MEXICAN MINING ASSOCIATION.—Thu
half-yearly general meeting of the directors and shareholders
of this company was held yesterday, at their erne as in Fins-
bury-circus, to receive the half-yearly report of tie state of
the concern ; Sir John Easthope, Bart., in the chair. The
secretary, having read the minutes of the last meeting, pro-
ceeded with the report, by which it appeared that very hale
pewees had been made, since the last report, in the working
sidle various mines belonging to the company in Mexico,
mainly arising from the state of war that prevail d in that
country, which causes thousands who would otl erwise be
employed in working mines, to be carried off by force to
serve in the Mexican army, and led vast numbers besides to
seek concealment, to avoid a similar fate. The same eases
had rendered it useless to press upon the Mexican govern-
ment a claim of nearly 50,0001., which the company had epos
the finances of that country, under recognised stipulations;
for it would be quite ridiculous to expect that, under the
present expensive state of war, the finance mini-ter would
listen to such a demand, or even our government inter-
fere in the matter. Another mischief else to the comma,
from this state of Mexico was, that they could set
with any safety attempt to send any of the pr-
ecede of the quicksilver or other mines down to
the coast for refinement, because of the danger
of interception, either by Santa Anna on the one
band, or general Taylor on the other. Still, they had re-
caved 25,000 dollars by the last packet. The gross assets of
the company in London, at present, amounted to 14,468/..
and the liabilities to 6,266/., leaving a balance in the hands
of the company available for a dividend of only 8,201/. To
pay a dividend of se. a share would require a sum of 11,0001.;
and, in this estate of the finances of the compiny and the
uncertainty of what might arise under the present state of
Mexico, which seemed rather to call for an application of
funds than to receive env from them, it was deemed advisable
by the directors not to declare any dividend at present, bat to
reserve this balance for any emergency that might occur;
but should affairs in Mexico take a favourable turn, sad
sufficent assets be received from the mines before the
termination of the next half-year, the directors would sot
wait for the day of half-yearly meeting, but would at once
call one specially to declare a dividend. After a few words
from the chairman, recommendatory of this course, the re-
port was unanimously agreed to, and the meeting separated.
INEQUALITY OF ASSESSMENT.—At the petty See-
sions holden Tueeday, the 26th inst., at the vestry-mom of
St. James's parish, before the Hon. Mr. Bp*, Mr. Fresh-
field, and other magistrates, the appeal of Mr. Cafe, of Great
Marlborough-street, against the inequality of the poor-rates
of the pariah, which had been adjourned from the last petty
sessions, came on for judgment. Mr. Buzzard, the vestry-
clerk, stated, that in pursuance of the pledge given at the
nlasteweessiviounsati,othne pariah lipaddshepurdt
aMeor.4llo7.sol7,touptctheae
principlaes of the Parochial ui
Assesameat Acts, making theoir usual
deductions, a report to be made before Easter ; he therefore
thought the appeal had better be adjourned. Mr. Cooper,
of Old Cavendish-street, who appeared for Mr. Cafe, re-
minded the court that the magistrates at the last maims de-
termined that the returns to the Income-tax were the newt
ready, if not the best, means of ascertaining the rateable
value, viz., "the rent at which each premises might mein-
ably be let for by the year." Mr. Fralfield said no rule could
be better than the Income-tax return ; the vestry most not
consider the county and police-rate —they could appeal if they
were overrated ; in the present case, equality of rating wee
the question. Mr. Bing remarked, that nothing could be
more ridiculous than the mode of valuing stated by the sur-
veyor at the last hearing, viz., the frontage and quantity of
hackwork. A house might have both ingredients, and yet
be lea valuable to the tenant. After some conversation
about the costs of the appeal, which Mr. Cafe said he would
discharge, as he came forward on public grounds, the can
was again adjourned.
ROYAL FREE HOSPITAL, GRAY'S-INN-ROAD.—I.4IIIt
evening, the 19th annual meeting of the governors of this
hospital was held in the board-room, Thomas Wakley,
M.P. in the chair. The secretary read the report, which showed
that during the year, 1286 destitute patients had been ad-
mitted, and 34,221 received the benefits of the charity es
out-door patients. According to the financial statement, the
decrease of receipts, as compared with former yews, com-
pelled the committee to close two ward's, containing 90 beds,
still hopes are entertained that they would be speedily re-
Speed. The report was adopted, and a committee of
Imegement, comprising 30 governors, was elected. Thanks
were voted to John Masterman, M.P., the treasurer,