The Express.
London, England, 1847-09-29 00:00:00

whistled, shut off his steam and reversed his engine, or for
greater damage must have been done to the mail-train gene-
rally. He noticed the fragments of a lamp, which was of
white glass, and appeared to have come oil the engine of the
mail train. Was of opinion that the driver of the mail train
did ad he could to avoid a collision with the goods train.
Mr. B. Bradford, station agent at Wimbledon, stated that he
was called up on Saturday morning at about a quarter to
five o'clock, being informed that the accident occurred at
about 300 yards from the station. He proceeded with a pilot
engine which got within 40 yards of the spot before he saw
any light, the morning was so foggy. He learned that
the up mail from Dorchester had run into the goods train.
Two or three of the carriages, in one of which was deceased,
were completely broken up. He saw both the guards of the
mail and goods train, and had some conversation with the
latter, who said that he had run to town with part of his
train, having no doubt at the time that he had the whole
train with hum; but having found out his mistake as soon
as he arrived at Nine Elms, he got another engine, and came
back to look for them. It was not customary for the driver
of the mail train to blow his whistle at that spot, therefore
he had no doubt that he had then caught sight of the goods
train, and blew his whistle as a warning. He must have
shut off the steam, and reversed the engine momentarily, or
the damage would have been much greater. None of the
passengers in the mail train were injured, and the engine it-
self was scarcely scratched.
G. Duckett deposed—He was guard of the goods train on
Friday night last. They left Southampton at hell-past 8 and
should have arrived at Nine Elms at about 22 minutes past 2
on the Saturday morning; but in consequence of
the slipperiness of the rails, and also a detention
of 18 minutes extra at Woking, and another at Andover-
road, they were two hours behind their time. The train
was propelled by the " Elephant," a large and powerful
engine. On leaving the Woking station they had 51 CU-
r iages, all laden. Deceased was a brakeman. His place was
the last carriage but one, and his duty was to attend to the
brakes. Recollected passing the Wimbledon station at about
seven minutes past four o'clock. When the train had
reached the junction of the Richmond Railway witness got
down to count the carriages, and found 13 missing. On his
arrival at Nine Elms he got an engine, went back and found
them in the Wimbledon cutting, and that the mail train
had run into them. Would swear that it was at the Rich
mond junction he was first aware of any carriages being
missing. In passing through Wimbledon cutting the steam
was shut off in consequence of the engine slipping, and the
whistle was blown to warn the man at the level crossing, a
quarter of a mile distant. Me felt no collision in the cutting.
Carriages becoming uncoupled would aeon be stationary, and
deceased, if he had been awake, must have known it.—By a
Juror : We carry Witte one on the side of the last van, and
another behind the last waggon, which is a red one. The
goods engines are capable of conveying from forty to
fifty loaded waggons, at front ten to twenty miles
an hour. Have known carriages detached from a train by
the breakiag of the coupling chains. The waggons are con-
nected with three chains—one on each side, and a centre
one with a screw bolt. Witness believed that deceased must
have been asleep when the uncoupling took place, or ho
would have noticed the carriage in which he was become
stationary. It would have been his duty then to hove got
out of the carriage and gone down the line several hundred
yards, and laid some composition on the rails, which would
have exploded when touched by the wheels of the engine,
and so warned the driver that there was another train in
advance, and that Rims clangorous to proceed.
Mr. Stavin, manager of the traffic, proved satisfactorily to the
jury that the accident had, in the first instance, arlon from
a shackle which is passed over the spring bar of one waggon,
to which is attached a chain connecting other waggons,
and fastened by a linch-pin pawing through the bar, having
got loose by the pin dropping out, and so throwing the en-
tire strain on the ride chain.% both of which were broken,
the parts alluded to as having given way, or broken, having
been found on the line. The collision, the witness consi.
dered, was caused by the neglect of the deceased, who, had
he not been asleep, could have easily prevented it. Ho con-
sidered that the engine-driver, fireman, and guards of the
mail traiu had acted with great promptitude on the occasion,
and the passengers who had travelled by it bad spoken in
• the highest terms of their conduct.
The jury, after about half an hour's consultation, returned
• &verdict of " Accidental death," at the same time recent-
, mending that the couplings of the waggonsof the goods trains
should be of a more secure character.