The Express.
London, England, 1848-10-02 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, MONDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 2, 1848.

FATAL RAILWAY ACCIDENT.-THREE

LIVES LOST.

On Saturday morning the whole of the Router Via-
duct, now in course of construction on the Manchester,
Sheffield, and Lincolnshire Railway, about six miles east
of Sheffield, and which runs across the river Rother and the
contiguous valley at Brighton, fell down with a tremendous
wash, burying four of the workmen, only was of whom has
escaped with his life.
This viaduct is designed to consist of 36 arches, 20 of which
dad been completed at the time when the accident occurred.
They were all semi-arches, each of SD fret span, and of an
average height of DA feet from the warrens to the spring.
The height from the spring to the crown sewage('
16 feet. The work was entirely of brick. The con-
tractor of this portion of the undertaking is Mr
Carlisle, under Maas. Miller, Mackie, and Shortridge, the
emstractors of the works from Sheffield to Brighton.
Under thesuperintendence of Mr. Carlisle, the erection of
the viaduct proceeded satisfactorily to the completion of the
twentieth arch, and from most of the arches the 'mitres or sup
cons had been withdrawn. The centre of the nineteenth
was eased a few days ago, and no danger was apprehended
until lately, when in consequence of the heavy rams which
have recently fallen in the neighbourhood, and by wbieh
the valley is inundated, Mr. Carlisle on Frilly gave orders
to his workmen to shore up the nineteenth arch with a view
to its better protection. Seven or eight men were employed
upon this work the remainder of the day, and they mumed
their operations on Saturday. A few minutes be
fire ten o'clock on that morning, while they
were thus engaged, the nineteenth arch fell in,
without a moment's notice, and was immediately fol-
lowed by the 13 or 14 adjoining arches. After a few minutes
the remainder of the viaduttalso fell in ; thus completing the
destruction of this extensive work. . . .

Four of the workmen were completely buried beneath the
fallen materials. Fortunately, the others had stepped from
beneath the arch a moment or two before, and thus escaped.
Mr. Carlisle was sent for, and arrived at the spot without a
in mast's delay. His first efforts, assisted by the surviving
workmen, were devoted to the rescuing of the sufferers. Two
of the bodies were found to be lifeless, having been mutilated
and mangled in a shocking manner. In another of the suf-
ferers life was not totally extinct at the time he was extri-
cate 4; but he died within a very short period. The fourth
man had his arm broken, and sustained other severe inju-
ries, bat fatal results in his case are not anticipated. The
four men were removed promptly to the Railway Inn, at
Heighten, where the deceased remain awaiting the coroner's
inquest. The names of the men who were killed are Henry
Wightinan, George Bentley, carpenters, and James Clarke,
labourer, who lived a short time. The name of the surely-
ing sufferer is William Lamb.
It is a remarkable circumstance that the whole of the piers
upon which the arches rested remain entire. On Friday,
Mr. Carlisle, solicitous for the safety of the erection, in con-
sequence of the ground being Honied in some places to the
depth of four or five feet, made a minute examination of the
foundation of the piers. He found that they had been gra-
dually sinking in some parts to the extent of 141 inches,
owing partly, it is supposed, to come soft under strata below
the clay in which they are built. The sinking was chiefly
observable in the piers of the nineteenth arch, aril hence the
directions to have the each shored up. 'That the workman-
ship of the arches was good is proved, not only by the fact
of the piers remaining erect, but that to some of them a por-
tion of the arch, to the extent of 9 feet, remained adhering.
The place presents a desolate appearance, part of the ruins
ucovered by the fi Aid, the extent of which may be
sed from the fact that the water has risen to a height
of 16 het above the bed of the river. . .

A perm who was at a short distance when the accident
occurred, dimities the falling of the first ereb so resembling
the report of firearms. The others fell in one by one, in
quick bat distinct succession, causing great alarm in the
neighbourhood.
the Mother viadoc• is one of the principal works on this
line. The circumstance of the viaduct being beyond the
point where the short line from Beighten to Woodhouse Mill
station diverges from the ma'n line, will prevent any post-
ponement of the opening of the line from Sheffield to its Junc-
tion with the Midland at the time appointed.

IRELAND.

DUBLIN. Barr. 30.
Alter el the denials, "authorised" and otherwise,
...

respecting Mr. Barry, it is now announced in the
Freeman's Journal, through which more than one of
the contradictions issued, that this person will appear
as an approver on the trial of Mr. O'Brien. Two
other circumstances we collect from the opening state-
ment of the Attorney-General that will not fail to tell
with the jury; the one, that Mr. O'Brien gave th 3
people enters to fire upon the police in the widow
Cormick's house, although it was stated over and
overagain that his efforts were directed rather to their
protection; and the second fact is, that while Mr.
O'Brien was "in command," one of his companions
was " a traitor" to the traitors—this pram is, it is
said, ready to prove he raw Mr. O'Brien write the
celebrated letter to the mining company. Mr.Halpin,
too, the Secretaryto the Confederation, is announced
as having arrived at Clonmel to give evidence on the
trials.
Mr. Duffy has contradicted in the Freeman of this
morning, under his hand, the statement that he had for-
mally given notice to the government of his intention
to plead guilty. He has accompanied the contradiction
by some reflections upon my correspondence and my
motives in writing it. I cannot feel hurt at these,
first, because of Mr. Duffv's position, and, secondly,
because they are unjust. I have no desire to aggra-
vate any incident or circumstance respecting him. I
send my authority for the statement for your private
information. I would not publicly indicate the source,
though it is little less than official.
The Carlow Sentinel, issued this morning, recurring
to the arrest of the American " auxiliaries" to the
Irish army of liberation, which was noticed this day
week in the same journal, states that those men
avowed that their intention was to take part in an Irish
rebellion. They had fought in Mexico : in Ireland
they have found a prison. That they were not idle
however during their sojourn here is apparent free;
a divan :stew. which has since occurnd. On Tues-
day night 13 young men, most of them artisans in
the employment of Mr. Cavanagh of Borris, Carlow,
and earning good wages at constant work, were
arrested for drilling and training at night. They
were organised under a warrant awned by the Amen-
cans. This was "going ahead" with a vengeance.
Miss O'Ryan, aunt to O'Mahony, and who had
been placed in arrest under a charge of haebowing
that outlaw, hes been admitted to bail. Whether the
same privilege will be permitted in the acs of Mks
Power has not, I believe, been yet decided. Probably
her owe requires more Consideration, as, besides her
not being a new connexion of O'Maitoufs, it is said
the lady at the time of her arrest had copper caps
bidden in her hair.
DUBLIN, Sinop.
The evidence given on the state trials at Clonal,
although not disclosing anything which we did net
know long since, as to the aim of *is
club organization, has furnished materials kr
gweip, and will certainly nuse the re-
newal of former whisperings. For instaawste
now lean that the portmentesa of Mr.
had been given to the police by Ma Daisy before
that lady saw Mr. O'B ten's order kr serresdering
it. Then with regard to the letters sad documents
of the Confederation, if they were to be con-
cealed at all, one of the oddest places of
concealment which could be selected, surely was the
house of the secretary's father-in-law. If anybody
cared to look for them they would oaktinly be
sought in such a place. The conclusions to
which these inferences seem to point, have been
most fortunate for the country and the empire, but
they are little flattering to oar national truthfulness
towards each other.

THE SPECIAL COMMISSION.
TRIAL OF MR. W. S. O'BRIEN.

CLONMBL, Pittner.
The Lord Chief Justice Blackburns, Lord Chief Justice
Doherty, and Mr. Justice Moore, took their slate on the
bench at ten o'clock this morning. The court was even more
crowded than on the previous day. The Attomey•General.
the Solicitor.Oeneral, Mr. Scott, Q.C., Mr. Busse, and Mr.
Lynch, appeared as counsel for the crown. Mr. Whiteside,
Q.C., Mr. Fitzgerald, and Sir Colman O'Loghleo, for the
prisoner. There wu a very full attendance of jurors, and
when the reading of the panel had concluded,
Mr. Whiteside applied to the court on behalf of Mr. W.
8. O'Brien to select the jar? by ballot.
The Attorney General said that if he contented to the sp.
plicotion, it would infer that he acquiesced is the imputation
of partiality smieht to be proved against the WI sheriff.
The Chief Justice said that as the Attorney-General did
not agree to thee application, the court could not consent to
its being granted.
Tb. Clerk of the Crown then informed the prisoner that he
could challenge 20 persons peremptorily as they cams to the
book to be sworn, and before they were sworn, and as many
others for " cause " as he could natal".

Hillard M. 8. Edward Crosbie Moore, of
Moon's Fort, ware then sworn; when R. E. Phillips was
challenged, and Mr. Whiteside,Q.C., said that the ground
of challenge was that Mr. Phillips did not stand indiffer-
ently to the prisoner. The two gentlemen who were
sworn as jurors were thou sworn to try the vaned of
Mr. WhiWide, Q.C., stated this ground te be that Mr.
Phillips was a magistrate at Limerick • a turret 'rug up
betweea him and • native of Limerick ; Mr. Phillips
27;1 that that person fired at him ; he prosecuted him,
jury acquitted him; the men who was thus tried
requested Mr. o.Brien to bring thew before parliament,
whieh he did, and also list:ought ft bikes the Chancellor. It
was for the triers to decide whether the ground of challenge
was a fair one.

The Attorney General said that if Botha reeling were upon
Mr. O'Brien', mind, be had no desire to prise the point,
and he would consent to Mr. Phillips being set aside, wi kh
was accordingly done.
Altar eltalleages, William Going challenged
for cause • the. cause alleged being that he was one of the
magistrates before whom the informations were sworn.
Cause allowed.

About 18 more challenges having been made, the prisoner
exhausted his right of challenge, having act aside 20
jurors without cause, but Mr. Whiteside claimed for him
the right of challenging 16 additional jurors peremptorily
upon tie behalf, and died the 9th Geo. 111., chap. 64.
The Attorney• General, is reply, contended that the 9th
Geo. lil., in amending the administration of the criminal
law in Ireland, specificelly stated that a prisoner on his trial
for high treason should have but twenty peremptory.chal-
lenges. The court oisallowed the challenge, and the jurors
were accordingly sworn.
The following is the jury sworn to try Mr. O'Brien: R.
M. J. Manaergb, Greases, foreman ; B. C. Moore, Moore's
Fort; R. °mon, Richmond ; J. Going, Birdhill ; J. Lloyd,
Lisburn; S. Perry, Barron.; J. Russell, Ballydavid ; E.
P.nnefather, Marlow ; T. Sadler, Balliogarry ; J. Tuthill,
Ragland ; R. Manger, Grails; C. Going, Castle Canna.
The Clerk of the Crown than read the indictment against
Mr. Smith O'Brien.—Mr Fitzgerald applied to the court to
oblige the witnesses for the prosecution to leave court.—The
Attorney-General 'Malted to know if it would be necessary
for Mr. Hodges, the government reporter, to leave the
court f He was there to take a report of the proceedings.
and would also be examined as a witnem.—Mr. Fkageraal
mid he had no objection to Mr. Hodges remaining.
The AttorneyGentral next said that he saw Mr. O'Hara
in court. He was one of those that had been summoned by
the crown, but as he wasons of the +Mews over whom he

had no control, he begged to say that he would not be de-
prived of his evidence, because he chose to remain in court.
General M'Donald also was in court, and he wished to know
if there were any objection to kis remaining in court.
The er said that he had no objection to General
M' d remaining in court, but he did object to Mr.
Hodges remaining, as he had represented himself to be
merely a reporter, and had turned out to be a person
acting in a very different character. He had come forward
and swop that the words spoken by him were seditious and
treasonable, and any person who was prepared to take that
coarse to aid the crown was not a fair reporter.
The dAtorney-General said he would examine Mr. Hodges
merely as a reporter he would be the first witness ermined
for the crowd.—Mr. Hodges said that he might retire, es his
son wee I. court to supply his place.—The prisoner repeated
that so far as he was concerted, he would not consent to Mr.
Modem remaining in court; he had departed from his
character of reporter : he had bean nested as a guest, and
had turned out a spy. He might be over-ruled in his objee
tion, but he would not consent to Mr. Hodges continuing in
court. Mr. Hodges then retired: his son and Mr. M'Der-
mott, the other government reporter, remained in court to
take notes of the trial.

Mr. Lynch then read to the court and jury the substance
of the indictment. There were tin count.. The first five
charred the prisoner with levying war agionst the Queen
within the realm. The sixth charged that there was a
conspiracy in order to bring and put the Queen to death.
The first count found that the poisoner and others named
in the indictment, upw the 17th of July and upon divers
other days between that and the 30th of July, at Bailin-
garry, county Tipperary, with a great multitude of others,
wickedly, maliciously, and traitorously levied and made war
against the Queen. That count stated that they marched
in and through divers villages, towns, places, and highways,
erected certain obstructions upon the highway to prevent
the marching of the soldiers, sad made an attack upon a large
body of constables by fore, and violence, to compel them to
Join them, and made a warlike attack upon a dwelling-house
at Farrinrory and fired upon a large body of constables. The
second count wade the levying of war to take place upon the
20 hof July, at Mullinahone. The count stated that they
marched in a warlike manner, and made an attack upon a
dwelling-house at Mallinahone. The third count stated the
levying of war to have been upon the 28th of July, at a
place called Killonaule. Tke tontchtrged site pri-