The Express.
London, England, 1867-09-13 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, FRIDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER 13, 1867.

THE MIDLAND RAILWAY ACCIDENT.

The inquest on the body of Martha Vaines, the
child killed in the Peak Forest Tunnel by the first colli-
sion on Monday night, was held on Wednesday, at the
Midland Railway Hotel, Ptak Forest before Dr. Bennett,
coroner for that division of Derbyshire. The origin of
the whole accident will be found to have been traced with
tolerable oettainty to the inexperience of the signalman at
the Peak Forest end of the tunnel. The signalman at the
other end brought corroborative evidence of his statement,
quoted in our report of yesterday, that he received the
atgnal " Line clear," before allowing the cattle train to
enter the tunnel, which resulted in its collision with the
ballast train.

It appeared that the deceased had sustained a fracture
of the base of the skull. The body was also much
bruised.

Townsend, stationmaster, at Peak Forest,
said on the evening of that day, about 5.20 p.m., the up
line was clear, as indicated by telegraph a; the time.
Whilst he was on the platform a signal bell rang, and he
did not know then what for. He then went to tea. Wil-
liam Knight, the signalman, informed him he bad received
• signal from Chapel-en-le-Frith. Knight (the porter)
went to his tea in the same room with witness. Knight
having finished tea, which occupied about a quarter of an
hour, went into the signal-box, leaving witness before he
finished his tea. The other porter (Newton) informed
witness news had arrived that there bad been a collision in
the tunnel. William Knight was the porter who re-
ceived the signal, he being entrusted with the signal-box.
From the information witness received, he went to the
tunnel, and found that the report was true. (A copy of
the rules regulating signals was produced.) He had been
in charge of signals before on the Midland line. When he
heard the bell ring indicating a signal from another station,
it was the duty of the signalmatt to block the needle, indi-
cating at the other end of the tunnel that there is a train
ur block between the station from which the signal is aunt
and his own.

William Knight, • signalman at Peak Forest station, was
next called. He received a signal about half-peat 5 on
Monday from Chapel-en-le-Frith, indicating that • train
was coming on the up line. He at once blocked it, thus
giving the signalman at Chapel an intimation that the
telegram was received. The stationmaster had called him
to take a note to a man in the limestone aiding. He left
the signal box for that purpose, and was away about three
minutes. He thee came back to the station, and got his
tea, and afterwards went into the box, and found the
signal at " Linea blocked ;" and noticing that the needle
w.ui being shaken from Chapel-en-le-Frith, witness thought
they wanted it unblocked. He thought the signal-
man at Chapel bad changed his mind, and wanted the
line unblocked, as there was no train due. Witness
consequently pulled the peg out, but at the same time
he did not knock " line clear." Witness then shook both
the handles to see whether the signalman at Chapel would
say anything, but no reply was sent. So witness blocked
it up again, and heard no more till ho was in.
formed of the accident. Had been signalman about •
month, and was previously • gentleman's servant. lie un-
derstood nothing about these matters before, and had bad
no previous experience in the working of signals. During
the last month had been studying those signals. Had
been previously learning at Matlock Bridge and Muesli
Dale for three weeks, but bad only been at Peek Forest
since last Thursday. He had been taught by James
Lister, who was stationmaster at Montiall Dale. At Mat-
lock be was with the signalman being taught. He did not
know whether that wes a common practice. Before be
came to Peak Forest he thoroughly understood the code
which be was bound to follow. The rules produced were
the same. .

The coroner here read out • role to the witness, and
then asked him to explain the substance of it.
The witness was unable to give the substance of the
rule. He went on to say there was a book in the signal-
box which he had not reed. He had no rules put up to
refer to. He did not profess to know the rules. He
had been examined by Mr. Loveday, inspector on the
Midland line, when at Miller's-dale. upon the use of the
instruments. He had then made a mistake in answering
in regard to one of the signals. He also made • mistake
as regarded the recognition of the up line and the down
line. He had been learning about • fortnight at that
time. Mr. Loveday said he would do in • day or two.
The day after that examination witness had an order to go
to Moneall-dale, where he stayed a week ; whilst there
witness turned the signals, and then the stationmaster,
who was instructing hun at the time, came to see that all
was right. He underwent no farther examination. While
at Monsell-dals Mr. Loveday told him that he had been
appointed to Peak Forest station. He accordingly went
there.—ln answer to further questions horn the coroner,
the witness admitted that whereas the rule required him,
when the line had been " blocked," to ascertain if it was
clear again, he bad neglected to do this.
Philip Hubbart, signalman at Chapel-en-le-Frith, was
next examined. On Monday night he was in his signal-
box from 5.16 to 5.20, when a ballast train left the Chapel-
en-le-Frith station. He had previously signalled to Peak
Forest, in answer to which he got " Line blocked." He
then sent on the ballast train. He heard no more of that
train, and in about ten minutest after a cattle train came
into Chapel station. He reported this also to Peak Forest,
: and got an answer, " Line clear." He was positive of it.
He bad five witnesses to that effect. He accordingly
allowed the train to pass on. Twelve minutes afterwards
be heard the cattle waggons coining back, which had broken
loose. He saw the cattle train at the Back-lane-bridge.
He tried to get at the points, but had not time. He ran
across the fields to Bridgenorth, expecting an accident to
occur every minute to the 5.20 train from Manchester.
The train had passed when he got to Bridgenorth.
Mr. Tilson, the stationmaster at Chapel-en-le-Frith,
was afterward:a examined, and corroborated the evidence
of his signalman, Hubbart, that the signal was received
" Line clear." He was unable to account for the little
girl getting on the ballast train ; it was quite against
rules. He bad seen her at the station asking how she
was to get to Peak Forest.
Henry Herbert Loveday, district Inspector of the Mid-
land Railway, said he had known William Knight, the
signalman at Peek Forest, for • month. When he first
maw him he was sent to Matlock-bridge to leant the duty
of • telegraph signalman. He remained there about • fort-
night, under the tuition of a signalman named Jones.
kfter that he saw Knight at Matlock-bridge station
respecting his duties. Witness questioned him slightly
respecting his knowledge of the signals, and impressed
him with the importance of hie duties. A fortnight
ago witness had to examine several signal porters is oonse-
quence of the new line from Bradford to London being
about to be opened. He found that Knight bad made
some mistakes in his answers as regarded his knowledge of
the signals. He found he was not competent, but had no
doubt be would be in a few days. He recommended that
he should go to Monsen Dale station to assist the station-
master, who is the telegraph signalman at that station, in
order to complete his knowledge of the signals. On
Thursday or Friday last witness came to examine him
again. Not having seen the signal porter at Matlack-
bridge, be went to speak to him respecting Knight. After
his previous examination, witness asked him what his
opinion of Knight was as to his knowledge of his duties.
He replied that be acted well, and never made one
mistake while he was with him. He also asked
Lister, at lffonsall Dale if he considered the man was
capable of being entrusted with the duties of a signal-
man. He replied that he considered he was Suite capable
of taking charge. Witness then examined Knight again at
Miller's Dale to make himself perfectly satisfied, and he
considered the man was quite capable to take charge of •
telegraph signal poet. He reported to that effect to his
superintendent, and an accident having just happened
to the previous signal porter at Peak Forest, Knight
was sent to succeed him. The coroner here read the evi-
dence of Knight, and the witness said the momentary
taking the peg out by Knight would be an indication
to the Chapel signalman that the line was clear. It
could not be taken for anything else. That peg should
not have been taken out till the train had passed. There
were positive instructions as to that point. A man with
ordinary intelligence is capable of taking charge of •
signal in . month's time. It is not a heavy poet, an
only a few trains stop to shunt. Always, where there
is • straight line, and it is only necessary to par the
signals backward; and forwards, the duties arc simple.
He had cautioned Knight in general terms, end showed
him the importance of not touching the needle unneces-
sarily. He considered Knight to hare made the greatest
progress he had ever seen, and he considered that the
report of Mr. Jones, that he had not made one mistake,
was something remarkable.
The coroner, in summing up, said there was no doubt
that Knight, the signalman at Peek Forest, did tmfortu-
nately, and to a certain extent culpably, draw out the
peg. The jury, however, would consider whether there
were not extenuating circumstances, for being an in-
experienced man, he might have done it in the hurry of the
moment. In that ease 130 should scarcely recommend a
verdict of manslaughter against Knight. The coroner
also expressed en opinion that the training of the signal.
men had been superficial, and that at the station where he
learnt his duties he bad been allowed to practice be-
fore he was perfect, and thus risk an accident at any
time.

The jury then retired at 7.30, and after an absence of
twenty minutes returned with a verdict of accidental
death, but were of opinion that the signalman wee not
capable of fulfilling his duty, not being sufficiently trained
to it, and that the time allotted for acquiring his duties
was not sufficiently long. They also expressed • strong
opinion with reference to the conduct of the station-
master at Peak Forest—that the signal-box should have
been left so long without some person to look after it.
They also censured him fur sending the signalman away
with a letter when he should not have been called from
his box. . . .

The coroner, at the conclusion of this inquest, proceeded
by special train with the witnesses to New Mills, where,
about nine o'clock, he opened the inquest on the sufferers
by the second collision. The evidence was in peat pert
identical with that at the find inquiry. The second in.
quest concluded at cos o'clock mm. yesterday morning,
with a similar verdict and similar expressions of opinion
by the jury.

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