The Express.
London, England, 1866-08-14 00:00:00

THE LONDON AND BRIGHTON RAILWAY
COLLISION.

Yesterday afternoon Mr. IL Blagden, the coroner
for the western division of Sussex, opened an investigation
at the Railway Anna Inn, Horsham, into the circumstances
attending the death of John Snatt, aged 2i, a stoker in the
employ of the London and Brighton Railway Company,
who was killed on Saturday night by a collision at the
Itchingfield Junction, as described in our yesterday's paper.
The jury, having been sworn, proceeded by special
engine, accompanied by the coroner, to view the body,
which was lying at the ltchlogtieln Junction, and the
scene of the accident.
Mr. J. J. Merriman, solicitor, of Queen-street, Cheap-
side, attended on behalf of Edward Reay, the driver of the
Portsmouth down train; and Mr. Carpenter, superinten-
dent of police on the Brighton line, represented this coni-
PanY•
On the return of the jury,
Edward Jackson, engine driver in the service of the
London, Brighton, and South Coast Railway Company,
spoke to the identity of the deceased.
Mr. Thomas Bryan Greenwood deposed that he was a
surgeon at Two Mile Ash, and that on Saturday night, at
a quarter to 10 o'clock, he was called to the junction. He
went directly, and found the deceased lying on the metals,
quite dead. The frontal bone of the head was driven quite
in on the brain, which was quite sufficient to account for
death. He had sustained no other injury. He directed
the removal of the body to a cottage adjacent.

James Strndwick said—l am a signalman at Stammer-
ham Junction, on the Mid-Sussex Railway. Ido not
know how far Shunmerharn Junction is from Horsham or
Itchingfield. The Portsii.outh express train from London
ought to leave Three Bridges at 8.33, and run through
Horsham without stopping, passing my box. at 8.50. The
7.15 up train from Brighton is due at Horsham at 8.33.
Prom my signal box I can see the distance signal at Itching-
field signal box, but we cannot see the semaphore at
Itchingfield. At night our signals are by lamps, red indi-
cating to stop, and when it is all Fight to go on the ilin
tance signal shows white, and the ' auxiliary " signals at
the branches show green. The Portsmouth express passed
my box on Saturday, night at 9.16-8.50 was the proper
time. I always book as t,heyy pass ; it is part of my duty to
do so. I noticed nothing about the signals as she paned.
The up trains front Brighton should have passed my sta-
tion at 8.29. On the night in question the train never
reached my box, but I heard the trains go together at about
9.17. I did not leave my box or look at the other signals
then. I had to book my train.
By Mr. Merriman-1 son not certain whether the train
wlOch preceded the Portsmouth train down wits behind time
or punctual. The preceding up train from Brighton was
behind time. I have not my hook with me. (The further
eeidence of the witness on this point was postponed for the
production of his book.) On Saturday, just before this
accident, 1 did not see the Itchingfield distances If
I bad seen the signal at Itelingtield indicating er I
should have stopped the train. If 1 had seen the Itc ing-
field distance signal indicating danger I should not have
allowed the Portsmouth down train to have passed without
warning it.
By the Coroner—lf I bad known there had been any
thing the matter before the train got to my signals I could
have stopped it.
By Mr. Merriman—Unless I had been instructed by
signal I should not have stopped the train. I was not told
to-day either to bring my books with me or to leave them
behind.

By the Coroner—The signal to stop from one box to
another is by five beats on Tyer's patent signal. I bad no
instructions from the Itchingfield signal-man on that night
to stop the train, and it would not have been right for me
to stop the train without such instructions.
Charles Hunt, fireman of the Brighton up train on
Saturday, said—On Saturday night we ought to have left
Brighton at 7.15, but we were 12 minutes late at starting.
The driver of our engine was James hlanwell, and
William Burgess was the guard. Coming to the Itching-
field Junction the distance signal was " off," showing that
the line was clear. It showed a white light. The sema-
phore at the box and the distance semaphore were also
all right, showing a green light. We were going very
slowly indeed at that time—not above ten miles
'an hour at the outside. When we got to the
distance semaphore, which is just at the junc-
tion, I saw a train coming down the main line.
I said to my mate, " They are coming through us,"
and I immediately put my break on and jumped off.
Our engine was near upon crossing the main down line
when I jumped. The collision took place directly after-
wards. I then went round to the engine of the Ports-
mouth express, and I saw the driver, Edward Reay, under-
neath the two trains, tying to pull out the deceased, John
Snatt, who was lying on the ground between the trains.
Together we pulled him out from underneath. He ap-
peared to breathe, but I saw directly afterwards that he
was dead. His head was dreadfully smashed. Our engine
and tender were then on the metals, but the engine and
tender of the Portsmouth train were both off.
By Mr. Merriman—l don't know what time the Ports-
mouth train was due at Hersh:nil, but I know that she
was late at Itchingfield, and ought to have been past there.
I can't say at what rate the Portsmouth train was going.
By the Coroner— We can see the down distance signal
from Itchingfield when we are passing Stannuerham ;
we cannot see a train approaching, as there is a curve there
and an embankment.

William Burgess, whose head was severely wounded and
enveloped in bandages, depcsed-1 am a guard in the ser-
vice of the company, and on Saturday evening last I left
the Brighton station with a train for Horsham. Our right
tune for leaving was 7.1.5, but we did not leave till 7.27.
The reason of our being late was that we waited for the
arrival of the London train. We left Southwater at
9.10, but were due there at 8.26. This delay was
occasioned by our waiting seventeen minutes at Shore-
ham for the Portsmouth train, and fourteen minutes extra
at Partridge-green, waiting for a down train from Horsham.
It is a single line, and we were waiting for the " I
noticed at Itchingfield that the distance signal was all
right, the auxiliary showed a green light, and the sema-
phore a green light—indicating everything clear. The dis-
tance signal really had no light. I took up my staff just
before we got to the auxiliary signal, and was showing it
on the left side of the carriage. While so standing I found
that something struck my back. I cannot remember much
more, as I was stunned by the blow.
By the Coroner—The distance signal, which showed no
light, ought to have showed a white light. I saw, how-
ever, that the disc was all right and indicated " alldear."
It was dusk ; but it was light enough to see that on the
bank.

Mr. Merriman—Are you not instructed when a signal-
lamp is out to atop the train?
Witness—Our instructions are when a distance lamp is
out to go on to the next signal.
Mr. Merriman—flow far should you have gone on part
the distance signal before you stopped!
Witness—Until we got to the auxiliary, and then if that
had been out we should have stopped. if the auxiliary
showed all right our duty was to go on.
By the Foreman—l certainly expected to ses a white
light at the distance signal, but as it was not there I looked
at the disc, and saw that it was all right.

The coroner here indicated that he should take the evi-
dence of every person who presented himself before him,
whether his conduct might have been such that it might
hereafter be called in question or not.

James Manvell, driver of the Brighton up train, oar
roborated the evidence given by the fireman Hunt and by
the last witness as to the signals, except that he stated
that there was " a shave" of white light in the distance
signal where the last witness said there was none. As it
was so small he sounded the whistle, shut off steam, and
prepared to stop. When he got up to it, however, he saw
the auxiliary and the semaphore showing the proper
green light. He then took off the break and proceeded
with the train. About 50 yards further he saw
the head light of a train coming. He spoke
to his mate and said, " Good God, is that a train
coming? If it is he is coming right upon us."
Witness found that he was foul of the road, so he put on
steam and tried to get across, but in an instant the Porte-
, mouth engine ran into his tender. Witness's engine
I broke away from the train, and he stopped it just beyond
the signal box. The signalman stood outside close by the
ladder. Witness said to him, " Good God, how was this
managed? My signals were all right." He said " Yes,
if you were coming off the branch ; go back and look for
yourself ; the main line signals are at ' stop.' " Witness
was at that time standing looking at the signals. The
semaphore was at "stop," but he could not see the dis-
tance. James, the under-guard of the Portsmouth train,
observed that the down distanoe signal wag off, and
witness replied, " I can't answer for yours, I know mine
showed all right."
By Mr. Merriman—Onr instructions are if a lamp is out
to it as a stop or danger signal. The diatom.
Mgnal was not out. There was a little light in it.
It was next proposed to call the signalman, but as it
appeared that his instruction-book was not in court, it
was determined at this point to adjourn the inquiry.
An adjournment accordingly took place to Friday next,
when the company will produce plans of the line and all
the instruction books required.

GREAT SOUTHERN AND WESTERN RAILWAY
(or InELasso).—At the half-yearly meeting of the proprie-
ton of this railway, held on Saturday, the chairman, Mr.
William Houghton, referred to the satisfactory condition
of the company. He maid that at the last meeting he had
pprroomised that the dividend of 44 per cent. would not be
demeaned He had now the satisfaction to state that in
consequence of the improved condition of the line the
directors were enabled to declare a dividend of b per cent.,
carry forward a sum of 4,6281., and add to the reserve and
insurance fund a mune no less than 10,0001. He was happy
to say that during the monetary and commercial crisis, now
peering away, the stock of the company had not in any
degree deteriorated in the market, nor was there any
necessity for borrowing at the high rates of interest now
charged. The report having been adopted, the meeting
was mode special, for the purpose of approvinisitthe
bills for the purchase of the Cork and Y •ay,
and also far enabling the directors to 13,0001. to
the railway from Parsonstown to Parttime-bridge. They
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