The Express.
London, England, 1866-09-13 00:00:00

THE FATAL ACCIDENT TO A WELSH RICHE-

SION TRAIN.

GLANDWYFACH, NORTH WALES, TUESDAY,
This afternoon the adjourned inquest upon the
bodies of those killed by the accident on the Carnarvon-
shire Railway kat Thursday was resumed before the
coroner for the district, Mr. Hugh Hunter Hughes. The
names of those upon whom the inquest was held were
Mary Jones, Janet Phillips, Catherine Parry, Humphrey
Griffith, Edward Williams, and Elizabeth Evans. The first
five were killed on the spot at the time of the accident,
and the last, Elizabeth Evans died on Sunday in the
public-house adjoining the station, whither she had been
removed on Thursday. The inquny was resumed at the
Goat Inn, and after the body of Elisabeth Evans had been
viewed by the jury, the court was adjourned to the more
convenient locality of the railway shed.
Mr. Breese, solicitor, of Portmadoc, and Mr. Morgan
Lloyd, appeared to watch the case on behalf of the railway
company and the Messrs. Sevin.
The evidence was given in English and translated into
Welch for the benefit of the jury. The first witness
called waa Dr. Parry, who said—l was travelling by the
train which met with the accident on Thursday night.
The train was eempased entirely of ballast waggons.
lure were no regular passenger carriages. We started
from Pant station, near Carnarvon, at 7 o'clock. We
stopped at several places on the road to put down pea-
mongers. I remember the train stopping near this station
(Llandwyfach) to take in water from the tank. After
taking in water the train advanced slowly towards the sta-
tion, and suddenly stopped again. I was in one of the
hinder trucks and did not feel any shock. I did not
know that the stoppsgs was caused by an accident, and
sat still till I heard my name called out on all sides. I
then got out and went towards the front of the train and
found several of the trucks upset. Under one of them I
saw a man and woman lying close together. I examined
them and found they were both dead. I saw several other
bodies lying on the bank. I cannot my how many there
were. Everything was in a state of great contagion, and
people were calling me first to go and see one person, and
then another. Elizabeth Evans was one of those lying on the
bank. She was seriously injured, and I had her removed
to the Goat Inn. I stayed in attendance on her all night.
She died on Sunday.
Dr. Roberts., of Portmadoe, described in detail the
nature of the injuries of which the several persons had
died. He did not know anything of the accident, or of
the causes which led to it.
Thomas Davis said—l live at Olasavon, and am a pri-
vate tutor. I was in one of the trucks that formed part
of the train going from Carnarvon to Portmadoe on Thurs-
day. The truck I was in was at the back of the train.
We stopped 'near Gladwyfech station to get water. We
then proceeded pretty slowly, and the first thing I noticed
was the light of the engine jumping up and down. The
truck I was in was then going on as before. I jumped
down and ran towards the engine. It was partly across
the line. The tender was lying on its side, pitched over.
Three of the trucks were upset. The engine was not
on thel same line of rails as the tender and the trucks.
I assisted in removing the injured and the dead bodies.
Just before leaving Carnarvon I spoke to the driver who
was quite sober.
James Gordon, storekeeper on the Cambrian Railway,
was with the Ulan at the time of the accident. The guard
in charge of the train was quite sober. The train was
going at the rate of about 15 to 20 miles an hour. From
the tank where the engine took in water to the points at
which the accident occurred the train was going only from
five to six miles an hour. There was a " turnout" about
200 yards from the tank nearer the station. Did not see
any pointsman there. The whistle was sounded on leaving
the tank. It is usual to whistle on approaching a turnout
David Leather, a passenger in the first truck, who was
thrown out by the collision, was examined, but his evi-
dence did not add anything to that of the preceding
witness.
Mr. Wm. Pearce, manager of a bank at Portmadoo, who
rode on the tender from Pant to Olandwyfach, cznfirmed
the previous descriptions of the journey and the accident.
All the officials in charge of the train were sober. Mr.
John Sevin was on the engine assisting to drive.
Alfred Harvey—l am a ganger on the Carnarvon rail-
way. I have been engaged on the line for twelve months.
The points leading into and out of the station are under
my charge. I examined the points where the accident
took place on Thursday morning at six o'clock, and again
at six o'clock in the evening. They ware on both occa-
sions in good order and worked freely. They were put
in new about • fortnight ago. They are worked by a
lever. They are self-acting and do not require any one to
adjust them when a train is passing, that is, if they have not
been disturbed by any one after being set. They
can only be altered by some one working the lever.
The weight of the carriages paving would not disturb
them. If a train coming from Carnarvon wishes to stop
at this station it would be necessary to open the points
that lead into the station. That would be the duty of the
breaksman who accompanies the train. On Thursday
morning, after shutting the points with the lever, I drove
a bolt into the sleeper on the inside of the points' in order
to make it more secure. The bolt had been driven in
there in the first instance by the platelayers when laying
down the points, and before the lever and weight were
fixed. The bolt was then a temporary substitute. I saw
the boltlying by the points on Thursday morning, and I
picked it up and drove it into the hole where it had been
before. The train puled up to Oarnarven from Portmadoc
in the morning all right. When I examined the points at
six o'clock on Thursday night they were shut, and the
bolt was in as I had left it in the morning. The bolt was
six inches long, sad it was driven about two and a half
; inches into the sleeper. It was not very tight because it
was in an old hole. It could be removed by the hand
without difficulty. A peering train would not displace it.
Other passenger trains have passed over these points in
safety. About half an hour after the accident occurred •
woman came to my house and told me about it. I came
down to the station and found the engine across the main
road, and the tender broadside down. I examined the
points and found them open for the siding read. There was
a truck standing on them. There was • bit of the point
chipped off on the inside of the road. That would be done
by the flange of the wheel of the tender. The lever was
up. The points must have been partly opened by some one
before the train came down. The engine kept the main line
and the tender took the siding, with the trucks after it.
The engine in going aver the points would have the effect
of shutting them closer, unless there was a stone or some-
thing between the switch and the stook rail. If there was
• none there the effect of the engine passing over it
would be to open it wider. That is how I account for the
engine passing the points safely and the tender running
off. I am sure it was not the bolt that bad got in be-
tween the switch said the stock rail. The road is ballasted
with gravel near the pcinta, but the ballast could not get
in by occident because it is kept lower than the rails.
James Gardiner—l em a platelayer on the Carnervon-
shire line. I was at the scene of the accident on Thursday
night. I want to look at the points. It was dark, but I
had a lantern. I found a piece of sandstone " mashed
up " on the second sliding chair between the switch and the
stock rail. It was about bill the size of a hen's egg. The
bolt was lying on the road, about &yard from the points.
, There was no mark upon the bolt as if it had been
struck by the train when pasting. If it bad been caught
and wrenched out by the engine it would have been bent
and marked, and it would not have fallen in the direction
of the place when I found it. It was not necessary to have
this bolt in the deeper after the lever-box was put up,
although it makes the points more secure. As long as the
bolt was in the sleeper it was impossible to move the lever,
NEWMARKET HOUGHTON MEETING. and it was equally impossible to open the points without
TUESDAY, Ocr. 22. moving the lever. I have worked on many hundred points
THE CAI3IIUPOISHIRR STAKES of 25 son. each, 10 rt, before now, but cannot account for the presence of the
and only sif declared, with 100 added; the winner of the Don- stone in these except by thinking it was purposely placed
caster gt. Leger, 7111); the second in the St Lager, or the Maw there. have known such a thing to happen ore en
°f the Thmalltsr Cup, elh the winner el a heudleaP value 300 v. •.•••• ks. It on • railway at Hereford,
son. after September if, at 10 a.m., 71b; of any other handicap, —" wsr
Sib extra ; these extra weights to be accumulative up to ion) ; the and the man who did it was tried at the senses and found
winner of the Cesarewitch to 71b over and above any other guilty.
extra weight to which his rasg be ; the second to receive 50 ' The inquiry was then adjourned till to-morrow.

-
THZ BRADOATI PARK STAKIR of 10 son. each, h ft, with 50
added; foe 2-yr-olda, 7et ; three. Bst 101 b; allies and gelding*
allowed 3.11); the second to nevoid.; stake. lied Houle In.

Mr. Yryor's Fripounier, by Chevalier d'lndurtrie—Tes-
eon, 2 yrs 7st (Li. Covey) 1
Duke of TtorrcasMe's Pericles, 2 yrs, 7st_ 20140 2

Mr. Hugh Smith's Quirk's., S fra, Set 71b (Canna) 3
The following also ran :—Repulse, Newland, and Cnithness
Betting : 3 to 1 seat Priponoler, 5 to 1 (at first 6 to 5) apt Re-
pulse, sto 1 apt Newland, and Bto 1 apt Caithness. Pericles
cut out the work with a abort lead ut Priprpooker, Newland lying
third, Caithness fourth, and Quietest last until rounding the bend,
where Friponnier went to the front and won easily by half •
length, Quhina finished a had third Caithness, fourth New-
land, fifth and Repulse last.
Rustic was struck out of the Si, Leger at 1.50 p.m., and Repulse
at 1.66 p.m. yesterday (Wednesday).

DONCASTER.-MIDITIGHT BETTING.
CESAILEWITCH. _

11 to 1 apt 'nuns (t)
20 to 1 Lotharlo (t)
20 to 1 Bradamante (t)
:0 to 1 Ethelred (t)
33 to 1 Rococo (t)
33 to 1 Lively (t)
33 to 1 Zenobla (t)

40 to 1 ma Potomac (t)
40 to 1 JoUky (t)
60 to 1 Caithness (t)
60 tot Regalia (t)
66 to 1 Dulcimer (t)
100 to 1 War (t)

CAMBREEKIEIHME.
40 to 1 agat Scarborough (t) 4o to 1 gist Proserpina (t)
40 to 1 Paris (t) 140 to 1 Itathilds (t)

DERBY.
20 to 1 'gat Berndt (t' IBoto 1 agst Grand Crc (t)
20 to 1 Taraban tt)