The Express.
London, England, 1860-09-10 00:00:00

viz PAILWATACCIDENT NEAR MANCHESTER.

The inquest on the ten unfortunate people killed
ea Tuesday awning last, at Hallatheria adjourned from
Wednesday, was resumed es Baton:lay morning, by Mr.
Hargreaves, coroner, Blackburn, at the Town•hall, Hue•
lingden.

Mr. Grnnily, solicitor, and Mr. Fenton appeared to watch
the case for the company ; Mr. Lereeche, terrister (in•
structed by Mr. Henwood), appeared for the relatives of
Basauel Duckworth and other ; Mr. Baldwin, solicitor,
Baralry, for the relatives of Shackle, Harrison, and others
and Mr. John Mason, traffic superintendent, represented
the Birkenhead Company.
Mr. Grundy tendered evidence as to how and when the
trains were datched, tracing them to where the accident
happened, and said he was desirous to afford every facility
for the inquiry.

The Coroner wail of opinion that it would be best to take
the evidenoe of surviving passengers first, and then atll the
railway officials.

Tho Mas Duckworth sworn-1 live in Hindle-street, Hu-
lingden. lam a cordwainer. On Monday last I was • par
manger from Haslingden by •chap trip train to Manchester,
to see an exhibition at Belle Vue . I left Manchester
by the 25 minutes or half-put 11 excursion train, to return.
I was in the second of three trains, and in the front part of
it, or that portion from which some of the carriages broke
loose at Helmahore. We stopped at Bury and Ramsbottom.
At Raniabottom, my party wished me to go out and get a
gill of rum. I did so, and returned before the train started
1 obtained it at a public-hone close by the station.
tnked the guard to drink, and he came and smoked •
pip with us. I do not know his name. When we &eked him
the train wee in motion, and he acne in afterwards.
I am not sure that he was • gaud. He had
a porter's uniform on. He drank part of the
ram with us, and rode to the Metuchen station. I was in
the third or fourth carriage is front of the train. There
were two engines in front of our train, and we saw on en-
gine taken off while we were standing at the train, and went
down the other line. We thought there wassomethieg wrong,
and a man came put saving the parangere were !yin about
is all postures, with broken limb., and some killed. I got
oat and went down the line some 400 or 500 yards, and
found several ceniegeo broken, and two on the ectitment,
(bank of the cutting). Three carriages were lying as the
line badly smashed. The carriaes smashed 1 suppose had
been attached to the latter part it our train. I saw many
persons who were hurt, and several who were dead. I saw
*levee who appeared feet among the fragments of
broken earringes, come living and some dead. I and
cabin attempted as fast as we could to extricate them.
Two men and one woman of theme ware taken out deed.
My brother, Samuel Duckworth, was one of the eleven, and
he was taken out deed. 1 then left the train, and waisted
to carry my brother's body to the Turner's Arms, Helm-
shore. I saw all the rest of the bodies at the Turner's
Arms afterwards. There were ten dead bodies, six of men
and four of women. They were not all dead when taken
there ; two of them died after being brought thither. I
knew only two of them, Mary Hayes and my brother. We
arrived at Helmshore at ball-past 12 or twenty minutes to
one oa Tuesday morning. Our train was a good long one,
bet I nand say how many earriegic it consisted of. I did
not know up to the time the accident occurred that there
was • train before-us or one after us.
By Mr. Leresche—The railway guard got out of the
carnage a little before we got to Helmahore, and I
saw bun shutting the doors of carriages, as if preps=
to starting from thence. He was acting as a
I think it would not be more than three minnes_atter
we stopped at Helnistiore that I saw one of the anginas
driven lack on the other line. I did not hear any ense up
to that time, or alarm. It might be three or four minutes
attar we stopped before we beard any alarm. There was •
good deal of pushing to get into the train at Salford. The tram
leaned with eight persons in our compartment of a third-
dais • end IS would hold ten. There were six when
we get to including the guard. Ido not know
bow many goer& we had. There were no lights in the or-
rise. What part of the train broke loose 1 think there I
west tee or mere left at the station. When I went to see
the broken carriages the engine of the third trait' was stead-
fag Odra It was not on the bank, but was a lie rails.
It wee three or four minutes after we stopped that I beard
a cry that some cerriges had broken loose, and the engine
west back two IF three minutes after that.

By Mr. Grundy—lt might not be so much as twenty
missies after shims when we left Salford. The guard to
whom ram was given appeared to be robe', and capable of
Maud* to his duty. He only drank of the rum once.
The guards of the train were here seat for into court, and
the witness pointed out one of them, John Chippendale, as
the pima who had some rum. He warn not certain, but he
though he was the man.
By • Juror-1 do not moonset the train attempting to go
es afar getting to Hal:ashore, before the whew broke
loose. I only rani/ea stopping once.
Nathaniel Orindrod sworn—l live at Burnley, and am a
maker. I went by one of the cheap top to Man-
chesterlast Monday. I returned by the second train, leav-
ing limchemer gee minute. after eleven o'clock. I lookod at
my watch when we started. I was in a snit-class carriage. It
was a carnage with sin seats, and there were eight paesengers
in the ,ompartment I objected to two of them corning in,
bet the guard said all the other inniaies were full, sal
they most be put in somewhere. Nothing happiest till we
had left Ramshottom station, when a porter came to the
door and put in his head and a lamp, and said it was time
fat a mall collection for havju bruught us so far rife on
the way. He did not get an One of the men told
him he thought he had given im his share at Manchester,
but the porter denied it. It was 25 minutes to I when we
got to Helrnshore, by the Maim clock. The carriaie I
was in I think had It others behind it. I cannot say how
many were in front, but I think less than that number.
Our carnage stopped at the platform so that I could me the
statics cluck. I heard the nine of a breakage warmly
a sante after we Mopped, and I fancied the
two was starting awn, but immediately after
the breakage the carriages eorumenced reran
bank,
hisieding that in which I was sitting. They eosime
Emig slowly, but gradually increased in speed. All the
=an the carriage where I was leaped out except myself
other weenier. 1 was certain that would occur.
The collision occurred in less than two minutes after they
leaped out, but I was too much excited to he sure as to the
this. I heard the crash, and the steam blowing off, but
I did sot hear an shrieks, probably for that reason. We
thea got oat, sad I went down to where the crash had
iM puss as sees as there was a stoppage, to on what had
b*Paraed. On arriving I found a number of broken car-
riageasmi a number of people dead and wounded lying there.
I 'asthma or four broken • ',some off the line, and some
partially throwe off, and people lying amongst the fragment..
There was an engine and tender next to them. The reason
of our train going back, I suppose, was that the coupling
had broken. I beard the snap as of a coupling breaking,
sal it seemed to be that between our carriage and the
carriage in front of us. I did not afterwards attempt to
discover the reason. I had my wife to take are of, end
• brother in the train to look after.

By Mr. Lenin:he- There was no light in our carriage. As
we were rolling hack I looked out of the window, but could
not see anything on the line owing to a curve. A train
'oomeg after on from Itarnshottorn hardly could hare been
swan 411 it turned the curve. There was an engine jrawed
us on the other line when I pit down to where the accident
was. I felt a slight jerk before the train began to run
'soh. It mu about the lame time a. I heard the snapping.
The porter who auto and salted for something I did not see
after or before he put his head into the window.
I saw the carriages cur had left when I looked out of the
window, but cannot ray if they were in motion ; they ap-
peared to be. I did not observe any tweak ran in the part
of the train where the brokeu carriages were, but I monad
ear there were none.

By Mr. Grandy—we came to He'lnshore, and the train
moo to a rat. I thought the tram was starting again
what I heard the snap. I du not thiuk the carriage I was
is ws• one of the company's. There might be only sixteen
and sot eighteen carriages detached. The man who asked
fee something was not a guard, but a Manchester porter. I
think I should know him again. (Several porters and guards
of the company were brought into court and the witness
pointed out one, James Tomhnson, &guard, as the man.) He
believed him to be the IMO.
. .

...._ __—.
By &juror—Believed they were long enough at Hrlmshore
fur portiere to get out before the emriages broke loose.
John Ashworth, mechanic, llsalingileu, sworn -I weal by
one of the cheap trips and nAuroell by the second. We
started bark about 20 minutes past eleven. I was asleep
till we bail pared Ranisbottrien. I was in a drat class
carriage, with a third dem ticket, and the porter came upoa
the step and amine as and rid. " Well, char, you look
rely snug here? you have sansged it sweetly, having only
third class ticker. one min de aught ; I think you should
stool • glees." I gave him threedialfrisee awl three others
gave him messy. I had been put in at Belford by a porter.
I wan in the carnage, the coupling of which broke at
Helnabore. I was in the compartment next to the coupling.
at Elmsb If we had stopped ore before the snap it was AS
much as could rid. The snap took plain
as I thought when carriages rebounded, in stopping.
There is • yearling sad two claim between each carnage,
sad I heard onlyme snap. I heard something striking the
sleepers, like a chain, as we rolled hack. As we went hark
your of th,,,,sgAgoss got out, but I did not, thinking the
was ' te train wst as to be dangerous to attempt it,
sad soon af we came to a sudden stop. I had
heard no noise or whistle to that time, nor did I btu, any
crash. One man who was left in the minim's with me was
thrown UW44 the ride of the window with the sudden
sampage. sad got • blow which gar brut black eye, and
cut the Mile of his head. When Igo the place where
the gpri, were broken I an en ones en the
kirk, and one, broken all to . I saw several
tile"carried away, but did • any eat then. When
..earria cages broke loose, if there had her any guard at In.
Inuit a would lave been Mopped before it got gee yards
sway.
By Xr. Grunily—l think any one fusel would have
s the carriers going lack if he hail screwed down his
stopped
t owe. I .elieve the carriers was a blue one, end
the lining was a dark blue. The relioned which broke us
loose shook tni, mow than the collision did when we came
sprat the train following mt. I could nut say whether it
was • chain or a coupling that supped. Sappers'( the
Ford at the back of the train, in approaching the statine,
had pat on the break, sad had then let the break lky bask
ready to start again, it would have led to the
reale lark and
the shark which caused the sespeTP:
"71:1. Wore two o'clock the jury adjanneed le see tie

Birkenhead Clempany's carriage end the broken shackle
wince belonged to tt, and to dine.
When the jury reamenibled at three o'clock, the wit-
nesses Ashworth sad Orindrod stated that the fast clue
carriage in which they travelled was not amongst those the
jury had examined at the statics. °Andrad said the middle
compartment of the carriage in which be travelled had no
window or sash on the left side of the middle compartment.
It was a first clean and not a composite, calculated to carry
six in each compartment.
At the request of the jury all witnesses intended to be
called belonging to the railway company were desired to
leave the court except Mr. Shaw.
Mr. Cooper, station.muter. at Salford, sworn—l re-
member the three excursion trains on • Monday last, in con.
nexion with an exhibition at the Belle Yes Gardens. The
first of them in returning left at ten minutes before eleven,
and had 14 c rriages, one engine and two guards. It nos
going to Coins. The second train had 31 carriages, two
onuses, two pure, and left at 10 minutes past eleven,
beteg an interval al SD minutes. That was also going to
Coins. We had se ordinary train next, going to Bury
only, Were the third exosnoon went, and that left at 211
peat 11. The third excursion train to Coble con.
Rioted of 24 and two engines. There were
two guards. It 1 at 31 minutes past 11. We have
a porter mimed James Borke, and I asked him if all the
eestpLinp and chain, were right, and he said they were.
It is Bcirke's special duty to do it, and there is &porter at the
Belford station besides. It is a printed rule of the company
also flat tbe pude shall see to the couplings and chains.
I swooned all the drivers before they went to proceed
cautiously. There would be 2,500 or 2,600 pamengers in the
three trains. The driver of the fret was William Hough;
Thomas Seddon and William landless were drivers of the
second; Samuel Ramsbottorn and George Simpson were the
drivers of the third. The second train was composed of a
smaller clam of carriages, and those used in the ardisary
tnifilc. In the locoed train there were about seven al the
Birkenhead Companv's carriages, of ten borrowed on the
Friday previously. In the first place these were sent to
Dory empty, to the company's workshops, and were there
examined.
By Mr. Leresche—There is no particular rule as to the
apportionment of guards to a train according to the car-
nage'. I have nothing to do with that. Mr. Shaw, the
outdoor itsperintandent, appoint, the number of guards' aid
alms for each train. Mr. Shaw had given me instrue.
tines on that day to send out two guards to each train, but
the carriages in each train were the tame as had brought
the passengers in the morning. It is true that the carriages
were without lights. We do not find lights for excurrion
beam The caution was not a special one because the train
was a keg one. We often send homer trains than that.
but I always caution the drivers under such circum.
stances. The guards were regular guards of passenger
trains or Inane trains, and were competent persons.
We always seed the moat experienced guards on such occa-
dom. One of the guards may without my knowledge have
called a porter in to assist him unknown to me. It does
not seem that it would have been safer to have divided the
second train in two—it would have caused more trains than
desirable. There were three breaks-one in front, one
about the middle, and the third in the last carriage but
three. They were not breakouts, but passenger-carriages
with breaks, worked from the outside. There was ous of
the breaks not under the are of a guard. That is firs
queutly so.
By Mr. Baldwin—l have no book in my office contain-
ing the number of carriages in each train, bat the guards
make a note of it, which would be sent to Accrington.
By the Coroner —There were about 500 people in the first
train and 1,000 in each of the others.
By Mr. Grundy --The second and third trains would be
of shoat equal weight, the third being of larger and heavier
carriages. Mr. Shaw, the superintendent, and Mr. Goodier,
the inspector, attended specially to see these three trains
off. I never saw excursion trains with lights inside : they
had all the proper side and tail lights. The curve would
hide the second from the third when the accident occurred.
Break vase are not used for excursion trains, because the
pmeingems do not carry luggage; but carriages with breaks
ere as efkient se vans with breaks. From my ex.
perience I should say the train of thir,y-one car.
stages was perfectly safe as to sine and weight,
and two guards would he sufficient for such a train.
It is an advantage when there are two guards only to
have extra breaks, because a guard can work several breaks
on an imam.

It was now six o'clock, and Mr. Leresche said amp the
court had been enpged from nine in the morning, he hoped
the coroner would adjourn.
The Coroner said the jury wished to sit later in order to
get through the inquiry before Tuesday's Manchester
market.

Mr. Lereeche raid if by sitting late there was • prospect
of finishing the inquiry on Monday, he would not objoct ;
hut there was no prospect of that, sod there were many
gentlemen present from a diatoms to whom sitting late
on • Saturday would be a great inconvenience.
The jury manifested great impatience at the interrup-
tion, and one of them (Mr. Whittaker) said none of the
jury had to go to a distiume, and there was no omasion to
Bdrteresehe said he had no wish t) pram his own per.
Donal convenience, but this was • grave inquiry, and be
could not discharge his conscience, however the jury might
be satisfied of their powers of endurance, If they welt
further. He did not think everything should be sacrificed
to their interest in the Manchester market.

The coroner then decided to adjourn the court till Mon-
dny, notwithstanding the reluctance of the jury, which had
not been expressed in a very courteous manner.
It is gratifying to learn that the persons wounded are all
doing well, and that the in attendance now express
strong hopes that all their will be preserved.

THE ROAD Musrma.—ln reply to Mr. Kent's
application for a personal interview with Mr. Waddington,
that gentleman has roquestod that on communications on
the subject be made in writing. To this Mr. Kent has sent
• rejoinder of remarkable and 114ftifiPPAS import. He
that Mr. Waddington " could not see it right to
regrets
him an interview. so be was most anxious per-
smelly to mature him of his earnest desire that every facility
should be afforded for a public and searching examination
of himself and his whole household.' Referring to the in-
superable objection in the way of the Home Secretary
granting the special commission which had been
via., the indemnity customarily granted to witnesses, r.
Kent says, " I beg to say that so far as I myself and all
over whom I have any control are coneerruxl, we not only
do not claim but repudiate any such indemnii.y, if by so
doing we could facilitate the granting of a special commis-
eke, and I trust that after this intimation Sir O. Lewis
will reeossider his determination. If he should still see
dial:laity in his way, I beg to say that I should at any time
be prepared to submit myself and my household
to a voluntary examination by the chairman of our quarter
sessions (Sir John Awdry), ra am other official whom Sir
C. C. Lewis might nominate." Mr. Kent concludes by sav-
ing that he hail receivixi a request from Mr. Slack to attend,
with his wife and family, for separate examinntuns at hi
private office, asserting that be had the authority of the
Honueoffice for doing so. and &dila. " I ant MS you will see
that in &dieing to comply with his request, I am in no way
acting in opposition to the SMIUTSOCeI I have given of the
above." As the great end for which the public have been
agitating has becu the examination of Mr. and Mrs. Kent
and family, who have never yet been subjected to the
ordeal, and as Mr. Kent thus refuses to attend Mr. Slack's
command, it remains to be seen what steps thatgenticman
will take to enforce his wish.

SHOCKING AITNIIPT AT SIIICIDK.-011 Saturday
morning, about eight o'clock, an alarm was given to the
police that a woman named Elizabeth Miller, residing at 9,
-street (a small street running at the luck of West
Derbyetreet), Liverpool, had cut her throat with • razor.
Officer 765 promptly proceeded to the house, and in the
bedroom found the unfortunate woman sitting on a chair
with her throat cut in two places, and the
razor lying on the table. Messrs. Newton and
Desmond, surgeons, were in immediate attendance, and
rendered all smistonee possible, but give only very faint
hopes of her recovery. Both the windpipe and the jugular
vein are severed, and the poor creature ts in such a state
that her removal to the hospital at present would be highly
dangerous. She is 29 years of age, and the wife of a gm-
fitter employed at the Om-adios in this town. They have
three children, and it is said that her husband, three weeks
ago, had threatened to haves separation, in consequence of
her dimolute habits sad bad conduct. Previous to the at-
tempt on her life she was seen to go out early this marg-
in for the purpose of obtaining liquor. In the room a small
2 paper WIN found, upon which was written the fol.: "My dear husband, best of men, I have broken
Tonne•rt ! Take we of my son. Mrs. Jones next doer
will take awe of my eon wheo lam gone. I am not Ile to
live. I have vt into debt. Lord have mercy upon me !
Mirabelli _ _ _

HUICIDI Of M. FR ANC IN, TH THIATNICAL
Saturday morning considerable amassment
was ocemioned in the printing establishment of Mr. Fc=
the well-known theatrical and concert printer, who
on Weimar at 3i, Catherine-street, fltrawl, on the receipt
of information that the unfortunate gentleman had corn.
mitted suicide by hanging himself at his private residence
in Bloomsbury. On inquiry the information proved too
true. The deceased was between 45 sod 50 yearn dye,
and no motive in aredmied for the rub act.
illialeM,Auntirars IN LI VINPOLIL. —The Liverpool
soeonele Jari. on Saturday, returned a verdict of man-
elevoter soinet • returned convict named Cox, who, as
the 21st elt-, weed the death of a woman earned Blinalieth
Mather by a violent assault and injuries indicted upon her
head. The medical evidence was to die effect, that the de.
awed died from compression of the brain, canned by ex-
ternal violence. The affray took place in No. d Court,
hurlowstreet, when the prisoner cohabited with another
woman, earned Roberts. . _

Tan FIR■ AT MMUS& FRONT% ROTS-WALK.
Upon investigation as to the fire which took place on the
morning of yesterday week at the rope-walk of Mersa
Frost sad Co., at Rated!!, and which was burnt to the
coned from one end to the other, Meows. Frost, under the
impression that the fire was the work of incendiaries, have
offend a reward of MI. for the dimmer, of the de-
linqnsate.
_ _ _

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