The Express.
London, England, 1866-09-08 00:00:00

Mr. THOS. LOVERIDGE, who said he had been the pro-
moter of the meeting, was voted to the chair, and opened
the pruceed:ngs by expressing his pleasure at the presence
of Mr. Eborall, the traffic manager, who, he imagined, had
come to explain the reason of the delays complained of,
and if so, and such explanations were satisfactory, he
should have great pleasure in withdrawing the resolutions
he bad proposed. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. EBoRALL would endeavour to explain the unfortu-
nate delays that he was sorry to be obliged to admit had
occurred in reference to the use of the Cannon-street
station, but circumstances which were beyond control hal
rendered the service not so regular as he could wish, or as
the service of the South Eastern Railway had hitherto
been. The company were anxious to give the public every
facility in using the new station. It might have been
better had they gone by steps in admitting traffic to it,
but it was thought that the whole might be accomplished
at once. In this they had been mistaken, and he regretted
it exceedingly. It was, however, • matter of but a
short time, and before the end of the month
things would be put into a more regular shape,
and he believed there would then not be much
cause for complaint. The opening of a stupendous station
like that at Cannon-street, which was to accommodate
more traffic than any other station in the world, was
obviously a matter of great difficulty. Every predaution
had been taken, the signalmen, the pointsmen, and
the staff for working the station had been placed
two months ego in order that they might get accustomed
to their work, but unfortunately they were not yet
quite au fait totheir busineu, especially in the management
of the signals, and even now it took sometimes five
minutes to alter • signal there, which in the ordinary
business of the line, the changing of • signal was accom-
plished in a second. The great object had been to avoid
accidents, and in this he was happy to may they had been
successful. Thank God, there had been no accident,
although there had been great delays. The company were
anxious to get the public into the Cannon-street station
with regularity and without delay, and they hoped in a
very short time to do so. Of coarse it could not be their
wish to disappoint the passengers, who were their best
customers, and upon whose support the dividends of the
shareholders depended. So far as the directors were con-
cerned, he wished to say that they were wholly free from
blame, the entire responsibility rested upon himself as the
executive officer of the company, whose recommendations
the board had adopted.
The CHAIRMAN, who expressed himself entirely satisfied
with Mr. klorall's explanation, referred to the curves on the
junction between London-bridge and Cannon-street, which
he considered dangerous, and inquired whether any im-
provement in this was contemplated.
Mr. EBORALL replied that the company's engineer was
now engaged in seeing that the curves were properly
placed, and the rails properly elevated. There was no
danger to be apprehended from this source ; and as to
the signals, it was obligatory upon the company to con-
struct them on the most approved system adopted by the
Board of Trade.
Mr. REEVES complained that the regulations at the Can-
non-street station endangered the lives of the passengers,
and moved • resolution that the Board of Trade be memo-
rialised.
Mr. Lholn supported this, but moved an addition con-
demnatory of the system upon which the trains were now
running, and contended that it was impossible to carry
out the traffic arrangements of the September book.
It was further complained by other gentlemen that the
company were working the through traffic from and to
Cannon-street to the prejudice of the local traffic, and that
the result was additional delay and inconvenience to the
North Kent and Mid-Kent passengers, and instances were
mentioned of delays of five and six hours between Cannon-
street
and stations on the North Kent and Mid Kent
lines.
Mr. EBORALL replied that the traffic arrangements would
be remodelled at once, and that other suggestions and
complaints made would have the beat attention of the
directors and officers of the company. He added that
the Board of Trade bad no power to interfere as to the
arrangement of the trains.
Mr. SMILES, the secretary of the company, reiterated
Mr. Eborall's promises, and added that the delays had
arisen from the too great anxiety of the traffic manager and
his subordinates to give the public too good a service, and
more than he (Mr. Smiles) thought the necessities of the
case required.
Several gentlemen present bore testimony to the un-
varying civility of the subordinates of the company under
the pressure of the numerous complaints by which they
were assailed from disappointed and irritated passengers,
and

The CHAIRMAN having intimated that after the satis-
factory statements of Mr. Eborall and Mr. Smiles, he
should next propose the resolutions he had come prepared
with. . .

The motion of Mr. Reeves, with the addition pro-
by Mr. Lloyd, was adopted, and also a reso-
rir:rodn expressing the appreciation of the meeting with the
uniform civility of the subordinates of the company during
the past eight days of unequalled difficulty in the working
of the line. _ _ _

Mr. WILLS then moved, and Mr. FLINT secorded the
following :—" That this meeting, having beard the explana-
tion of Mr. Eborall and Mr. Smiles, are ready to extend to
the company their forbearance until the arrangements for
working the Cannon-street station are made more
complete."
This was carried with but three or four dissentients, and
a vote of thanks to the chairman concluded the proceeding,.

FATAL RAILWAY ACCIDENTS.—Mn Thursday
evening Mr. Langham held an inquest at St. George's
Hospital on the body of Samuel Moulden, aged 2t4.
The deceased was a porter in the service of the
Wert London Railway Company, and was a most
energet'c man in the performance of his duty. On
Monday evening last, shortly before half-past nine
o'clock, a train from Croydon arrived at the Kensing-
ton station, consisting of three passenger carriages, two
private carriages, and a horse-box. The deceased walked
by the side of the train, and while proceeding forwards
a door closed upon his heels and tripped him np, throw-
ing him under the train. The unfortunate man was run
over by the front wheels of the carriage, and the hind wheel
rested on his body. He was extricated as speedily as pos-
sible and conveyed to thehospital,where Mr. Lee, thehouse
surgeon, found that he had his right arm broken and a
compound fracture of the right thigh, together with other
injuries. He died in two hours and a half after his ad-
mission, the result of the shock to the system. Verdict,
" Accidental death." An inquest was held by Mr. Lang-
ham, St. George's Hospital, relative to the death of Richard
Taylor, aged :34. The deceased had been a platelayer in
the employ of the London. Chatham, and Dover Railway
Company, but afterwards took to labouring. He went on
Saturday last to mow some grass in the meadows,
near Herne-hill, about a quarter of a mile from
Dulwich Station. He went into the refreshment room
in the evening at about 7 o'clock, and subsequently
just before 9. He left apparently quite sober. He was
shortly afterwards found lying on the line in the 6-foot
way, with his head towards London. He was conveyed to
St. George's Hospital, where it was found that he had a
contused wound on the lower part of the forehead,the lower
part of the frontal bone was fractured, depressed, and the
bone driven in. He remained in a state of unconsciousness
until 'Wednesday, when he died of inflammation of the
brain. The liver was also ruptured. Mr. Hancock, the
st.ttiondnaster at Herne-hill, said, in his opinion, the de-
ceased cro,sed over the line behind one train, and as another
came in he wee struck by it and thrown between the 6-foot
way, where lie was found. A verdictof " Accidental death"
was returned.