The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-08-13 00:00:00

RAILWAY ACCIDENT

On Monday an inquest took place at the Swan Inn, Bacup,
before H. H. Hargreaves, Esq., deputy droner, on the body
of Richard Ashworth, printer and stationer, who was fatally
injured on the previous Monday, when the accident occurred
near Ewood Bridge, on the East Lancashire Railway.
Mr. Smithells, the manager of the line ; Mr. J. Grundy,
solicitor to the railway; Mr. Perring, engineer; and Mr.
Shaw, superintendent of the tratfic, were in attendance.
Mr. Smithells exhibited a plan of the line, specially
prepared. The first witness examined was Joseph Harrison,
guard on the East Lancashire Railway. He said : We left
Ramsbottom on Monday at 7.57. The train consisted of an
engine and five carriages. We stopped at the Stubbins
station. The accident took place about three quarters of a
mile from the station. The railroad is a little on the incline
at that place. We 'got up to our speed in about half a mile
after leaving Stubbins. I never perceived that there was
anything wrong until the accident happened. I perceived
that there was something wrong with the engine, and,
before I could rise, the carriage which I was in was smashed.
I was pitched head foremost out, and nay feet remained
in the van. When I rec veered I looked at my watch
and found that it was nine minutes past eight o'clock.
Oa one side, the railroad was level with the land, and on
the other there was an embankment of about five feet. The
first carriage was third. class and was broken to pieces. L
was across the line. All the carriages were off the rails,
but they did not go down the embankment. I saw nothing
to cause the accident. I cannot tell within five yards where
the engine went off the rails. I went off to Stubbins to
get assistance as soon as possible, and I did not return.
There is only a single line of rails, but a second line is being
laid down. The crossing had bleu laid nine or ten days
before the accident happened. It would be near to the
crossing where I first perceived that there was something
wrong. We were going at the time at the rate of twenty-
six or twenty-seven miles per hour. lam certain that it
was not more than twenty-sever. miles. Our usual.speed is
twenty-six miles. We have one train that travels at the
rate of about twenty-nine or thirty miles per hour. We
never rim the 7.50 train at that spec 1, because we have
plenty of time. The incline is towards Bicup, and is about
one in 200. There is a curve where the accident happened,
but it is not a very sharp one: and we do not slacken speed
on account of it. We have not run quite as fast since the
alterations have taken place as we did tefore, in those places
where the men have been at work. We have not had more
time to do the work in, but we have b en more careful
than formerly. I cannot state the cause. of the accident.
I could feel when we were going over the crossing a differ-
ence, hitt it was only such as I can feel at any crossing.
Fielding had been driver about three years and a half, but
he had been a pilot driver a long time before. He was a

steady man and a good driver. I saw him by the rails, and I
supposed that he was dead, for I could not see that he breathed.
I did not see the stoker. Ido not think it was at the cros-
I think sho would not have
then. The driver made

train came off, f

travellE

no alarm..
crossing to

11r. Perring said that the distance from the
lore the engine ‘das found after the accident

was 62 yards.) Tha enine weat off the line in January
last, but there was no train attacked to it. Fielding has not
complained about the engino; but I know that he ilked the
Aurora better than any other engine. (A juryman said that
he had heard that Fielding had complained about the
crossing, on the day of the accident, as dangerous.) The

eng►ne is an old ona, bu
engine, that is, having c

r the engi

n the branch thitFieldi

dangerous. I was satiified—witl
for I did not consider then wos

oawhichthe accid

brother felt a oh