The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-10-15 00:00:00

IRELAND.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
DUBLIN, FRIDAY.
THE FATkL RAILWAY ACCIDENT.

The adjourned inquest- was resumed 'at Naas, yesterday
morning. Most of those who were present on the previous
day, were in attendance.
111 r. Meagher, in addition to the other parties for whom he
appeared, attended on belialf ofthe 'representatives of Mr.
Bateman, of Cork. Agent—Mr. Price Fitzgerald.
The prisoners were present, in the custody of the governor
and two of the turnkeys of the gaol.
The examination of John Heffernan, driver of the express
train was resumed and continued for some time.

William Hutchinson, a labouring man living at Clownings,
'who was examined on the first day, was then recalled, he
deposed that he saw the goods train approaching at about
two miles distance, and there was no whistle from it. It
came up strong to the passenger train, I think at its ordin-
ary speed, but I did not :sic any
,Steam from the chimney.
I saw the red light at Strnffan about five-minutes before the
collision, and. before I saw !the lights of the goods train.
There was no tail-lights on the passenger train. I did not
see the goods train pass the" guard.
.Thomas Hayden examined—l was travelling by the goods
train which arrived in Dublin at three o'clock on the day of
the accident ; I got in at Teinplemore ; It left that place at
ten o'clock ; I am a freqiient .passenger by.-theTassenger
train, and I never knew -better servants than those in the
employment of the company r, a collectiOn was made tha tday
in the third-class carriagon which I travelled ; it was made
about Portarlington by • a Mr. Meagher from Thurles.
James Finnamore examined—l was a pasenger by the
express train at the time of the accident. When the train
broke down I got out, and afterwards got in again.; what
made me get out was, that `I heard the whistle of a train
behind; my sister also heard it; but for that whistle I
would have been killed, for I 'never thought of getting out
one of our party could not .get. out ; and 'Mr. Hall who had
been sitting near me in tliq can•idge,was killed. I assisted
afterwards in carrying the .dead, and assisting the wounded,
but I had no instruments with me. -

Dr. Cusach was then recalled, and stated that Gass ap-
peared to him quite sober on the night of the accident.
Witness had been in the habit of travelling on the engines,
and he had know Gass for• two years, during which he never
knew him to be drunk. • •

John Conroy examined—l was a passenger by the goods
train on the day of the accident • it was driven by Gass.
[ldentifies him]. I travel but seldom on the line; I was
standing on the next truck to the engine, with my cattle; I
did not see any red light at Straffan, or on the line; I heard
the whistle of the engine about two or three minutes before
the accident occurred ; I -can say that that was the whistle
of the engine attached to the train ; I felt a sudden check
of the train, as if it was pulled ,up suddenly • ' I felt it im-
mediately after the whistle;--the crash took place about
a minute after the whistle ; I do not think that the train
slackened speed till it, could not help it ; I think it dashed
into the other train withbut shiekenins speed ' • Gass was
standing sideways on the left of the engine ; I observed him
standing that .way about three .quarters of a mile • by the
way he was standing he should be 'looking across the line; I
could see a' carriage before me: that night; but I could not
say whether it was standing or . going ; long before the
whistle I saw it ; when I first saw it, it might be at three-
quarters of a mile distanee ; the engine driver could have
seen it, I think ; I was flung amongst the cattle, and when
I got up again I got on the door of the truck, and leaped
out on the bank : I think that the engine was going into
the carriage when I reached the bank • it was the buffers
striking together that threw me on my back ; I was fright-
ened When I was thrown down ; it was not going at much
speed when I leaped out ; it was not going with any strength
or power, but it was not standing still; after I leaped off I
could not say it went a. foot; I saw dead bodies lying
about.

George M. Millar, engineer, and superintendent of the
locomotive department, was the next witness examined, and
explained the duties of the. engine drivers, and stokers, as
laid down in the rules. From my professional knowledge,
I think a cattle train of twenty carriages, going at the rate
of twenty miles an hour, could be paled up in half a mile,
on a wet night, at such a place as that where the accident
occurred. 'When a driver sees a red light, it is his duty to
pull up immediately ; if it -was at the station he would use
his own discretion, and not pull up so suddenly as if he saw
a strange light on the line 1 I know the line from Sallins to
Straffan ; I have a section of it: [Section shown.] The
Straffan light is visible four miles; the second bridge from
that station towards Sallins obscures it for about half a
mile ; it is then again visible for a mile and a third ; if he
saw that light before coming to the bridge, he should shut
off his steam immediately, for there is a gradient there.
Before the close of Mr. Miller's examination the inquiry
was adjourned to this morning at ten o'clock.
A special train was in waiting at Sallins for the accomo-
dation of the jurors, counsel, and others concerned. A good
deal of discussion having taken place at the inquest respect-
ing the probable distance at which the danger light at the
Straffan station could be seen along the line, the jury,
Captain Tyler, R.E., MX. Merry, Mr, Miller, and other
gentlemen, travelled from Sallies on the engine, the tender,
and the breake van for the purpose of determining the
question by actual observation,. The light was first observed
at a distance ofabout two-and-a-half miles; it was afterwards
lost to the view for a short time, and again became visible
at about a mile-and-a-half from' the station. The night,
however, was very fine and clear, which was not the case
when the accident occurred.

To-morrow, (Saturday) an experiment will be made near
where the accident oecurred, in presence of the jury, for
the purpose of determining an important question •as to
which different opinions bave been expressed by some of the
witnesses examined. Mr. Cusack and Mr. Heffernan, the
driVer of the express train, were of opinion that Gass could
not have pulled up the train he was driving on the night in
question an a shorter distanee 'than one, mire and a quarter.
Mr. Miller and Mr. Ilberry thought that he could do so in
half a mile. As a good deal turns upon this, Mr. Miller, at
the request of the jury, his'iindertaken to test the matter
by experiment. He will procure a luggage train of
22 waggons, with a break van, tender, and a powerful en-
gine, such as Gass drove, and with these he will run from
Sallbas towards Straffan at the rate of twenty miles an hour,
and when within half a mile of where the accident took
place, he will shut off steam, apply his brakes, and reverse
the action of the engine, in order to: ascertain exactly how
soon he can stop the train.--Mr. Curran (council for Gass)
says this will not be a fair test unless the rails are wet and
slippery, as they were described to be on the night of the
accident. It may be observed that there is an incline from
Sallies to Straffan.

LATEST PARTICULARS.
On inquiry yesterday at half-past two o'clock at Madame
Steevens's Hospital, we were glad to find that the sufferers
are progressing
favourably. Although Miss Pack did not
pass a
night, the erysipelatous inflammation made no
progress
the morning. Miis Parrall (whose leg was
m
usrgg
isiinngoing on very well‘ Dr. Stokes' servant is
a pu oa goode
d
getting much better. Esther Coffey is getting much better,
as regards the injuries she received ; the chief matter to
militate against her recovery is a severe attack on the lungs.

APPOINTMENT.-11CITUlt8 Mac Donnell, Esq., son of the
Provost of Trinity College, and brother of the Governor of
St. Vincent, has been appointed Registrar of the Court of
Bankruptcy, vice Barry Collins, resigned.
LISBURN ELECTION.—The Northern Whig treats the
statement of Mr. Birney's retirement made by the Belfast
News Letter as a ruse, and warns the liberal electors to be on
their guard.
TILE ARMY.—It is stated that the Duke of Cambridge
will be appointed to the Irish command, and that Lord
Cardigan will succeed him as Inspector General of cavalry.

I'VE TFMA RSE7' RACES.—YESTERDAY,
. Sweepststakes of 10 sots. Half Ab. M.
Fby Ugly Back . • • • • • • ...
Wave ... .. ..
. • ..

Four ran.
Handicap. Two and Three-yr-olds.

Pillion .
Grimalkin .

Prendergast Stakes.
Boarding School Miss filly ... .
Astofolo • • ..

Handicap Sweepstakes.

Orinoco
Rahel

Ten ran.
Sweepstakes of 100 sow.

Beatrix

Remorse

Thrce ran.
LATEST BETTING. -
CAMBAIDEGSHIRE.
6to 1 agst John Day's lot 25 to 1 agst Bit of Blue
10 to 1 agst Nabob 25 to 1 ' agst Balrownie
12 to 1 agst Orestes 25 to 1 agst Seahorse
16 to 1 agst Haco (taken 125t0 1 agst Rataplan (of-
freely) fered)
20 to 1 agst Invasion 33 to 1 agst Grey Tommy
20 to ..1 agst Mistletoe 33 to 1 agst Goorkah
20 to 1 agst Hatchet

,st King Tom

20 to 1 agst Dervish (taken;