The Express.
London, England, 1861-08-28 00:00:00

LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, AUGUST 28, 1861.

THE ACCIDENT ON TBE LONDON AND

BM/0/1701r
THE DIQUILIcr.
BRIGHTON, TOZIIDAT NIGHT.
The 'figment was resumed by Mr. Black, the coroner, at
the Town Hall, at two o'clock. The attendance wee even
more numerous than on the previous day, and included a
considerable number of ladies. The railway company were
gain ropresented by Mr. Faithfull, and Mr. Slight. the
secretary, was present, io addition to the railway officials
who were present on the former occasion.
Mr. Read main attended to watch the inquiry on behalf of
the friends of Mr. Beane, and Mr. Roupehle on behalf of Mr.
Ingledew. Captain Tyler, of the Royal Engineers, govern-
ment inspector, was present from the Board of Trade.
Mrs. Mary Temple was the first witness called, and she
identified the body of Jane Elizabeth Eiden. Deceased was
24 pairs of age, and was a married woman. Her husband
was a carpenter, of Brighton.
Elizabeth Diaper deposed to the identity of Elizabeth
Wright. Deceased lived in Matilda-street. Caledonian-
road. She was the wife of Wm. Wright, a law writer.
James Whittle, of the Brighton police, was present when
the jury viewed the two last-seined bodies. Elizabeth
Wright has been identified since the jury lOW them.
Jacob Webley, superintendent of the station at Brighton,
was then callei4 and deputed—l have held the office three
years.
The Coroner—Will you be good enough to tell the jury of
the general arrangements of the starting of the trains. the
number of trains and who starts them ?—I do when on
duty, but I was sot on duty on Sunday morning.
What we the first train on Sunday morning front
Brighton!—The first of the trains in question started at
5 minutes past 8. ft was an excursion train from Ports.
mouth piing on to London, but not taking up passengers at
Brighton. The neat train was the Brighton excursion,
which starts at 8.15. Aaron:ling to the ordinary counts of
things, the excursion train which leaven Portsmouth at 6
reaches Brighton at 8, and starts for London 5 minutes
later. The train is usually punctual. lam not aware of its
having been unpunctual. 1 keep a register of the time of
arrival and departure of the trains. As fat u I
the excursion train from Brighton, the $.15 train, starts
punctually to its time, but 1 do not come on on Sundays.
The next train from Brighton in the half-past eight ordinary
third class tram to Loudon. The Portsmouth train stop
at the Norwood junction, but not before. The 8.15 train
also stops there, unless they have to take in water before
they get there. The 8.30 train stops at all the stations.
It is the duty of Mr. Legg, the assistant station master, to
start the train.

The Coroner—When one train is late in starting, sad
another arrives, what do you do7—We do not allow the
wend train to leave till the other has gone on five minutes.
It is the duty of the assistant station nester to regulate the
camber of carriages to each train. We make a rule
not to put more than 20 carriages on to each train.
I don't mean to say that we never have more. We some-
times have 24. The extreme limit I have known put on in
2.1, except when two trains are joined together and then 1
have known as many as 90. Assuan as we have 20 carnage,
on we pot on a third break, there being usually only two
breaks. Ido not mean to say that 25 carriages have never
been exceeded, but Ido not know of any case. We always
have a break next the engine, and in excursion trains we
always here a break behind, but not al way, in other trains.
There was a break behind the last carriage in the train that
was run into. The break in this case was a seefinil-clare car-
riage, nut containing passengers, but ciontainiug the guard.
That is as I am told.
What are the ordinary causes of delay in starting the
trains'!—lt would be from some branch or the London
train arriving too late. That could not apply to the 8.15
train.

---lbea •it not happen that the delay arises from the fires not
being sufficiently up ?—I have never known a case of that
sort yet.
You neverknew it arise from neglect of thestokers or fire-
men ? No ; I do not know anything about the duties of the
drivers and guards, but I know something of the duties of
the signal men.
What are the duties of the signal men "—Generally to
watch the line and attend to the signals.
The Coroner—We don't want that sort of general know-
ledge ; if you can't tell us we will get it from some other
wituesa

Mr. Faithfull stated that the rules of each department
were known to the officers of that department, and every
opportunity would be afforded for examining them.
A book containing the rules and regulations in force for
the permits of the company was here hanikl to the wit-
ness, of which be said he and every officer of the company
had a copy. The title of the book is, " Bye-laws, Rules, and
Regulations to be observed by the officers and servants of
the Loudon, Brighton, and South-Coast Railway."
Witness said, in answer to a further question, that he
bad made himself acquainted with the contents of the
book.

By the Foreman—Wlers a train le late, 6 minutes is
gives tied • caution signal is given, afterwards a danger
s I don't know much of the locality of the accident.
The time occupied by the 'minim trains between here
and Hassock's-gate I believe to be all the same. There is
• check kept on the guard's train, the locomotive check.
Mt. Read, instructed by Mr. Reed, of St. Ann's-lane,
Dot Nicholaa.lane, as preen:rusty stated, was about to put •
question in cross.exatainatioa, but
Mr. Freabfield put it to the Coroner whether, as the
isauiry was as to the death of certain parties who had been
by a certain accident, it was competent for any
learned gentletnen to appear and examine witnesses on be-
half of a perms who wee in the train and who might have
bees injured, but was not dead? Ile put the question as
the result of the examination might affect criminally (he
did not my it would do so) or pecuniarily certain parties not
present.
The Cormier replied that he should allow any person
who attended on behalf of any person injured, to put any
question, provided he did so in a proper manner. (Applause.)
Mr. Coningbam M.P., on the pan of the company, said
that all they desired was the fullest Investigation, and they
would not interfere to stop any quietism.
The orms-exarninatiou of the whams by Mr. Read was
thou proceeded with. Wittier deposal —I have been in
the company's service two plan and • belt and so has Mr.
L.a. mi.. Legg is under my supervision, but does not re-
port to me the time of starting the trains. He does not re-
gister the times. The guard does that, and if he wants any
information he must go to the book. There is
• register kept at the station which is taws-
(erred from the guard's book. That hook will be bare. The
guard transfers the entries from his pocket-book to the
neuter-book on his return. The books are examined
every day by a clerk is es y office. There is • special written
report mad* by the guard of each train that starts late, to
Mr. Hawkins. If • train is late in the mutant station
master's time of duty he reports it to the manager. I do
not know whether Legg was on duty. I came ma duty •
few minutes before 9 o'clock. The train would have been
mad* up on Saturday by the foremen of the shouters. I do
not know how many carriages there were. It is not my
duty to inquire when I come on duty what trains have left.
The register of the starting is sent to Mr. Hawkins
on the following day after it has taken place.
The Brighton ordinary train would be mask up en a, Sunday
by the foreman of the shunter*. I don't know how many
carmen were attached to the first train. It is not my
duty to make the inquiry. There is no necessity for my
Being so. Mr. Hawkins, the manager, lives at Brighton.
Jaesph C Amen was the guard of the second train. I have
I not seen whether the guard's register on Sunday has been
' copied into the station-book. The traffic manager regulate.
the speed of excursion trains. As a rule, they travel as fast
as ordinary trains. We have no communication at the sta-
tion with the tunnel ; and if half-a-dozen trains were
started within five minutes from the Ratios we have no
seems' of communicating with the signal-ran at the tunnel.
By Mr. Roupelle—There is no telegraph station between
Brighton and the tunnel. The nearest telegraph station
with which we can commusicate from Brighton, on the way
to London, is Hassock's-gate, which is about 14 mile
beyond the tunnel. That is the station with which we
should communicate if we sent • special train without
notice. We should not have occasion to communicate
otherwise. If we sent ordisary trains withia five minutes
of each other we should not communicate with Hemlock's-
paw The station masters and officers know the trims that
are coming by their list. The list is made up every week.
Excursion trains would come within the term "ordinary...
The trains for the Sunday morning are wade up on Sitar-
, day. Mr. Legg makes up the number of carriages according
to the number of passengers, and of course the locomotive
I power. The locomotive foreman is there to put oo an addi-
tional engine if required. I do not know whether he was
there on the Sunday morning. I went to the station at 9
o'clock. Hs was there then. The excursion train does
not vary two carriages in two months.
By Mr. Lamb, solicitor, of Brighton, who attended on
behalf of the friends of John Lockstone and Jane Elisabeth
Biden—Th• trains travel at the rate of thirty miles. if
one train started five minutes after the other the first train
would have travelled between two and three miles when the
second started. I do not believe it possible that the two
trains on Sunday morning were within five hundred yards of
each other when the second train reached the tunnel. The
engineedriver checks the guard as to the time of starling.
There is no entry or report madeof the starting of the
trains. The statioa•master or superintendent would know
of course the time of starting the trains by looking at Ids
watch. There is no other way of kneeing. No record is I
kept. The 8.15 train from Brighton on a Sunday morning
is never • very heavy train. There would not be above two
carriages differmice, and no increase of weight sufficient to
affect the speed. A break van at the end would be safer i
than an empty carriage in ow of a collision.
Mr. Penfold, solicitor, of Brighton, put some questions t
oa behalf of the fries& of Mrs. Barclay, bat the replies
were merely repetitions of the evidence previously given.
By • Juror—We keep one book at the station of the
time of starting the trains, but the entries are made nut by
ins hut by the guard.
Do you consider that following_ out the instructions of
the regulation book (rule 71) I—The book is kept in the
With eater's office, bat the entries are not, made by mu

The Juror—But the rule says that the book should be
kept by yore.
The Coroun—Does the rule 71 apply to the Brighton
'tattoo T- - It does.

The Coroosr—Mr. FaitWU says it does not apply to
Briabtoa, because Brighton is a terminal.
Witness—lt applies both to terminals and notions. In
immix to • further quortioa, witness added that be was
not aware of ituy rate which required any other person than
the guanl to melee the entries in the time book. Whoa a
train was five minutes overdue u special report was always

Mr. John Chester Craven, locomotive and carriage super-
Mthodent to the Brighton Railway Compare —1 am ac-
quainted with the gradienta to Clayton Tunnel and
through the tunnel To the tunnel from the station there
is • rise of 33 yards in the five miles. It is a uniform rise,
and • very easy one. At the tunnel the gradient descends
lin Zl7 for three-quarters of • mile. There is • fall all
through the tunneL A train which bad gone with ease to
the tunnel would have no difficulty in passing through it ;
it would go through of its own velocity. Tim line is straight
for one mile and a half to and through the tunnel. The
tunnel is as straight as possible. The train puts on the
distance signal by the Aimee of the wheel. That signal
is 300 yards from the signalman. There is • flange
communicating with a lever which acts upon the signal, and
width the wheel of the engine or carnage puts on. It
communicetes with a sort of telegraph post, and
moves two diem, the positioo of which signifies
whether the road is clear or not. When the discs
are shown across the Loathe road is not clear ; when they
appear up and down the line is clear. The signal is self-
*clang, that Is by the train or by the poiotamsn in his box.
When the train passes along the rail■ the flange of the
wheel %ust work the signal, unless there Meows. disarrange-
m~t elf
the machinery. But should the train fail to put
on the stop signal, the signalman has the power to put it
on, and, of course, to put it off.
The Coroner--TM you think it possible that one train
passing would pot ma the signal, and another puming within
five minutes after fail to do so. and &third tram passing five
minutes after that again put it on have known
sot to work whim one train ewes, and then work when
another passes immediately after. I know this front expo-
risme, and amount for it by the expansion of the long wire.
We know that this happens sometimes, and have • rule ho
call the attention of the signalmen to it. The flange of the
engines is l I inch deep, and of the carriages lA inch deep.
The train in passing over not only marks the signal, but
rings • bell in the signalmates box. The signalmen see not
under any supervision. I got a telegraph message from
Hassock-gate on Sunday at • quarter-pest nine, stating that
the Clayton Tunnel was blacked, both hues, and desiring
assistence. I went on by a special enine directly, and di-
rected some men to follow with a tool-hoc. When I got to
the tunnel, I saw there had been • run-in by two
and I come hack for Mr Hawkins, the traffic manager,
as much sssistaoce as I could get, and went back as fart as
possible. I proceeded with the man to clear away the
ruins, leaving Mr. Hawkins to inquire into the cause. The
engine and part of the Brighton excursion train
had gone on when I got there the second time.
The engine of the Brighton following train was
mounted on two carriages of the former train,
• second-class break, and a third-class carriage. There
were no p senses riding in the second-class break. It was
the third-class carriage next to it where all the mischief
was done. All the fatal cams lay in the ruins underneath.
All were deed that were in the ruins, except one
child, whom I had some difficulty in getting out. Allmon
as we could get the engine lifted off the carriages we re-
moved the dead and wounded, and got them into Brighton
as quick es we could. I saw one guard, who ran back to
stop me with • red flag. That was a guard of an ordinary
train, but Ido not know his name. If the weather were
thick we should not allow train, so close upon each other
am bre minutes, but in clear weather we do It every day.
We could not do our boldness at London-bridge if we did
not. I do not know what may be the practise
on other lines is this respect. Much depends upon the
load 'you give the engines. It is a matter of judgment.
The Brighton excursion had seventeen carriages, and the
ordinary train had twelve carriages. The two engines were
complete master; of their loads. With such a load a tisin
going at 30 miles an boor would be able to stop within 600
yards on observing the danger signaL
Captain Tyler called the attention of the witness to
a printed notice to the signalmen, that the trains sometimes
failed to turn on the signal, and holding them responsible
for any failure io signalling, and asked whether the signal
had a handle gliamanicating with the signal boat—lt was
Whitworth's signal, and was in ipod order in every respect.
It was in good order now, and-.ad not been touched. A
break van at the back would not have prevented the fatal
consequence. It seems to me it did more harm than good.
as the engine pushed it over oo to the down line and mounted
on the second amine.
By the Foreman—The signal lamp could be moo
,6416 cords. py the proper use of the distance
elifilttroun might be stopped, although the second
was but just outside the tunnel. If the Portsmouth train
did not get out of the tunnel, the man at the north end
could not telegraph it. But if she train were more than five
minutes in the tunnel, be would telegraph hack "Line
blocked." It would be, however, the duty of the man at
the south coil not to allow any other train to enter the tun-
nel until be knew that the first train had passed through—
that is, until he had received the signal from the other end
that the train had passed through. If the train was stopped
in the tunnel, by observing a train ahead, or a red flag in.
dicating danger, it would be the duty of the driver to stay
in the tunnel, and send his guard lack to know what he was
to do.

Juror It would be possible for the bell to fail to
ring, as well as the signals to move, by the passing
of the trains. The signalman then must depend upon
hearing the train. Last night when we went with the jury
the bell did not ring when it put on the signal.
The Coroner—But the man put on the signal. I believe
when the train passed Ina night the trigger neither
put on the signal nor rung the bell.
By a Juror—The signal machinery is complicated and It
might ring the bell without putting on the signal, or it
might put on the signal without ringing the bell. I sheets
have said if I had not seen it, that a train could not
_par
over the distance signal without either ringing the bell or
putting on the signal.
The Juror—Lest night it wax evident to all of us that
nob vas the ease. It neither did one nor the other.

Witness—Unless you had told me so I should hardly have
believed it. When the signal is on, it can only be changed
by the signalman.
By Mr. Read—lt is the duty of the signalmen to report
any COM where the signal is defective to Mr. Hawkins, who
would report it in doe course to ore. The signalmas Is
bound to continue the stop signal, until be is informed by
the telegraph that the train has passed through the turned.
If the machinery is disarranged so as that the man cannot
pot on the stop signal, his duty would be to wave the red
dm. It is the duty of the signalman to keep the signal
well oiled and I. good order. Ido not know that the signal
at the tunnel was out of order. Ido not know whether there
war a guard ie the break carriage of the injured train. All
the carriages were partially damaged, but except the two
referred to very trifling. I raw no injury to the carriages of
the next train. None of the sigoalinen were given into
custody.
Mr. Hoopell cross•examind the witness as to the gradi.
ents, the position of the signal trigger, and other details
which bad beeu spoken to in the examination in chief, but
elicited no information of importance. The only point of
the cross-examination appeared to be to ascertain whether
there would hove been time for the man to exhibit his red
danger gigue] between the time he found that the train had
not passed through the tunnel and hod failed to put oo the
signal and the arrival of the succeeding train, to which the
witness gave an opinion in the affirmative.
By Captain Tyler—The train does not put on the stop
signal to atop itself, but the following train.
By Mr. Lamb—The signalman seemed to have perfect
control over the signals last night. An interval of fin
minutes between the starting of trains would, provided they'
travelled at the aims speed, keep them about two miles
apart—that is at the speed these trains usually rm.
Mr. Charles Legg-1 am statics-nester at the Brighton I
station. I was on duty on Sunday morning. I took the
time of the starting of the three trains from the Brighton
station. It was 8.22 the Portsmouth exclusioo, 8.27 the
Brighton excursion, and 8.36 the ordinary Brighton. I
timed them by my watch, which corresponds with the rail-
way clock. There was no delay after they started that lam
aware of. There were 16 carriages on the Portsmouth ex-
cursion, 17 on the Brighton excursion, and 11 or 12
on the ordinary Brighton train. There was a break to
the Brighton escunion, and a break carriage at the eed.
I think the broth at the end was • third class break, and
that it had passengers in it, but lam not certain. I saw
the guard in it. Ido no: keep a registry of the thus of the
arrival and starting of the trains. Then is an otiose for
that purpose, and it is the duty of the guards to enter the
times. I examine their entries and lest their axioracy by
my own knowledge. Ido not keep the memorandums I
make. Hackman was the driver of the Portsmouth ewer-
, lion train last Sunday. Moore and Drew were the guards.
The guards had come on through from Portsmouth, but
Hackman was put on at Brighton. John Scott was the
driver of the excursion train ; Holman sod Butcher were
the guards. Gregory was the driver and Bonet and Webb
were the guards of the ordinary train.
By the Foreman—Neither of the trains carried more than
an ordinary load. They might have each taken eight or tea
carriages more without difficulty.
Is a man expected to be more cautious when a Ws bee
started only five minutes before him than when the proved-
k% train is ten minutes a-heed ?—All they have to 110 is to
see that the line is clear before they go on.
By Captain Tyler—l have not compared my thee memo-
rands of the starting of these trains with this *atria by the .
guards. name sot bed time.
By • Juror—All the three driven I have named are old
sornote of the company. I believe the signalman has
bees in the company's employ nine yews.
The Coroner—There is some discrepasay in the time of
starting the trains. Are you certain you are Cornet.—Yes.
By Mr. Read—The Pertssamath train was 17 mingles