The Sun.
London, England, 1855-01-16 00:00:00

THE LATE ACCIDENT ON THE EASTERN

COUNTIES RAILWAY.

THETFORD, Monday Evening.—The inquiry touching
the deaths of John Burton and Robert Meagher, the
sufferers by the late accident upon the above-mentioned
line, was resumed this evening at four o'clock, at the
Town-hall, before Mr. Clarke, coroner, but the matter
did not attract much interest, the evidence having been
understood to have been closed at the last sitting.
The company was represented by Mr. Capper, the
general superintendent, and Mr. Taylor, the solicitor
of the company, with Mr. Watt, district superinten-
dent.

At the opening of the proceedings, the Coroner
read to the jury a letter he had received from Major
Wynne, the Government inspector, and which run as
follows :

" Board of Trade, Whitehall, :Tan. 13, 1855.
"Sir,—After the adjournment of the inquest last Mon-
day, I thought it desirable to ascertain experimentally at
what distance off the tail-lamps of a train would be visible
on the curve at `Two-mile Bottom.' I therefore, at dark,
caused a train to be placed, as nearly as possible, on the
spot occupied by the mail train at the time it was run
into by the cattle train, and I then walked from the com-
mencement of the curve up the line towards the experi-
mental train, and it was not until I arrived within a short
distance of the gates where the.guard (Goldman) is sup-
posed to have stopped that the tail-lights of the train be-
came visible in such a way as to attract attention.—l am,
sir, your most obedt. servt.,
"GEO. WYNNE, Major R. 8."
The Coroner then commenced some observations to
the jury, in which he dealt at some length with the dis-
crepancies appearing in the evidence of the various wit-
nesses engaged in the conduct of the trains at the time
of the collision, prefacing his remarks by saying that,
considering all the circumstances, some of the discrepan-
cies were not much to be wondered at ; but he had come
to the conclusion that it might safely be taken that Cold-
man was at the crossing he represented. It appeared
that green (or caution) lights had been shown to Drewry
at Thetford station, and that three whistles were the
usual signal from an engine-driver to a guard when he
was about to step his train. How the company could re-
concile that fact with Davenport (the guard) being in a
covered break he was at a loss to understand. The
Coroner then, as a summary, said that, if the jury were
of opinion that Goldman had time, in compliance with rule
81 of the company, to proceed GOO yards, then they would
bring in a verdict of manslaughter against him, but for
himself he did not attach much importance to the
fact of his not having laid the proper number of sig-
nals, if it were considered that, by neglecting to do so,
he could get further with the red light. As regarded
Drewry, if they thought that he perceived Coldman's
light in time sufficient to stop his train then it would
be their duty to bring in a verdict of manslaughter
against him. It appeared, however, that theta were
certain rules made by the company for the speed at
which goods and ballast trains should travel, and he
could not see why there should not be a rule regulating
the speed of cattle trains ; anti the question was whether
rule 162 of the company met the case. This provided—
" That the guard must not on any account leave his
train while it is upon the line, except for the purpose of
showing a signal." Reading this with the 84th rule, ho
must not go more than 600 yards back. (The 84th rule
provided that the guard shall go at least 600 yards back
in case of accident.) If the jury were of opinion that
the company's rules did not meet the case, then they
would find a verdict accordingly.
The jury then retired, and, after an absence of an hour
and a quarter, returned into court with the following
special verdict :—" That the deaths of John Burton an d
Robert Meagher were caused by the inefficiency of the
Eastern Counties Company's rules, in allowing a heavily-
laden cattle train to follow after the mail train at un-
limited speed, without telegraphic communication from
the succeeding station."
The above is a copy of the verdict as given in by the
foreman ; but it is to be presumed that the word " suc-
ceeding" is an error for "preceding." It was, how-
ever, signed in due form, and the jury then dispersed.
It is consolatory to be able to add that the Rev. Mr.
Hepworth is the only surviving sufferer at present in
the hands of the surgeons, with the exception of the
fireman, and that both are considered out of danger.
The company's books, as shown to us afterwards at the
station, fully prove that the cattle train was duly tele-
graphed to Thetford on its starting from Wymondham.
It left there at 9.30 according to the telegraphic mes-
sage dated Wymondham, and which message was re-
ceived at Thetford almost simultaneously, or indeed
quite so—the entry in the receipt book at Thetford being
9.30 too.

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