The Sun.
London, England, 1852-12-30 00:00:00

thought they were bound in justice to the company to
hear it.
Captain Huish begged to thank the Coroner for the
statement he had made. Attacks had appeared in the
public press to the effect that this accident had arisen
from mismanagement, and that there were more acci-
dents on the North-Western than other lines. It ap-
peared, however, that the coroner did not attach much
importance to the out-of-door remarks that this accident
had arisen from other causes than the mere breaking of
the tire. Mr. M'Connell had made a mistake in stating
that there were but 30,000 tires in use on their line.
The fact was that there were upwards of 60,000 tires in
use on the line, and they had never met with a casualty
of this unfortunate description with any tires of their
own manufacture. To say that there were more acci-
dents on the North-Western Railway than other lines,
considering that it was three times the size, and had
three times the amount of traffic of any other line, was to
say, supposing the others were equally well managed,
that other lines ought to have three times ao many
accidents as they did. When the enormous traffic of the
North-Western line was considered, with 300 trains

running over it per day, and with the delays of 25 diffe-
rent lines of railway running into it, with a staff of
11,000 servants engaged in attending to the wants and
looking after the safety of the public, he (Captain Huish)
thought that much blame could not fairly be attributed
to the management. He could assure the coroner and

jury, that during the last six weeks the most unprece-
dented difficulties that had ever occurred during his
experience as manager had taken place. Bridges had
been thrown down, and the road damaged by the heavy
floods ; and these circumstances had presented vast diffi-
culties in the management of large trunk lines such as
the North-Western, and had of course resulted in great
delays. He was happy to state, however, that things
were coming back to their normal position, and he hoped
and expected that the traffic would be carried out with
less difficulty, and the public safety be secured.
The Coroner said, as Mr. Beyer could not in his ex-
perience, suggest any remedy for such occurrence as that
which had taken place, perhaps Captain Huish might
suggest something. He knew it was not his department.
Captain Huish said, nevertheless, he felt it his duty
to keep a general eye over every department, and his
opinion was that such an accident as this ought to be,
and would be avoided, if proper care was taken in the
welding of the tires. They did not find accidents arise
from tires welded by themselves. It could not have
been the fault of the road, for it was a remarkable fact
that it happened on that point of road which was new,
and the best up6n the whole line, upon a perfect level
and the engine going rather under usual express speed.
The Coroner then proceeded to sum up the case to the
jury. He remarked that the only blame which could
be attributed to any one was to the actual manufac-
turers of the tire ; he meant the workmen in the
employ of Messrs. Sharp and Stuart ; but it was
impossible, where the matter passed through so many
hands, to visit the parties with any criminal re-
sponsibility. There could be no doubt that the death
had resulted from the bad welding of the tire, and that
the employer was responsible for the acts of his servants ;
but when a firm employed, as they conceived, trustwor-
thy persons, and paid them fair wages, it was exceed-
ingly hard to visit them with punishment. With respect
to the management of railways, he wished to remark
that, when the number of miles of railways and the
great number of stations, with the immense number of
travellers that passed over them in that division of the
county for which he (Mr. Wakley) was coroner, was
considered, it spoke highly for the excellence of railway
management. It was a remarkable fact that, notwith-
standing the millions of travellers who had passed over
that line and the Great Western line in Middlesex, dur-
ing the twelve years he had been coroner, he had never
held an inquest on the body of a first-class passenger.
If anything could show the extraordinary care, prudence,
and foresight exhibited in the management of those lines,
it was this fact, and also the fact that, notwithstanding
the millions of travellers, he had only had to hold in-
quests on two second-class and two or three third-class
passengers. He (the Coroner) should be glad to find
the company introducing cushions inside the second and
third class carriages, be they ever so rough, as it would
furnish protection to passengers in case of collision.
Fir.t-class passengers escaped in consequence of their
heads coming in contact with soft cushions, but in a
second or third class, unless a man had a skull of extra-
ordinary thickness, it was not likely he could stand col-
lision with oak. (Laughter.)
Captain •Huish said he would take care that the
coroner's suggestion should be laid before the board of

directors.
The jury then retired, and returned a verdict, " That
the deceased, John Bartholomew, was accidentally killed
by the breaking of the tire of the leading wheel of en-
gine 289, on the London and North-Western Railway,
in consequence of such tire having 'an imperfect weld of
iron in its manufacture." The jury added their opinion
that greater care and improvements ought to be adopted
in the testing of weldings, and recommended the firm of
Messrs. Sharp and Stuart to make provision for the
widow and family of deceased.

NATIONAL MERCANTILE LIFE ASSURANCE

COMPANY.

A meeting of the shareholders of this society was held
at the London Tavern yesterday ; Mr. Robert Wil-
coxon in the chair.