The Sun.
London, England, 1863-08-11 00:00:00

THE RAILWAY ACCIDENT NEAR LYNN.

KING'S LYNN, Monday,
At several of the places of worship in this town,yesterday,
the preachers made special allusion to this shocking acci-
dent. Thanks were offered to Almighty God that so many
lives were spared.
The inquiry before Thomas Martin Wilkie, Esq., coroner
for Freebridge, Lynn, was resumed to-day at one o'clock,
at the Guildhall, Lynn.
Mr. Pitcher wished to ask Mr. Valentine a few ques-
tions.
Mr. Edwards also made an application; it would be an
injustice if the company might 'tot make remarks as to the
traffic return which had been called into question. Might
he address the jury ?
Tho Coroner said he had carefully considered the ques-
tion since the last meeting. The matter was left to his
discretion. He was satisfied that ho had exercised a wise
discretion, and would allow Mr. Edwards to make obser-
vations. Where matters had been gone into rather beside
the particular question, he felt that, rather than injustice
should be done, the application should be granted.
Mr. Edwards asked the permission of the Coroner that
the notes of the evidence taken before this jury should be
granted for the use of the other jury
Mr. Keane had
stated that such could be done.

The Coroner granted the application.
Mr. Valentine, C.E.—I left the line in good order. I
have had no control as representative of the Lynn and
Hunstanton Railway over the line. The Great Eastern
Company work the line, and it is their bounden duty to
keep it in repair.
By the Coroner—lt was put in their hands in October.
By Mr. Pilcher—The length of sleepers varies. On the
old form of roads the sleepers are nine feet long ; on this
form of road eight feet, which I think quite as safe. This is
the case on the Lynn and flunstanton. The sleepers are
usually composed of Scotch fir, beech, and larch timber.
I know no instance where the dead trees have been used,
They are as good sleepers as can be had of that size. A
rumour of that kind got circulated because a few years ago
there was a gale of wind which blew a large number of trees
off the estate now occupied by the Prince of Wales, &c.,
and these were purchased by the contractor. I believe they
were very good sleepers.
By Mr. "Ward—l complained to the contractors respect-
ing the fences, of their inefficiency after they were put
down, and after that the defects were remedied. I did not
complain of the one rail fence, and had I seen the ditches
thy, or had any idea that they would be, I should not have
allowed them. The gradients on this line are very good.
There is no such a gradient even as 1 in 100 on this line.
It is not usual to connect gradients by a piece of straight,
but it so on the Lynn and Hunstanton Railway. So far
as I can judge of the line, I should say there has been no
alteration since the rails were put down.
strength By l‘lro. Edwards—Thereftho
permanent anway than that the rails have not
can be no greater proof of the
been destroyed. The Lynn and Hunstanton Company are
an independent company.
By the Coroner—l never heard that Mr. Hammond had
complained till the inquiry. Some ballast had been laid on
the line.
John Thompson--I live at South Wootton. lam shep-
herd to Mr. Hammond, who has a considerable quantity of
land near the railway. A good deal is on the Marsh Com-
mon line. There have never been fences in my judgment,
since they have been up, sufficient to stand against either
sheep, bullocks, or horses. I never saw horses, but I have
bullocks and sheep, on the lino. I have seen them more
than once. I first saw them last autumn, just after last
Michaelmas. Two I saw on at once of my own. There
was a little water in the ditches. I saw the bullocks walk
right over the fence, and go back the same way. This was
not far from the Marsh lane crossing.
By Captain Tyler—That is about two miles from Lynn.
By the Coroner—I saw them again a few days after, but
can't say whether one or two. I have seen Mr. Bloom-
field's on within the last month. I have put two off within
thelast onput them off myself more than
twice. I
have t
noth.
seen I havehe
platelayers at this time, I never
m t
saw any horses on the line. I have seen as many as eight
or ten sheep at once.

BByy
Dtihre. Coroner—Theyudwards—Th wereatesin
were g non
tthe
Edwards—The
g been very much used to cattle. I never knew cattle that
lying
left line.o pe
n• I have
would jump over any fence. I never saw Bloomfield's cattle
jump over. They walk over it.
By the Coroner—One fence is a single rail, not an inch
thick. The posts are two or three feet long. Some of them
are four or five inches thick. They are not strong enough
to stand against a bullock.
By Mr. Edwards—I have seen them broken twice. I
came here to speak the truth.

By Mr. Haylock—l complained to the platelayers about
the line, and I told our master about it. The men always
go down the line every morning, and they have mended

it.
By a Juror—l could pull the fences down from end to
end.
The following report, by Captain Tyler, R.E., the Govern-
ment Inspector from the Board of Trade, who had been in-
structed officially to inspect the scene, and investigate the
causes of the disaster, was read :
"I have inspected, in the course of Saturday evening and
this morning, the fences on the Hunstanton Railway, and
also the carriages which were fractured in the accident on
the 3d of August. I find that No. 51 is the third class car-
riage, standing in the yard at Lynn, which came into col-
lision with a first-class carriage immediately in front of it,
and that this carriage does not appear to have any decayed
wood about it, though it is of weak construction. Its front
and part of its left side were stove in, and many of the seats
were displaced and broken. No. 279, third-class carriage,
which lies on its side at the site of the accident, was next
behind it in the train, and contains some wood in an ad-
vanced state of decay at each end underthe body resting on the
buffer planks. The statements differ as to which of these
carriages contained the greatest number of passengers, but
I have myself been more particularly struck with the condi-
tion of No. 51 carri
was age, and the way in which that carriage
broken up, with comparatively little injury to the
stronger carriage in front of it with which it came in con-
tact. The experience of railway accidents has amply shown
that the most perilous cases are constantly unattended with
loss of life, when, either from the strength of the carriages
or their positioa, the budies of the carriages are not broken
up ; and that, on the other hand, it is when the bodies of
carriges give way, that the loss of life and serious injuries
are caused to the passengers riding in them. The poorer
classes of passengers are more liable to suffer in such cases,
for two reasons—first, because they ride in carriages of
weaker construction ; and secondly, because these carriages
are not well padded. It is true that carriages aro built to
run upon the rails, and are riot intended to conic into cotli-