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

'HE SUN, LONDON, SA'

THE RAILWAY ACCIDENT NEAR LYNN.

KING'S LYNN, Friday Evening.

Yesterday and to-day the bodies of several of tho persons
killed by the late shocking railway accident at Wootton
were interred in the cemetery here, a vast concourse of per-
sons being present at the funeral. The sufferers by the
accident were progressing favourably, and no further deaths
have occurred in addition to the six first announced•

of John Laird, 55, builder ; Elizabeth
Mrs.
terrace ; Mrs. Susan Clark, 45, of Brandon;2s Brown,
The adjourned inquest was resumedcltaor-kda7y3,oonftGhueabnoodeike:
o,f Walpole,ynn. be-
f3osr,eomf Lr.onwdoilknirno,acod L
Mr. R. Pitcher appeared
;roannedr,aitiostnshFebeaThlomawlefnrOfilta'he family of Mr.
t
and Mrs. Laird. LthaierdL.
yuMnr.anHdenllryunsnton Railway and Great
Edwards,a solicitor, Lynn, re-
presented
ay
Mr.; BLoinghdt(lysecSriemtaprsy7,
mEessqs.rB(.cEha. irman
the of
Self, E.
Durrant, and W. Shaw (directors), being present; whilst
EthaesetGeornrmeapytallnaiEa)l7stern Company were represented by Mr. Sin-
clair, engineer, and Mr. Robertson, superintendent.
Mr. Miller was the first witness called. He said—l am
manager at the Lady-bridge and Baker-lane Breweries. I
was at Hunstanton on Monday last. I proceeded there by
the noon train of the Great Eastern Railway. I left Hun-
stanton a minute or two after eight in the evening. There
had been a train just previously started—a quarter of an
hour before. I went by first class. There were three other
passengers in the carriage. .Nothing occurred till we passed
the Wootton Station. We first experienced a very severe
on the rails. This was followed by a succes-
shock. My first impression was that we had passed over
thenrah rnei
ace l
gl e side
sww eegrr
thattrhi shocks,gte ht
hw a
doffuCainea comingl
ttlhoy
etaoltunstandstill.Lreny:iiand.t:mva
erylri
n.
impression
sm intositting
s tihdee
earth,oB somethingw in:nt ho ef
g
did not turn completely over. I rushed to the upper side of
the carriage and exclaimed to my friend "We shall all be
killed." The window was open, but I could not get out.
The door was not locked, but I could not get it open. There
was no further motion after the carriage first stopped. I
did not ascertain if the engine had left. I got out by the
window. My first object was to take Miss Norman of Yar-
mouth (a friend). Mr. T. Kendall, jun., had got out in
the meantime, and took her down. After this I got under-
neath the coupling irons, and then I found a carriage which
was turned flat on its side. I should think it was a third-
class carriage. I assisted in taking off part of the roof, and
saw there a lady lying on her back; she was dead. I have
since understood that it was Mrs. Brown. I went to the
spot from whence I could hear cries of distress. It was so
dark that we could distinguish nothing without lamps. I
saw more than one carriage ; one was apparently on the
top of the other, under which these bodies were. I think I
saw three dead bodies. They were under the carriages when
I saw them. My attention had never been directed to cattle
straying on the line. I did not know the cause of the acci-
dent till we reached Lynn. I should think we were going
at a speed between that of the ordinary train and the ex-
press. It was not an unusual pace. I know it was about
25 miles an hour.

Christopher Boyce—l am an engine-driver. I left Hun-
stanton at 7 45. There were 14 carriages attached to my
train. Between Wootton and Lynn I saw a bullock on the
rail close by where this accident happened. I had seen it
about 30 yards before we came up to it. I shut off my
steam and whistled. It turned its head and walked
away. It was the duty of the driver of our train to give a
signal to the other train that was coming, but I had not
time to do it on this occasion, the other train following so
quick. I could not see it, but knew it was close on. I
did not report it when I got to Lynn, because I did not
see anybody. Dr. Kendall was on the engine from Hun-
stanton, and remarked to me that an animal like that on
the rail would cause an accident. It was an unusual thing
to see a bullock on the line. I had seen two before, last
Saturday week, close by the same spot. I reported that to
Mr. Kemp, the overlooker of the platelayers. I have been
in the habit of driving on that road every day four times a
day since June, and never saw but two cattle before, and
then the platelayers were driving them off. I never saw
sheep on the line.
By the Coroner—ln the case of seeing an obstruction
on the line, I have no means of communicating with the
guard. If I see any anything wrong, I should sound my
whistle three times, and when the guard hears it it is his
duty to put on his break. On this occasion I sounded my
whistle three times. The guard did not put on his break.
I knew there was danger. I did not complain either to
or of the guard for not minding any signal. I slackened the
train, making the difference of ten miles au hour in the
speed. The bullock went to the fence just as I was going
by, He was close to the railway. head foremost. The
railing there was about 18 inches high, as near as I could
guess. There was a ditch on the other side, I should say,
six or seven feet wide, and about three feet deep. The fence
inclines towards the ditch. I reported the fact of seeing
the two bullocks on the previous occasion. I never saw
any difference made in the fence.

Thomas Marston Kendall—l am a surgeon at Lynn. I
was a passenger to Lynn on Monday night. I rode upon
the engine. After we passed Wootton Station, I saw a bul-
lock leaving the line. My attention was called to it by the
engine whistling. After I had reached my house I was
sent for, and drove up to the station, and went to the spot.
After remaining a short time to collect all the wounded we
could find, we returned with them to Lynn. When I got
back the second time I saw five dead bodies. The bodies
were very much mutilated. I did not recognise Mr. Laird
at first.

By Mr. Ward—l have travelled on the line a good deal,
but never Saw bullocks on the line before.
By Mr. Edwards—l am surgeon to the company and to
the provident society.
By the Jury—lf the driver had reported the bullock be-
ing on the line there would not have been time to stop the
other train.

Pointon Jackson—l am an engine-driver, in the employ
of the Great Eastern Railway. I left Lynn in charge of
the 5.30 train to Hunstanton. Left Hunstanton at 8 o'clock
with the excursion train. I had 15 carriages and a break.
I do not know the position of the carriages, it was a mixed
train. The previous train had left 15 minutes before I
started. My instructions were to stop at Mettisham and
Wolferton only. I reach Wolferton at 8.25. I did not
ascertain how recently the previous train had left.. I was
running at a speed not exceeding 28 miles' an hOur, be-
tween Wootton and Lynn. About a mile and a half from
Wootton Station my attention was called to something
on the line, which I found was a bullock. It was in
the fourfoot, that is, the space between the lines.
He was about 40 yards from the engine when
I first saw him. I shut off the steam, and the fire-
man applied the break, and whistled to the guard. I
whistled three times; that was his signal to put on the
break. I can't say whether he did so or not, the train was
too short. I was on the bullock directly. The bullock was
right in the centre of the rails when I struck him. When
we struck the bullock it gave the engine a lift up. I felt a
jerk directly, looked back, saw carriages off the road, on the
right side. I told the fireman to ease the break off, to allow
the engine and the remainder of the carriages to keep clear
of the hinder ones. We next came to a stand, and I got off
the engine, and saw broken carriages. Three carriages
were left affixed to the engine. The third class carriage was
nearest to me of those that were off the line. That was the
first I saw. That had been affixed to a third class. The
last pair of wheels of the carriage were off the road. I
cleared the engine a little way from the train, and sent the
fireman to the guard. Mr. Platt, locomotive foreman, came
up in the time, and stepped on the engine, and we proceeded
immediately to Lynn for assistance. I returned again with
some fresh carriages, for the wounded. 1 went twice. After
we got back the first time I assisted to get the wounded
into the carriages, and proceeded to Lynn with them. I did
not know any of the dead. I saw five dead bodies. I have
been employed on the Lynn and Hunstanton Railway twice
or three times a week since the 3d of October last, and have
been in the employ of the Great Eastern Company 13 years.
I never had the misfortune to run over a bullock before. I
had gone over a horse between Lynn and Downham. I pro-
duce ray special instructions as to what I am to do, in the
event of seeing any obstruction. It is the custom to dimi-
nish the speed of the engine and try to atop, if we see
anything on the line. I never saw a beast on the Hun-
stanton line before. I have seen one sheep on, close by
Wootton—may be a month or five weeks back. When 1
ran over the horse (which was two or three years ago) It
was dark, and I did not see it till we were on it. No acci
dent occured from that. I did not see the train in front of
me anywhere on the road. It was getting dark. There is
a great deal of cattle kept on the marshes about that place,
more than on any ether part of the line—bullocks, sheep,
and horses. Have seen none on the line since the accident
happened.
By Mr. Edwards—Fifteen carriages are not a usual
number, five or six beingn
mt;lei
all
phsha
at
were
is demanded
deribvoetnh this
gish
lighted
engine. h
le
traffic. Fifteen is a proper number. The engine and
atebnoduetrfotuurrnoerdfiavte
yHeaunrss..ta
went about a hundred yards after the first concussion.
The rails were slightly twisted out of gauge. They did
not:part longitudinally ;',theyare fastened with fish joints. I
never got off the rails before. I consider the lino safe and
sound. I was perfectly sober.

Houghton, rector of South Wootton—l liveh
sides is very much
-
bweitEtwheionl W.
bLoyunt 900 n
nn)d' alrvd so
ootft
ot hne
orna i lbwo
ta y station. The land
used for grazing, both sheep, bullocks, and horses. M
y
attention has twice been called to heifers being on the
line. Last Sunday evening was the first time. Ate guar.
ter to eight on that evening I was at the crossing gate,
close by where the accident happened. I was accompanied
by my son, and I saw a heifer on the line, close to the
place where the heifer was struck on Monday. It Was
walking as if it were straying on the line. I said tc my
son, " Very likely it this is left on it will beithe cause
of an accident," and we drove it off over the
rails close by the telegraph post into Mr. Bloomfield's
field. lhere were about a dozen beasts feeding in this pas.
ture. My attention was next called to cattle on the line on
the next morning after the accident. I was standing with
Mr. Richard Royston, of Wootton, between eight and nine.
Re touched my arm and pointed to a heifer which had just
got over the fence. I did not see it get over, but it was
within a foot of the fence. One of the company's men
turned the heifer towards the fence and drove it off the line,