The Sun.
London, England, 1863-08-10 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, AtJGtJST 10, 1883.

THE RAILWAY ACCIDENT NEAR LYNN.

In the inquest held at the Town.hall, Lynn, on the bodies
of the persons killed on the Lynn and Hunstanton Railway,
the following evidence was taken on Friday after our parcel
s examination was continued. In reply
Edwards,:d7
mr
he said--I wanted the wire fence at the
wasto iu despatched sB pia entcmh fiedei
put up, but was told that
ptblaecepewetheewreersetoectktbgeoteotbveerr toe bnde:
i we the men at work
last Monday evening. They left off, having
a fence for 20 or 30 yards and left the lineln gknocked
unprotected do down
ll
the night. There were three cows in the field when the fence
was knocked down, but the owner of them took them out.
I told the men when the fences were done that they were
of no use. I have seen the stock
come over the fence. They
walked
tbedoe jver.
ury—The bullocks were short of keep—not
shorter than my neighbour's, but there was plentyi of water.
ours, t e
et ha e s f
se
tnrng o n
ans
By the Coroner—We have plenty of wate rn r w
,u
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sel:ls ysgau it ttenwtiouns
bheatsterbetehnsuca
ed
because
u
aotlhitetrlepawratsteorfinthheis ldinrsei,mparlvticeuhalarvlys
soonmeMr.
on
fences am nt
he nd
wo.
line
capable of keeping out cattle.
Mr. James Platt, locomotive foreman, said—l was in the
train that met with the accident. I was in the fourth car-
riage. I went over the carriages before they started in the
morning. They were all in good working order. I examined
every one. I only go with Wakefield on certain occasions
where there is anything important. The excursion train
was such a case.
By Mr. Edwards—lt is my duty to receive complaints of
carriages. I have received none of these carriages. They
were all in good order.
By the Coroner—lf the driver had seen the red lights it
would have been his duty to stop at a reasonable distance.
When I have been guard I have been pulled up by the
driver, and I have gone back to stop a following train. If
the fireman put on the break it would be felt as much at the
end of the train as in the centre. The train was coupled
at the station by a porter in my presence. The train might
be pulled up in 400 or 500 yards, but some breaks and en-
gines heavier than others.
By the Coroner—l traced the mark of the bullock unde r
nine carriages. The first v.ark was on the first class
carriage, on the axle. The bullock lifted the engine, which
would weigh about 16 tons.
On Saturday the following witnesses were examined :
Mr. George Billing said that he was a passenger by the
train when the accident took place, and described what oc-
curred in the third-class carriage in which he was.
John Reeve, station-master at Hunstanton, said—l started
the trains on the night of Monday. Previous to their start-
ing I made an examination to see that the coupling-irons
were all right. They were all safe. It was by an order
from London the train was divided. As to the second train
stopping, it was left to my arrangement. The first train
was to stop at all the stations, and the second train at none,
unless there were passengers who could not get away by
the first train. Then, in point of fact, the last train
would have been the fastest train of the two. I consider
that a proper arrangement. They allowed sufficient time
for the first train nearly to reach Lynn before the
other started. I purposely left the second standing to
allow of 20 minutes to elapse between the two trains.
By Mr. Edwards—l would not stop a train that was
being folio wed by another unless I was imperatively forced
to do it.
By the Coroner—l should not think myself justified in
stopping after I had passed a danger. I should consider, my-
self, that it would be a greater risk in stopping after having
passed a bullock on the side of the line with another train
behind me. I should consider I was risking the safety of
passengers much more. There would have been more dan-
ger to bath trains.
Captain H. W. Tyler, Government Inspector, said he
came down to make his own inspection, but he would put
himself in the hands of the Coroner. He was then sworn and
said—l examined the line originally, I believe, in September
last. I made a minute examination in regard to the fences.
Betwoen the stations of Lynn and Wootton the ditches,
which are now dry, or nearly dry, were then filled with
water, and where is now a low paling
there was a wet ditch
—where there was no water there was a high fencing. The
fences appeared to me to be sufficient to keep cattle off the
line. I have seen the fence this morning, and taken the
dimensions of it. The ditch, which is now dry, is 7ft wide
at the top and 3ft bin deep, and there is a wooden rail on the
railway side of the ditch 14in high. I think it is not so
good a protection as it might be, but it is not a very bad
fence. It is not all cattle that could get over it. Young
hungry cattle might get over it. I have seen such fences in
Ireland, where the cattle are wilder than they are here. I
have seen in England fences as bad and worse than these, but
as I said before, I think now the ditch is dry there should be
a better fence at the top of the ditch, When I examined the
line I could not tell how dry the ditch would become, and
it would then be the duty of the company to put up such
extra fences as would keep the lino safe. I did not exa-
mine Mr. Shear's land. • I have been examining the fence
where the bullock got over, by order of the Board of Trade.
I was accompanied by Mr. Robertson and Mr. Sin.
claire I have been told that there is no fence at all on
the front of the land occupied by Mr. Shear.
Mr. Edwards—No one could have told him such an in-
famous lie.
Captain Tyler said he would go and examine the place if
it was desired.
A Juryman--We all know there is no fence there.
Captain Tyler's examination continued—lf attention had
been called to the want of fences by a person whose cattle
got upon the line, it wI
s hink tcertainly the duty of the company
when the ditches were dry
to have remedied it.
the fence ought to have been improved. They have plate-
layers on the line, who must be peifectly familiar with the
fences, and must see any cattle if they trespass. Looking
at the present state of the line as to the fences, and the
proximity of cattle, I do not like to say it is absolutely un-
safe, bulb I think it is capable of improvement.
In reply to Mr. Ward Captain Tyler said—l measured the
ditch in three places, two on this side of the potato patch
and one on the other side. My object was to get a low
measurement. Those who accompanied me were agents of
ethwencoeymepea.ny, but I
: m pretty well accustomed to open my
d—l live at North Wootton. lam
far as I remember the fences are
the same now as when I inspected the line, except as to
By Mr. Edward
the water and the wire fences in course of construction.
wellM Mr. R.
itustownsaithe line of railway at Wootton. I have
observed the state of the fences, more particularly opposite
my own land. The line runs nearly a mile along my farm.
I have land on both sides. It is nearly all ploughed land.
The fences are about sft. high from the level of the ground.
made an observation to Mr. Valentine one day that the
lambs would run through them. I have put net against
the rails when I put sheep on—rope net. I think I know
Mr. Blomfield's land. It is all pasture. The morning after
the accident I saw a bull walk on the line, between 5 and
6 o'clock. It came out of Mr. Blomfield's pasture. I saw
a man turn it off, and it went back again into the pasture.
It walked over the fence. The fence, in my judgment, is
insufficient to prevent cattle from getting on the line. Bul-
locks in hot weather will seek water, to get into it, when the
flies are teazing. I think the high fence on the line suffi-
cient. A five-toot fence would suit. There are only two
kinds on Mr. Blomfield's farm—a water ditch and low fence
and the high fence; the highest about 5 feet, and the lowest
about a foot. Before the accident I have seen cattle on the
line, sheep very commonly- I have turned a cow off. That
was about the first week in June. She jumped over the
gate, and I turned her back through it. The gate is about
3ft high, speaking from guess. I have frequently seen sheep
on, from six to ten times. I have not seen cattle on more
than twice. There have been three or four sheep at a time.
There were Mr. Knight's commonly, and John Smith's. I
have seen their fences, and they are not constructed so as to
prevent sheep getting on. The bull I saw on was about a
two-year-old. There are plate-layers usually on the line.
By Mr. Edwards—The height of a farmer's ordinary oc-
cupation gate is somewhere about the height of the railway
gate. 1 was in communication with Mr. Valentine during
the construction of the line, and I did not require of him a
different kind of gate. There were only two occasions on
which I saw cattle on the line. I never made any com-
plaint to the platelayers, whom I saw about the line daily.
The Coroner thought it was not a case in which notice
was required to be given to the company. They were bound
to maintain the fences by the Act.
Allied True said—l was guard of the first train that left
Hunstanton for Lynn last Monday night. Boyce was the
driver. 1 was in charge of the train. We left Hunstanton
at 7.47. When we got beyond Wootton station I did not
hear three whistles. At no part of the journey did 1 hear
three whistles. The only intimation I had of an obstruction
on the line was that he shut off steam and then put it on
again. I looked out, but saw nothing. I did not hear of a
bullock being seen until after the accident. If the driver
had whistled three times I should have applied my break
It would have taken five or six minutes to stop the train.
We might have gone 200 or 300 yards in doing it. I did not
see Mr. Kendall on the engine. I never saw bullocks on the
line. I have seen sheep. I was guard of the train when
the horse was killed last February.
By Mr. Edwards--The pony got on the line at Mr. Gay's
crossing. New fences and gates were put there immediately
after the report of the pony being killed.
Geo. Piper, guard of the second train on Monday evening.
—We left Hunstanton at 8 o'clock, and reached Wolferton
at 8.25. We did not stop at Wootton. We had proceeded
about a mile and a quarter past Wootton when I heard the
driver whistle for the break. I put it on considerably ; as
full as I could. We went about 90 yards after I heard the
whistle, when the train came suddenly to a stop. I jumped
out of the break and ran up to the train, awl found several
carriages were off the road. I then placed the necessary
signals in front and rear of the train, and I afterwards did

all I could to assist the wounded.
By Mr. Pitcher—My break answered, but it would not be
powerful enough to bring up a train like that. Had I seen
a danger signal it would have taken four or five minutes to
stop my train. I could have stopped it in 500 yards.
By Captain Tyler—We were going 25 miles an hour.
Mr. Plat recalled said—The break power on the train
was the tender break, and the break behind the train. It

. _
would have been better with another break. Two were suf
cient to stop it, but not sufficiently quick for the approach-

ing danger. In my judgment, as a practical man, Ido not