The Sun.
London, England, 1865-06-13 00:00:00

The Catastrophe on the South-Eastern
Railway.

THE INQUEST.

The whole of the ten passengers who came to so un-
timely an end, near Staplehurst, on Friday, have now been
identified. Those who lie injured in the town and its
neighbourhood are getting on as favourably as could rea-
sonably be expected. The wreck of the train to which the
accident occurred has been completely removed, and the
ordinary course of traffic on the line has begun to be re-
newed. There remains scarcely anything that is new to
tell of the sad event save that which is revealed in the evi-
dence given before the coroner yesterday.
The adjourned inquest was held before Mr. W. T. Neve,
at the South-Eastern Hotel, at which Major Francis, whose
injuries are of a very severe character, Mr. Condliff, Mr.
and Mrs. Ralph, who were injured to a less extent, aro
still staying.
The railway company were represented at the inquest by
Mr. Freeland, their solicitor ; Mr. Eborall, the traffic ma-
nager ; Mr. Knight, the superintendent ; Mr. Harris, the
assistant superintendent ; and Mr.Enwright, the engineer.
Mr. Fowles (from Mr. Vining's, solicitor, of Moorgate-
buildings) appeared on behalf of Mr. Geo. Whitby, whose
wife was killed, and of Mr. and Mrs. J. P. Lord, who were
injured. Captain Rich, Inspector of the Railway Depart-
ment of the Board of Trade, was also present to watch the
case on behalf of the Government.
Mr. George Beaumont, of Green-street, Park-lane, was
the first witness called. He identified one of the bodies
which stood over for identification since Saturday as that
of Miss Emma Beaumont, of the Rue de Chaillot, Champs
Elys6es. He was a distant relation of the deceased lady,
whose arrival by the tidal train a friend of hers expected.
Her age was 24.
M. Leon Vanlangendrick, of 16, Caledonian-terrace,
King's-road, Chelsea, cook at the Albion Hotel, Albemarle-
street, identified another of the bodies as that of Hippolyte
Mercier, cook to Admiral Fremantle, of the Admiralty-
house, Devonport. Deceased was expected on Friday night
from Paris. He was 33 years of age.
The body of Mrs. Condliff, whose identity was all but
formally ascertained on Saturday, was identified by James
Tunstall, 31, London-road, Liverpool, as that of the wife of
Mr. M. Condliff, of 1, Queen's Hotel, Waterloo, who is now
lying injured in Staplehurst.
The Coroner then said that he had been informed that
this completed the evidence of identification. He added
that he understood Captain Rich had come down to Staple-
hurst, and was at the moment engaged in examining the
portion of the line at which the accident took place. He
did not contemplate that much progress would be made
that day in the inquiry beyond completing the evidence of
identification, but until Captain Rich arrived he
,propesed
to proceed with the evidence of the guard.
The platelayer Henryßenge, who was taken into custody
on Friday last, was at this stage of the proceedings brought
into the room by Mr. D. Ovenden, superintendent of the
Cranbrook division of police.
Lawrence Mercer was then called and deposed as follows:
—I am guard on the South Eastern Railway. 1 have acted
in that capacity for 13 years. I was guard of the tidal train
which left Folkestone at half-past two on Friday last. The
train consisted of the engine, the break van, one second-
class carriage, seven first-class, two break vans, and one
without a break. There were, I should say, about 100 pas-
sengers in the train, most of them having arrived by the
steamboat from Boulogne, George Crombie was the driver,
and William Beattie the fireman. Them were five breaks,
independent of the tender. There were three guards. I
was in the van next the tender. The train after leaving
Folkestone had to pass all the stations up to Redhill. We

passed the Headcorn station about 11 minutes past 3. The
first notice of danger was the danger signal given by the

engine-driver when we got about a mile and a half
beyond Headcorn. The signal consisted of two sharp
whistles. I did not before that see any danger flag.
I did not look for the flag after I heard the signal, but I
immediately put on the breaks, one ordinary and two patent
breaks. I cannot say what distance the train travelled be-
fore the accident occurred. It might be half a mile. I was
able to slacken speed considerably. We had been travel-
ling at the rate of from 45 to 50 miles an hour. I applied
all the break power I could, and the rate of speed was pro-
bably reduced to 15 miles an hour when we reached the
bridge. I did not see when approaching the bridge that
any of the rails had been removed. The engine and break
van, one second, and one first class carriage remained in the
road, although off the rails. They hung over between the
permanent way and the stream. Six of the first-class car-
riages fell over the bridge. They were very much broken.
The depth from the top of the bridge to the surface beneath
is about 7ft. ; it might be 10ft. I had no opportunity of
visiting the spot before the accident, and as the carriages
filled up the brook afterwards I cannot speak positively as
to the ordinary depth, especially at this time of year. I did
not at the time of the accident know the dead from the liv-
ing. I did not see the danger-flag at all. The line from
Headcorn to Staplehurst is perfectly straight. The engine-
driver has, I believe, been in the service of the company 11
years, and is a careful and steady man. In my opinion, a train
travelling at the rate of 45 miles an hour on such a line could
not be stopped within at least half a mile. At Headcorn
station the " All right" signal was exhibited. The distance
at which a signal flag can be seen depends upon the atmos-
phere. A brilliant sun will sometimes prevent the colour of
the flag from being seen more than a dull day, and there
was at the time of the accident a very brilliant sun. I was
not at all aware that repairs were going on on the bridge.
By the Foreman—l did not look at my timepiece when I
passed the Headcorn station. I was looking out, but I did
not see any signal. Sometimes the steam blowing will pre-
vent our seeing the signals. We are expected to keep a
general look-out, but not so much at places such as that
where the accident occurred as when we are passing or near
to stations. The longest distance, I should think, at which
I could see a red flag signal would be half a mile, but I
would not say for certain. A danger signal, when there is
danger, should be waved in the air by the man who carries
it. I saw the flag after the accident. The man appeared to
be holding it in his hand behind the train. I cannot say how
far behind, but I should say 150 yards, but that was after
the accident. I cannot say whether the man had moved or
not. When I saw the flag it was after I had got out of the
train, some few moments after the accident. I applied the
breaks on hearing the danger signal, instead of looking first
what was the matter, as that would have been loss of time.
By a Juryman—The remark about the difficulty of seeing
the flag because of sunlight or steam does not apply
to the driver so much as to the guard. When the accident
occurred I jumped out of the train, leaving the breaks still
on. I should not think when they were once on of taking
them off in a case like the present. If all the five breaks,
besides the tender and engine breaks, had been applied
simultaneously, it is possible that the train might have been
stopped in less than a mile, but never having made the ex-
periment I cannot say for certain.
By the Coroner—l have a book and written instructions,
but there is nothing in it with regard to platelayers.
By a Juror—The rope communication between the driver
and the guards was complete from end to end. That is for
the purpose of enabling the guard to communicate with the
driver. The driver can communicate with the guard only
by means of the whistle.

Mr. Winder then said he wished to ask the witness a
question, but
Mr. Freeland, the company's solicitor, interposed, observ-
ing that It might save time if he at once stated that the
company did not intend to dispute their legal liability.
Mercer stated, in reply to questions which were then
put to him by this gentleman, that he first saw the signal-
man about the time of the occurrence of the accident or
immediately afterwards. His attention was so taken up
by the accident that he did not observe whether the man
was running, walking, or standing, although he saw that
he had a flag. He could see a mile or perhaps more along
the line. He could not say at what distance ho could see
whether a plate was off; certainly not at the distance of a
mile or anything like it. He did not observe the plate-
layers at all until after the accident had taken place. He
could command the breaks of the two first-class carriages
besides his own and put them on. The breaks were
Cremer's patent breaks, and worked with a spring.
Henry Benge, the platelayer, being asked if he wished
to put any question to the witness, replied in the negative,
but observed that the train was much further away from
the bridge when notice of danger was given than had been
stated.

The witness, in reply to one or two other questions, said
that he generally had notice given him when repairs were
going on on the line, but that he had no notice that repairs
were being prosecuted where the accident occurred. The
usual number of breaks to a train of 14 carriages was two.
Examined by Captain Rich—My van was glazed in front.
After we left the Headcorn station I was looking all through.
I was not sorting parcels. We don't carry parcels by that
train. I was on the lefthand side of the van, and, therefore,

if a man was on the sixfoot showing a flag, the engine would
o some extent have been between me and the sixfoot

where ho would he standing. I cannot say whether there

was anything in the shape of steam or otherwise to pre-

Vont my seeing. I cannot say whether it would havo been

possible for the man to have been then waving the flag
without my seeing him. I should say it was decidedly
nearer 200 than 500 yards from the bridge when I heard

the signal. I did not see any beams or timbers lying on the
bridge or near it when I passed over the previous day.

By the Jury—l can't say whether it was possible for men
to have been at work about the bridge for some days before
without my noticing the circumstance. There is work go-
ing on on many parts of the line.

At the close of the examination of this witness, Mr. A.
White, of Clement-hall, came forward and said he identi-
fied the body of Miss Caroline White as that of his sister.
She had been in the habit for the last 10 years of wintering
at Pau, and had just returned to England when she met
her death. He wished to give this evidence because in the
official report issued by Mr. Eborall the name of the de-
ceased lady was given as Wise.

At this stage of the proceedings the Coroner intimated
that as the platelayers would have to be examined, as well
as the superintendent and the signalman at Headcorn, the
Government inspector, and other witnesses, it would be
desirable to adjourn the inquiry.

The inquiry was, after some discussion, accordingly
adjourned to Friday next.