The Sun.
London, England, 1854-08-26 00:00:00

THE FATAL ACCIDENT ON THE LON-
DON AND BRIGHTON RAILWAY.

CROYDON, Friday.—This morning, at 11 o'clock, the
magistrates assembled at the Town Hall, Croydon, for
the purpose of continuing the investigation they com-
menced on Tuesday. Mr. E. R. Addarns was the
chairman of the bench ; and the other magistrates pre-
sent were Captain Kemmiss; Mr. Byron, and Mr.
Sutherland.
The four prisoners sat in the middle of the court,
there being no apprehension on the part of the autho-
rities that they would attempt to effect an escape. A
slight change in the legal arrangements was made to-
day. Mr. Burgon appeared for Simpson, the driver, In-
stead of Mr. C. J. Rawlings, and Mr. Rawlings acted
for Sladden, the stoker of the excursion train. Mr.
Clarkson, the barrister, appeared on behalf-of the South-
pastern Company.
• Mr. Everest asked that the evidence which had already
been taken should be'read.
This was agreed to, and the evidence was gone
through.
Mr. Burgon requested that the prisoners might be
pr )ceeded against separately, as their was no concert
between them. If the magistrates did not think fit to
adopt that course, perhaps they would allow the case of
the two South-Eastern men to be severed from that of
the two Brighton men.
Mr. Rawlings made an application that the witnesses
should remain in court, as it was evident that the two
companies were bringing up witnesses the one against
the other.
The Chairman said that, as this was an inquiry, and
not a trial, he could not accede to the request made by
Mr. Burgon. The suggestion made by Mr. Rawliags
was, be thought, a very proper one.
Mr. Everett opposed the application of Mr. Rawlings;
and, after a long discussion,
The Chairman said the bench would be glad if the
witnesses would retire, but had no power to order them
to do so.
Mr. -Superintendent Hind wished to ask Mr. Brown,
the superintendent of the Bricklayers' Arms Station,
who was recalled, whether the train was divided at Ash-
ford, and if so, for what purpose, and by whose au-
thority ?
Mr. Brown—lt was divided because the train was
too heavy, and by his direction. He had instructions
to do so if necessary.
Mr. Everest asked Mr. Brown whether he had charge
of the excursion train ?
Witness—Not exactly. He was with it.
Examined by Mr. Rawlings.- He certainly had the
direction of the working of the train. He was not on
the engine with the driver and stoker, but was in the
break-van, next to the engine. He kept a good look-
out all the way. It was at all times necessary to pay
particular attention to the Addisconibe-road signal,
and as the excursion train on Monday passed it was
all right. Witness gave. evidence in reference to the
signals similar in character to that given before the coro-
ner yesterday. He added that the ordinary speed of
an excursion train was about 35 miles an hour ; but
he did not know of any regulation as to-the rate at
which the train_ should pass a station. The driver
slackened the speed of the train as he approached the
station. The train was 45 minutes behind its time
when it left Ashford. The last half of the excursion
train, with 24 carriages, left Ashford at 40.30. Directly
the driver saw the signal-man at the station hold up his
hands, which is a signal of danger, he reduced his speed,
and the brakes were pat on as bard as they could. He
distinctly saw Sladden put on the brake and do 11 he could
to stop the train. The engine was reversed immedi-
ately. The line was on a descent towards Croydon.
Witness proceeded to describe the practice of plat ing
red board on the back of a train when a special train was
to approach, and was examined at great length on other
points, which are already before the public.
Mr. Wm. Parker, the London and Brighton Company's
station master at East Croydon, described the signals
along the line. A driver was not allowed to pass a
signal under any circumstances. Witness was at din-
ner when the accident happened, and he did not know
whether or not the signal was up. He believed that a
message came from Stoat's Neat to Croydon, announc-
ing that the excursion train was approaching ; but the
telegraph clerk did not communicate the fact to him, as
he had no instructions to do so.
By the Chairman—There was a board on the first part
of the excursion train, indicating that there was another
train coming, but he did not make any inquiry about it.
He thought four trains passed between the first and
second parts of the excursion train. There was no board
on either of those four indicating that anything else was
to follow. The first half of the train passed about eight
minutes past twelve. Nu notice had been given to him
of the time it would pass, but he was looking out for it.
He did not know at what time the accident occurred,
because he was not on the station. He left the station
at eight or ten minutes before one, his dinner hour
being immediately after he had done with the Dover up
trains.

Inspector Lund wished to ask Mr. Parker whether
immediately after the accident he went to one of the
prisoners and made any remark. If so, what was it,
and what was the reply.
Witness said he went to Simpson, the South-Eastern
driver, and asked him how he came to run by the signals.
He said he must tell the truth between God and man—
that he had run by two of them. He expressly used the
word signals. Immediately afterwards witness's atten-
tion wa4 directed to a clergyman who hail been injured,
and he went away. A. person named Smart was close
by when the conversation between him and witness took
place. He was sufficiently close to hear the conversa-
tion which passed. Other persons were near at the time,
but he did not know their names.
The chairman considered that it was the station.
master's duty to wait for the extra train, when be
received notice that it was coming. He was informed
that an extra or special train was coming up, and
yet be did not take any notice of it. If he had at-
tended to the notice the accident would not have hap-
pened.

George Smart, an engine-fitter at Biightop, said that
on the day in question he was sitting at dinner close
upon or near the switchman's box, at the station signal,
on the north side of the Croydon station. There was a
ballast engine standing on the main line, taking in water.
The two station signals were both reversed, when he
saw a train coming down the cutting, and hearl the
signalman sing out to the driver of the ballast engine to
1113ve on, which he did at once. Shortly afterwards the
accident took place several yards from the water crane.
Mr. Parker, the station-master, then came to him, and
asked him who was the driver of the South-Eastern
train. Witness pointed him out, and Mr. Parker asked
him how he had made such a mistake as to run past the
signals. Simpson, the prisoner, replied that he should
speak the truth before God and man, and that he had
run past the two semaphore signals.
Superintendent Lund—At the time the excursion
tra-n struck the ballast-train, "what rate "was it going
at?

Witness—From 20 to 20 miles an hour.
Thomas Steadman, switchman, at the East Croydon
station, said, he was stationed there, on the north side,
at the time of the accident. The Dover train passed
about 12.50, and soon afterwards the driver of the
ballast engine, which was down at the lower end of
the siding, whistled to know if he might come out
. to water. Witness looked to see if the signals were '
all on to " Danger," and finding they were, he gave
him permission to come out. That was about five
minutes before one o'clock, and he came out. Whihi,
be was standing there witness heard another train
coming up, but could not tell what it was. He looked
and taw it between the foot-bridge and the brick-bridge,
and he called to the driver to get out of the way, say.
ins, '• Get on ; there's a train coming. and I'm afraid
she won't stop." The ballast-train had moved on from
40 to 50 yards when the collision took place.
James Chinnear, signalman on the southside of the E (st
Croydon Station, sand th it when the train came up it
was going at an unusual speed, and the semaphore
signals being both reversed, he ran out of his box and
hell up his hands. The train was going about 40 miles
an hour when opposite the distsnee signal, and about
35 when it passed him. His semaphore was worked
according to that on the north side, and it indicated
danger some time before the excursion train came in
lie had stopped trains corning in at the rate of 40
miles an hour with the south semaphore signal, but
Lad received no orders to do so. The noise of an ap-
proaching train depended very much, fir the distance
-at which it was heard, upon the state ef the wind.
Mr. John Haines, tithe surveyor at Folkestone,
pas-
senger
by the second
part of the excursion train with a
hisith
wife, said that, on the
train passing Ste tee.; Nest, at four
and a-half minutes to lo'clock? he became alarmed at
expressions to the same effect in
the speed, and hearing
. the carriaLre, he tookgoiuentx his watch and timed the rate
at which they were
the fiat mile was done 5"
llusa
th
I
minuteg the station
one and
the next in one minute .ainnd t t-nextin• a little.
a minute ; the fourth he did not see. He had his watch
in his hand, and it was hisimpression
the accident occurred they slack that juA before
n
first spoke to him of the rate theeyea wesrpeegeoding Baits, anifed
he felt alarmed at it himself.
Cross-examined by Mr. Rawlings—Are you in the
habit of travelling by excursion trains
-Witness—Never before, and I hope never
again.
were going at the rate of three miles in threeo
mteid ntWitees
and a quarter. After leaving Tunbridge
the
speed twice. First, it was- two miles in filve n
minutes ;
and the second time, two miles in four minutes..
Applications were then made by their respective agents
to hold the prisoners to bail ; and that made on behalf
of the driver and fireman of the ballast engine Was
granted on the
ground that the evidence showed they
had received permission to water their engine on je
up-line. They were accordingly admitted to bail, them-
selves in 1001- each, and their sureties in similar amounts.
On the part of the driver and fireman of the excursion-
train the application was
,refused.
It being now half-past 5 o'clock, the inquiry was ad-
journed till Tuesday next, at o'clock.

—FATAL
n M.
TUB BOYNE VIADUCT.
ccidentally killed o
about 15 years of age, was a
no viaduct. It ap.
ACCIDSST.—A boy,
Bo day morning by falling from the yn
between
pears he was the son of A stone-runs()
who was working at the viaduct, and
walking alono, the
othratstone-cutter,
and 9 o'clock in the morning he was n his back,
edge of the viaduct with a bundle of tools o
~.ov.
when, losing his balance by the wind, which wastl 7
the
ing sharply at the time, he missed his footing, and,
poor little fellow was precipitated into the river below,
the fall being about 130 feet. The dead body was not'
fo.:nd until about 2 o'clock in the afternoon. THE OLDEST INHABITAT. The M" rent" ( 'v. a•) I
Whig says :—Ea*ter, a
Mrs. Eliza F. Co.rtk.r negro woman, the property of
, near "Upperville, in Fanquier
o
, . t;ounf
140 ty,
ears 1 died on the
is 17th July, having attained the age
yTh is u,o of she 4,00
Tel lar iiabio
wow 1
of lowevity 4 rec9ao