The Sun.
London, England, 1847-06-12 00:00:00

The witness exhibiting some doubt as to the nature of
the breaks upon his engine, the Coroner expressed his
surprise at the want of knowledge, whereupon the wit-
ness remarked that he had never driven the engine in
question before, and was, therefore, not acquainted with
its peculiarities.
In reply to a juror, the witness said he had never
driven a mail train before. He had driven passenger
trains, but he could not say how many times he bad
done so during the last six weeks or a month. He first
heard that he was to drive the mail train at six o'clock
on the Saturday night. The engine was differently
constructed from that which he had before driven; it
had outside cylinders instead of inside.
CORONER—Did you know you were going into the
siding instantly? Witness—Yes, the jerk nearly threw
me off the engine.
CORONER—Were you prepared, before you felt the
jerk, to do all in your power to stop the train? Wit-
ness—Except reversing the engine; that I did within a
very few yards after crossing the points—as soon, in
fact, as I had recovered myself from the shock caused
by the engine crossing the points. The distance from
the points to the spot where the collision took place is,
I believe, 547 yards. My engine was reversed before I
had traversed twenty yards of this distance.
CORONER—Then there was no means of stopping the
train beyond those used? Witness—No. We were
travelling about thirty miles an hour before I shut the
steam off, and the rails being wet, there was unusual
difficulty in stopping the train.
CORONER—Did you communicate with the guards ?
Witness—Yes; my whistle being open and my steam off
was a signal for them to apply the breaks.
them by the reflection e
CORONER—When did you first see the coal waggons ?
Witness—Not until I got close upon them. I first saw
b hne f
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alone
youotfo rawy understandobuulf id
rh laavme p
gone.
CORONER—Are that h aodn
rightthe two
wt
to
points
the station? Witness—We should.
CORONER—When the collision occurred, did you jump
off the engine? Witness—No; but the stoker and my-
self retained our places.
CORONER—Can you tell us what injury occurred when
the collision took place? Witness—The buffer beam of
the engine was broken off at both ends, and the third
second-class carriage was broken up.
CORONER—Did you ever have an accident occur to a
traiu under your control before? Witness—Never.
Edward Bradbury, fireman to the last witness on the
night of the accident, deposed to having acted as stoker
in the service of the North-Western Company for two
years past. He had never acted as stoker to the last
witness before the night in question. Manners shut off
the steam and put on the whistle just before arriving at
the bridge, and witness then put on the breaks. Wit-
ness saw the white light on the signal post, and also the
green hand signal when the engine arrived close to the
points. After the engine entered the siding the driver
reversed the engine, and both himself and witness did
all in their power to stop the train. The witness here
described the effect of the collision; but his evidence on
his point differed in no particular from that of the last
witness. . .

John William Cooper, chief guard in the service of
the North-Western Company—Had been guard for
seven years and nine months, and chief guard between
tour and five years. Witness belonged to the Birming-
ham division, and took his turn in working the mail
train. Left Euston station in charge of this train on
Saturday the sth, at a few minutes after the stated time
for departure. The train consisted of two parcel vans,
four second class, five first class carriages, one mail, one
post-office, two post office tenders, three parcels vans,
and a guard's break-van; making in all nineteen car-
riages. Witness examined the train before starting, and
round it all right. There were three red lights in the
rear of the train, and one on the near side the post •oillice
showing a white light to the rear of the train. Could not
swear as to the lights on the engine and tender, as it
was not part of his duty to look after them. The train
left Euston-square at 8 55 r.m., arrived at Watford
9 23 rat., and Tring at ten o'clock, which was seven
minutes behind time. First discovered a white light
on the signal-post about a quarter of a mile on the
London side of the bridge. Witness was in the break-
van at the rear of the train. The night was dark, and
witness did not see the policeman. Witness put on the
break as soon as he heard the whistle; the train was then
about fifty yardsfrom the bridge. The under-guard sat
on the roof of the first second-class carriage. That was
ais proper position. When the train crossed the points
witness thought they were travelling about 25 miles an
hour. Had no doubt that had the train not been turned
off into the siding, the driver would have been well able
to pull up by the time he arrived at the station. Had
the rails not have been wet on the night of the accident,
believed the train might have been stopped before the
collision took place. Every train had two guards; some-
times, when the trains were very heavy, three guards
were attached to a train. Six guards would be able to
stop the train before three guards, inasmuch as six pair
of breaks must have a greater effect than three pair.
The time lost at Tring had been made up before reach-
ing Wolverton. Witness was present when the deceased
and injured parties were taken up. They were all in one
carriage, which was broken up, and had, another car-
riage resting on it. The second carriage which mounted
was lighter loaded than the 3d and 4th, and the buffers
of the former might have been somewhat higher in con-
sequence. Had not noticed any particular variation in
this respect on the night of the accident. Witness consi-
dered that the various lights on the mail train must have
shown the policeman that it could not have been a goods
train.

William Frederick Smith, inspector of police for the
district between Ble:chley and Roade stations, first knew
Constable Fossey in December last. He had about a
fortnight's tuition at the signal post before he was placed
in charge of it. The signal was called the Blue-bridge
signal. There were two posts, one on each side of the
bridge, for up and down trains respectively. The duty
of Fossey was, when he observed the mail train approach-
ing to signal it to the station by showing a green light
on the down post, in order that the main line might be
kept clear. If the signal was answered to the effect that
all was right, then Fossey should go to the up signal
and show a white light to the coming train, and after-
wards return to the down signal and show a correspond
tug white light. On hearing the collision witness took
up a lamp and ran towards the spot. Seeing that a
dreadful accident had occurred, witness walked imme
diately towards the bridge, where Fossey should have
been, taking with him two other officers. On reaching