The Sun.
London, England, 1841-10-05 00:00:00

COURT CIRCULAR.

IVINDson, Moxpey.—The Queen and Prince Albert
rode early in a pony phaeton to Adelaide Cottage, and
her Royal Highness the Princess Royal was taken an
Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent attended by
Lady Anna Maria Dawson, walked for some time on the
Terrace of the Castle.

In the afternoon her Majesty and Prince Albert left
the Castle in a pony phaeton, his Royal Highness driv-
ing, accompanied by her Roy al Highness the Duchess of
Kent, and attended by the Dowager Lady Lyttelton,
Lady A. M. Dawson, ' Hon. Miss Paget, and the Hon.
Miss Anson, and also by the Gentlemen of the Suite on
horseback.

The Hon. and Rev. E. S. Keppel left the Castle this
morning.

The Rev, the Provost of Eton, the Rev. Dr. Hawtry
(Head Master of Eton), and Mrs. Bouverie, will have the
honour of joining the Royal Dinner circle at the Castle
in the evening.
The Queen will hold a Privy Council at half-past
twelve o'clock, to-morrow, at Windsor Castle.
Her Royal Highness the Duchess or Gloucester, at-
tended by Lady G. Bathurst and his Serene Highness
Prince Ernest of Hesse Philippsthal, attended by Sir
Andrew Barnard and Sir David Davies, left Sudbury
Hall, the residence of her Majesty the Queen Dowager,
yesterday, for town. The Royal Duchess and the Prince
came by the London and Birmingham Railway, and on
arriving.at the terminus in Euston-square shortly before
seven o'clock last evening, her Royal Highness, attended
by her Lady in Waiting and Sir Andrew Barnard, the
Clerk Marshal to the Queen Dowager, proceeded to her
residence, Gloucester House, Piccadilly, and his Serene
Highness Prince Ernest proceeded to Marlborough
House, Pall-mall, the residence of her Majesty the
Queen Dowager.
Governor Cunningham, of St. Kitt's, had an inter-
view with Lord Stanley yesterday, at the Colonial-office.
Sir George Sinclair and Sir George Cockburn had
interviews with Sir Robert Peel yesterday, at his official
residence in Downing-street.
The Agent for Jamaica and Earl de Groy had inter-
views with the Chancellor of the Exchequer yesterday,
at his official residence in Downing-street.
Le Commandeur Marques Lisboa, the Brazilian Minis-
ter, transacted business yesterday, at the Foreign-office.
Captain Hemtly and Mr. Cunard had interviews with
Lord Stanley at the Colonial-office, yesterday.
The Earl and Countess of Lichfield, Viscount Anson,
Lady Anne and Lady Harriet Anson, left town on Sa-
turday for Naples, where they intend passing the winter.
The younger part of the family will remain in England.

THE Maw POSTMASTER-GENERAL. -- For
some time past the mercantile community of Cork had
been applying to the Post-office authorities of St. Mar-
tin's-le-Grand, on the subject of the acceleration of the
Dublin mail, via Clonmel, for Cork ; for over seven
months no direct answer could be obtained, notwithstand-
ing the urgent remonstrances of the city members,
Messrs. Beamish and,; Callaghan ; at length one was
vouchsafed, or rather extorted, and it was a direct refu-
sal of what was asked. The Cork Reporter, a Whig
paper, says, " Hopeless of being able to get redress, no
exertion had been made for some time, until it was ascer-
tained that Lord Lowther was placed at the head of the
Post-office department, immediately upon which the
Committee of merchants addressed his Lordship, through
their Chairman, Mr. Samuel Lane, requesting his atten-
tion to their complaint, and his letter being tansmitted to
Mr. Callaghan, M.P., to be conveyed by him to the new
Postmaster-General, backed by his own local knowledge
of the inconvenience and injury which were experienced,
he received, on Saturday-last, a satisfactory communica-
tion, the well-known business habits of Lord Lowther
a redressguarantew
itfhlaftowflohlavt
ihneopirroym.,,is es he will perform,
andeing
that
THE CONVICT WEYMAN.—A communication
g been received from the Secretary of State,direct-
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late the
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'William
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condition o his being
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tenham Free Press.

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FATAL ACCIDENT ON THE LON-

DON AND BRIGHTON RAILWAY.

INQUEST ON THE BODIES.
Yesterday forenoon an inquest took place at the Rail-
way Station Inn, at Hayward's Heath, on the bodies of
those unfortunate persons who were killed on Saturday
last. The inquest was held before F. H. Gell, Esq.,
Coroner for the Eastern Division of the county of Sussex,
and a highly respectable Jury, of whom Thomas Jones
Bellamy, Esq., a Magistrate of Cuckfield, was foreman.
The Jury proceeded to view the bodies, at a little house
near the place where the accident took place. The
bodies exhibited a most frightful spectacle. Henry
Palmer's in particular was most ghastly. The wheel ap-
peared to have passed over him just above the eyes, and
the whole of the upper part of the head was smashed.
The female Jane Watson (both Dr. Carpue's servants)
had received a dreadful wound, nearly separating her
body at the belly.
The Coroner and Jury then proceeded to the bed.
room of a beer-shop in the neighbourhood to ex-
amine Charles Goldsmith. He was in bed and
had his head bound-up, and appeared to have
received very serious injury. He stated that on the
day of the occurrence he was on the first engine, and
came from Horley. There were two engines attached,
one a large one and one small. Witness was in the
smaller one, and went with the train to assist it, in con-
sequence of its being heavily laden and behind time.
Witness did not perceive any motion until they reached
Copyhold cutting, though they were going at the rate
of about thirty miles an hour. Witness was rendered
insensible by being thrown off, and was picked out of
a ditch, under the tender, covered with sand and water
Witness examined the engine previous to starting, and
all appeared quite safe.
By the Jury--The other engine-man shut his steam
off, and witness did the same within half an inch. The
large engine was not pulling at all ; the whole of the
work was done by witness's engine. The heavy engine,
if not stopped very carefully, would cause a jumping
motion, and give the smaller one a jerk. Witness never
knew of an engine being thrown off by such means.
Witness is between 20 and 21 years of age, and been
occupied on trains about five years, but never drove one
until the last month. Witness let the steam off, as he
thought he saw some person holding up his hand. Wit-
ness had written orders from Mr. Hunt, but they said
nothing about the speed, except on the Greenwich and
Croydon lines.
By Mr. Faithfull—Before the accident happened, wit••
ness was aware of the state of the engine behind. Did
not think the accident was caused by slackening his
speed. The engine might have got out of order on the
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liable to accident if one of the wheels got strained, which
would not be the case with a six-wheeled one.
The Jury having returned to the beer-shop, the first
witness called was
John Holland, a retired officer in the army, who
identified the bodies of Henry Palmer and Jane Watson,
the former as the footman, the latter as the housemaid,
of Mr. Joseph Constantine Carpue, surgeon, of Upper
Charlotte-street, Fitzroy-square, whose family he had
been in the habit of visiting. Henry Palmer was about
23ears of age, and Jane Watson about the same age.
James Jackson—l am an engine-driver in the em-
ployment of the London and Brighton Railway Com-
pany.
On Saturday last I left Horley at five minutes
after 12 o clock. I was to proceed from Horley to
Brighton. I hod brought the engine from Horley in

THE SUN. LONDON. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5. W4l.

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BY WOONE'S PATENT
GTPSOGRAPHIO PROCESS.
the morning and was to return with it. I examined the
engine at Horley, and it was in complete working order.
A pilot-engine was attached to the train at Horley, be-
cause we had a heavy train, and to help us up the hill.
We came from Horley to the Copyhold cutting - at
the average rate of about from twenty-six to thirty
miles an hour. About half-a-mile before coming to the
Copyhold cutting we were running at the rate of about
thirty miles an hour. On entering the cutting by the
bridge we did not exceed twenty-three miles an hour. I
believe it to have been 20 or 21. Nothing occurred here to
induce me to slacken my pace. I had shut off my steam
half a mile before I came to the cutting, because my en-
gine was getting slack of steam ; and, as we were going
down hill, and the other engine was going to leave me at
Hayward's-heath, I wished to reserve my steam, that I
might keep a good supply with which to get to Brighton.
I did not observe any signal before entering the cutting.
After we entered it, just before the accident took place, I
observed a man, amongst a number of men, standing
with one arm up; that is a signal to slacken speed. The
instant we passed the man I observed the first engine
rocking very much, and, directly after, she capsized right
over to the left-hand side. I immediately leaped behind
the fire-box, and laid hold of the hand of the regulator,
till I was thrown back by my engine coming into contact
with the end of the other engine. If the other engine
had rolled a foot further, I think we might have avoided
her altogether. I did not perceive the slightest movement
in my engine till she struck the other. I was thrown
back on the carriage of the tender, and continued holding
the chain till the carriage stopped. It was all over in
half a minute. We had no warning nor any thoughts
of the accident. Directly I got off my engine, I saw
one of the guards lying on the ground on his back close
by my engine. I lifted him up, and then went back,
and the next person I saw was Charles Goldsmith,
covered with sand and mud, and under the frame of the
tender in a gutter by the side of the road. We pulled
him out of the hole, and the next person I saw was
Robert Marshall, a stoker to the first engine,
g dead
on the ground on his back, he lying lengthwise to the
railway, with his head towards London. Seeing no
other person, I got through the carriages, and then found
Field, my stoker, about three yards from the carriages,
between the out-rail and the gutter. He was almost
lifeless ; the phlegm was gurgling in his mouth. I told
him to spit it out, and he did so. Directly I left him
I proceeded to my engine, and saw a female lying across
the railway, with a carriage wheel resting on her. She
was with her face downwards, quite dead. At this time
some men were getting Henry Palmer from under some
carriages, within a couple yards of the female. He was
quite dead. The earth in the cutting is of a greasy na-
ture, and a number of men, who are employed there,
are in the habit of walking over the trains with their
boots, leaving a portion of earth on them, which, in my
opinion, was the cause of the accident.
CORONER—How would that affect the engine ? Wit-
ness—The engine being on four wheels, and sliding
about, and being top-heavy, the gushing about of the
water on the top of the fire-box would almost force her
over. That is my firm opinion. As to the state of the
cutting, I have run 30 and 35 miles an hour through it
many a time. The earth has not given way at this part
at all. All I saw was the rocking motion, which I con
jecture was owing to the slippery state of the rails. You
do not feel this with a six-wheeled engine. I have been
over there at 30 miles an hour, and never have had any
cause to slacken speed.
CORONER—If there had been no pilot-engine, would
the danger have been less ? I do not think my engine
would have gone off on account of its weight, and hav-
ing six wheels. Only three carriages/. those next to the

tender, were thrown off the line. The others were not
affected. There were.. 11 or twelve carriages in the
train. Ido not know how many passengers ; but there
seemed to be a considerable number, and a good deal of
luggage.
Mr. Barwell—Do you consider the construction of the
pilot-engines safe or unsafe ? Witness—l consider them
unsafe. There is a difference of opinion among engineers;
but I don't like four-wheeled ones. This was as safe as
other four-wheeled engines, but I prefer six-wheeled
ones. I think a four-wheeled and six-wheeled can act
in unison together, if the stroke be the same. If a six-
wheeled and a four-wheeled were stopped at the same
time, the six wheeled engine would stop sooner than the
four-wheeled, because there would be less friction.
Goldsmith took no notice of me, but shut off a part of
his steam shortly after me.
Cross-examined by the Rev. Mr. Fearon—l don't
think there is more danger in having two engines than
one. Hive had had two four-wheeled engines on Satur-
day the consequences would have been still worse. lam
quite sure that my speed between the viaduct and the
Copyhold cutting, about three-quarters of a mile, was
not above 30 miles an hour. We were behind time a .
little at Horley, but did not go above our ordinary speed.
The pilot•engine was put on because we had a heavy
train. The accident happened about half-past 12.
By Mr. Barwell—A foreman is kept at Horley and
Brighton to examine the engines. I saw Mr. Hurst go
round mine at Horley, and believe he looked over both.
By Mr. Allen—l am quite certain, from experience,
that the slippery state of the rails would cause, and not
prevent, oscillation. It is the same in chalk cuttings. I
have been a driVer four years and a half. Goldsmith
was perfectly sober,-and I always knew him to he so. I
can suggest no other cause for the accident but that I
have described.
By the CORONER—The weight of the carriages behind
did not cause any movement in the engine ; it would
make it go steadier. I saw a policeman at the viaduct
give the signal " all right," but saw no other. The man
who gave the signal was the foreman of the works there.
I never had a signal there before. The engines went off
immediately we had passed him. All the engines are
new ones. The pilet-engine was in good working order.
Mr. Barwell—Did you ever state your opinion of
four-wheeled engines to any of the company 2—No ; not
before yesterday.
Foreman—Have the.engines ever run off the line be-
fore ?—Yes ; on Friday last I saw an engine, a four-
wheeled one, run off the rail at the Hayward's-heath
tunnel. I did not know the cause. I have never seen
any other case.
By Mr. Faithfull—When I saw the signal I pulled the
retard lever, but it Could not stop the other engine.
By Mr. Barwell—l never knew a six-wheeled engine
go off the rail unless there was some obstruction, or
the points were wrong. The London and Birmingham
Railway uses four-wheeled engines, but they are not so
high as these, and therefore require less heavy cylinders,
and are consequently less top-heavy. I knew a similar
case to this occurring on the London and Birmingham.
They are made on the same principle, except that our
boilers are larger. I should not like to drive a four-
wheeled engine.
By the Foreman—Neither of the boilers exploded.
That of the pilot was burst from falling over. I observed
the state of the rail after the accident. It was bent a
little, a very little indeed, owing to the carriages running
against it. The rail was in the same state as that in
which I had gone over it at thirty miles, and believed it
perfectly safe.
James Copley—l am a labourer employed on the rail-
way. I recollect being in Copyhold cutting, about a
quarter past twelve o'clock on Saturday last. I saw the
down train coming at about its usual rate. I made a
signal to it to come steady just before they came to the
bridge. We have done it for the last three or four days
on account of the wet, and for fear they should come
light. There was no reason more than the usual one. I
did not see the accident. As soon as the train passed I
went away.
Mr. Barwell—Were the rails greasy ?—No, Sir. In
that part the soil is sandy. There is some black clay at
the top. I had been told to make the signal by a police-
man. There are veins of black soil running down the
cutting. I had not observed in particular the clay from
the labourers' boots on the rails.
Juryman—What do you mean by the road:being
light ?—Why, the wet pushes the rails up, and makes
them uneven; but that was not the case with the rail on
Saturday
Mr. 1 aithfull then called.
Mr. John Hardy—l reside at No. 3, Portland-place,
and am Member for Bradford, in Yorkshire. I was a
passenger by the quarter before eleven o'clock train,
from London, on Saturday. I was in the middle part of
the carriage next to the engine, with an optfn coupee on
each side. The first thing I experienced was a great
shock and dreadful screams. I was in the middle of the
carriage, with my face to Brighton ; and by the shock
a lady, who was sitting in the corner opposite to me,
was thrown on my knee. There was immediately great
crashing. I and my son-in-law, Mr. Wood, spoke, to the
ladies, when we were suddenly lifted up and turned round,
and, in the course of a few seconds, instead of being with
my face tewads Brighton, my face was towards London,
and the carriage leaning against a sandbank. Just as we
were first struck a quantity of steam and water came
into the carriage, but there was no escape for it. As soon
as we were still Mr. Wood, who was next to the window,
f.-,ot out, there being room between the window and hill,
and assisted me in doing so. I immediately jumped
across the ditch, and found the carriage had been com-
pletely turned round. I went round the engine, which
was in the road, and the first thing I saw was the guard,
very much disfigured. I spoke to him, found he was
alive, and called for a surgeon. Mr. Elliott came. A
little further on I observed the first engine lying in the
ditch, on the left hand side. A little beyond it was one
of the stokers lying, apparently dead. I have travelled
a great deal by railway. I have been eleven times by
this railroad, and, to the best of my judgment, we were
proceeding at the rate from 20 to 24 miles an hour. Just
before I had been complaining to my companions of the
slowness of the speed, and said we should be half an hour
behind our time at Hayward's-heath.
By the Foreman—l thought this was a very long train.
I had taken my place in the coupee, but my son-in-law
persuaded me, just before starting, to leave it. Had I
remained, most probably your inquest would have been
upon me.

By Mr. Faithfull—l cannot give a scientific opinion
upon. the point,' but from experience I should say, the
heavier the train the steadier the motion.

Mr. John Wood, of Thaddon-grange, Alton, Hamp-
shire, corroborated the evidence of Mr. Hardy. In
going through the cutting, I should suppose the speed to
be from twenty to twenty-five miles. I frequently travel
on railways.
William Beedham—l am a builder and surveyor, re-
siding in North-street, Brighton. At the time of the
accident I was near the railroad, about half a mile from
the place where it occurred. I heard the train coming.
I took my watch out, and also the railway table, to see
what train it was. It was just half-past twelve. Ac-
cording to my judgment, it was going about twenty-five
miles an hour. I had a full view of it across the viaduct,
about half a mile from the accident. I could not say
whether it slackened before I lost sight of it.
Richard Hodges—l am a labourer on the railway and
live at Copyhold. I saw the train on Saturday, in the
cutting. It was coming along at the usual rate. I saw
the first engine jump up and down as it came along—it
might be about half a minute, and then I saw it drop
right off the rail. I then turned and ran away ; and
either the tender or the engine caught me, and one of
the stokers fell across me and knocked me into the
ditch. When it jumped the fore wheels rose up and
down. I did not see any oscillating motion.
Matthew Hall, assistant engineer—It is my duty to in-
spect that portion of the railway on which the accident
occurred, and to see that it is in a proper state. I had
inspected it just previous to the accident. I was a little
in advance of the train, in the cutting, at the time. The
road was in-a fit state for travelling at 25 miles. It was
in as good a state of repair as it has been in since the
line was opened. lam of opinion that a heavy train
is steadier than a light one. lam stationed on the line
for 16 miles, to St. John's-common, and it is in a per-
fectly fit state for travelling. I did not observe any-
thing on the rail to make it slippery. The soil is sandy.
Mr. Elliott, of the Brompton Lunatic Asylum, who
had been a passenger by the train, and had attended on
the wounded engine-driver and guard, had been sub-
pcenaed, and was present during the investigation; but,
as he was not able to give any additional evidence, he
was not called.

The Jury expressed a wish to have the policeman who
was on duty at the Ouse-valley viaduct, a mile north of
the Copy-hold cutting, when the train passed, examined
as to the speed at that time; and a messenger was des-
patched to summon him before the Coroner.

In the meantime the Jury having expressed an opinion
that the cause of the accident was the use of four-
wheeled engines,

Mr. Faithfull said that Mr. Rastrick, the chief engi-
neer, and Mr. Statham, one of the resident engineers,
were present and ready to explain any matters which the
evidence might have left in doubt.
The Jury, however, did not ask them any questions.
Jackson, the engine-driver, re-examined-1 think that
the water and the top-heaviness of the pilot engine,
coupled with the slippery state of the rails, was the cause
of the accident. I have known four-wheel engines run
off on the Eastern Counties line, but I never knew six-
wheeled engines to do so.
John Hinge examined—l am a police-constable, No.
37, on the line of the London and Brighton Railway, and
reside at Cuckfield. On Saturday last, between twelve
and one o'clock, I was on duty at the Ouse Viaduct.
I saw the down train coming towards me, and held
up my hand to give the "All right " signal ; and
as it neared me I gave a signal to go steady, as
I observed that it was going rather faster than
usual. I did not at that time observe any particular
motion of the urine or train. Shortly after I heard
a great noise in the direction of the Copyhold-cutting,
and as I thought the bursting of a steam-boiler. I ran
in that direction as hard as I could, and some labourers
ran also. As soon as I got intolthe cutting, which is
about three quarters of a mile, I observed that an acci-
dent had happened, and I got up to the spot and ren-
dered assistance to the sufferer* I do not know how it

happened. I had no apprehension of an accident occur.
ring when I saw the train pass along the viaduct. I did
not say my heart came into my mouth when I saw the
train coming along, they were going at such a rate. The
road where the accident happened has been out of order
lately in consequence of the bad state of the weather.
The Court was here cleared of strangers, and at half-
past six o'clock the Jury returned a verdict of " Acci-
dental death, with a deodand of one shilling on the en-
gines; and the Jury are of opinion that the four-wheeled
engines used on this line are not of a safe construction,
and they recommend their discontinuance."

The following letters have been addressed to the Times
on the subject of the late accident:--

TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.
Sir—The dreadful accident on the Brighton Railway

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