The Sun.
London, England, 1870-12-14 00:00:00

LATER NEWS.

Mr. John Beaumont, spirit merchant, of Wath, ancr
Mr. John Flint, of Mortemley, who were injured in the'
railway collision near Barnsley, died yesterday, after en-
during great suffering. The list of fatalities up to last
evening includes 14 victims. Two of the passengers lie

in Barnsley Infirmary in a most precarious condition.
One of them, named OWinstanley, has had his right lc,'
and the fore finger of his left hand amputated. The
coroner's inquest was opened yesterday afternoon, and PS
many as possible of the bodies having been identified
was adjourned till Thursday. Lord Wharncliffe, Mr.
Underdown, the general manager, and Messrs. Bradley
and Sacre, the engineers of the Manchester, Sheffield,
and Lincolnshire Railway, were present. The young
woman 'Walton, who is amongst the dead, was on the eve
of being married. A large number of persons have to-daY
visited the scene of the collision.

ANOTHER RAILWAY COLLISION ON THE

MIDLAND LINE.

At about six o'clock yesterday morning a Welling-
borough goods train came into serious collision with x
goods train from Nottingham, near to the Kegwordt
station upon the Midland Railway. Both engine'
were much damaged, and several trucks war°
thrown off the line. The line itself was much torn uPr
and blocked both ways. The 2.40 mail train from
Leeds, which should have left Trero at 5.46, did not
leave until 7.30. and, owing to the block, was not able to
get beyond liegworth until 9.15, reaching Leicester at
10. 20. The drivers and stokers of both engines escorted
unhurt. The London passengers were despatched by a
special train an hour after. time. The collision was occa-
sioned by,the fog.

THE RAIL WAY ACCIDENT NEAR HARROW.
The inqviest on the bodies of the seven persons
who met their deaths in the recent accident on the
London and North-Western line was resumed yesterday,
at tile Railway Inn, near Harrow.
The first witness called was William Rutter, stoker to
the second engine of the express, who gave evidence as to
the state of the signals at Wembly and Harrow. He
deposed to seeing the hand-light at Wembly, but not the
light on the posts. He was on the left hand side of the
'engine, behind his mate, but could not see what was doing
on the other engine, in consequence of the steam and the
fog. He saw the Sudbury liehts which were white. He
could see them mid not the Vembly lights, because the
fog was thicker in the former place. After the collision
he assisted a man and a woman from the tender, on to
which they had been thrown by the force of the collision.
Mr. Cawkwell, manager of the North-Western Line,
gave evidence as to the rules of the Company and the
general efficiency of the block system. He said he had
been in the service of the company for twelve yeare,.and
the block system was in operation before he came.
The Coroner read an order issued by Mr. Cawkwell, ott
the 4th November, 1870, calling attention to the careless
and improper way in which the coupling system was
carried out, and requiring in future that if any of the
chains or coupling hooks should be too long to admit of
the waggons being closely united, a special report must
be made by the brakesman upon his way bill
giving the number of the waggons that the
notice of the waggon examiners might be called to the
subject. That circular had not been generally put in
force, but the company were considering the necessity of
so doing.
•By the Foreman : The character of the coupling rested
with the builder. There was no certain mode of testing
those couplings.
A Juryman : Who was liable for the appointment of
Charles Robinson as stationmaster ?
Mr. Cawkwell : The traffic superintendent.
By Mr. Webster (representative of the friends of Mr.
Jeffrays, one of the killed) : There was no special rule
to compel a signalman to use fog signals when the line was
blocked.
By the Foreman : It was impossible for the signalman
at Wembley to tell the man at Harrow that the express
had passed him if the signal wire was cut.
By Ivor. Webster : It undoubtedly the duty of the
men by Rule 38, immediately the goods train broke
loose at .Harrow to have gone back and put down fog
signals. . The white light in the box described by a pre-
vious witness would have been no sipal to a driver. The
signalman should have been outside and waving his
light.
By Mr. Blenkinsopp (solicitor to the Company): The
rule is that no signalman should be on duty more than
twelve hours, but it appears that the men had made some
arrangement that some of them should go home to enable
them to go to market, and that made the night man's
hours longer. An order was made by the directors to
give effect to this desire. The absolute block system
had been partly laid down on the North-Western line,
and would shortly be completed.
Colonel Hutchinson (Inspector of the Board of Trade) was
the next witness sworn.
The Coroner said the jury were in hopes that Colonel
Hutchinson would give some scientific evidence as to what
he had observed with regard to the working of the block
system.
Colonel. Hutchinson said I am afraid I must go to the
causes of the accident, and that would imply neglect.
Mr. Blenkinsopp suggested that the Colonel should give
his evidence without the condemnation of any person.
Colonel Hutchinson suggested that the Coroner should
ask any questions he thought fit, which was agreed to.
Colonel Hutchinson then said : The object of
the block system was to observe a distance
between trains following each other, that distance
varying with the nature of the traffic and the 'nature of
the line—averaging about three miles. The block system
was not considered complete without distance signals, in
addition to the block station signals, so that the trains
might be able to pull up at the stations in case of foggy
weather or obstructed view. The permisSive block system
threw the responsibility almost entirely on the drivers,
whereas in the absolute block system there must be a
mistake made both by the driver and signalman.
The present accident might have occurred under this
system if there was a dieregard of `the signals on
both sides. He thought the absolute block system
made •drivers more obedient to signals than that which
allowed them to pass them when the light AVIIS at caution.
Colonel Hutchinson then read the evidence of Claridge,
who was stoker on the express with Shelve3r, the deceased
driver, and which tended to exonerate the, deceased from
blame. The Colonel added that the break power ou the
express was small, there being only two vans to nineteen
vehicles. With regard to couplings, he thought the com-
panies should consider the expediency of introducing the
double system.
The inquiry wit s adjourned. .

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