The Sun.
London, England, 1848-08-25 00:00:00

RAILWAY ACCIDENTS.

- -
By an analysis of the returns made to this depart-
ment, it appears that of the 90 persons killed and 90 in-
jured, on all the railways opened for public traffic in
Great Britain and Ireland, during the half-year ending
the 30th June, 1848, there were-
-6 passengers killed, and 60 injured from causes beyond
their own control.
5 passengers killed, and 2 injured, owing to their own
misconduct or want of caution.
7 servants of companies or of contractors killed, and
14 injured from causes beyond their own control.
52 servants of companies or of contractors killed, and
18 injured owing to their own misconduct or want of
caution.
18 trespassers and other persons, -neither passengers
nor servants, killed, and 5 injured by improperly cross-
ing or standing on the railway.
1 person run over and killed, at a crossing,lthrough
misconduct of an engine-driver.
1 suicide. _ _

Total : 90 killed, and 99 injured.
And for the same period the number of passengers
amounted to 26,330,492.
DUNCAN WGREGOR, Registrar.
Office of Commissioners of Railway, Whitehall,

August 21, 1848.

WHO IS THE AUTHOR OF THE
RAILWAY SYSTEM ?
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
Sin,—l am pleased to find Mr. Sydney (in his letter,
which appears in your paper. of yesterday), acknow-
ledges that " the merits of Thomas Gray are great."
I ask Mr. Sydney in what consists Thomas Gray's
" merits" if not in being the author of the
railway system ? Mr. Sydney says, " Thomas
Gray was the author of a great idea, but George
Stephenson was snot only the author of ,a great
idea but he turned that idea into a great fact ! ' I ask
Mr. Sydney whether Thomas Gray's " great idea" is not
in having, in 1820, published his work entitled, Observa-
tions on a General Iron Railway, or Land Steam Convey-
ance, to supersede the necessity of horses in all public ve-
hicles, &c., in which he set forth his views supported by
numerous arguments and calculations, showing the ad-
vantages—national and commercial—to beiderived from
the establishment of the railway system, and in having
devoted the greater part of his life and means to the es-
tablishment of that system?
I ask Mr. Sydney whether George Stephenson can be
said to be the " author of a great idea" in having
" planned and constructed the Stockton and Darlington
Railway, the Act for which was obtained in 1821,"*
after the idea of public railways had been propounded
by Thomas Gray, and published in 1820; or, in having
" planned and constructed the Liverpool and Manches-
ter" several years subsequently to 1820, and after that
route had been actually laid down in Thomas Gray's
work?
I maintain that neither the fact of George Stephenson
having been engaged in both of the above works, nor
his having "applied mechanical powers of the first order
to the locomotive engine," nor his having "founded the
modern school of Railway Engineers," nor the very
" great fact" of the most remarkable railway works in
the world having been constructed by his pupils, con-
stitutes a right to consider George Stephenson the origi-
nator of the railway system.
The fact is, Thomas Gray was the author or origina-
tor of the system which has since been carried out by
the public through the medium of George Stephenson
and others; Thomas Gray planned what others executed.
I would have it distinctly understood that I do not
wish to derogate from George Stephenson's merit as a
great mechanic and engineer, but whilst George Ste-
phenson has been handsomely rewarded for his services,
Thomas Gray has never derived the slightest pecuniary
advantage, notwithstanding he has devoted his whole
time and means towards carrying out one of the most
important schemes ever entertained by the human mind.
I am, Sir, your very obedient servant,
J. BANNEHR."

Exeter, Aug. 23.
Tuck's Manual, says the Stockton and Darlington Aci
was passed in 1828, which I think is correct.

FUNERAL OF THE LATE
G. STEPHENSON, ESQ.
The remains of Mr. Stephenson were conveyed to their
last resting-place at Trinity Church, Chesterfield, on Thurs-
day; and it is a melancholy pleasure for us to record the fer-
vent manifestation of respect and gratitude which was paid
at the celebration of the obsequies of one who, whilst living,
was regarded by the nation as the foremost in the onward
march of engineering and mechanical skill—to one who was
the admiration of all classes of society for his natural genius,
and the unsullied excellence of his private character—and
who, though now removed by the unsparing hand of death
from his sphere of action and usefulness, will ever live in
the hearts of the people as one of the benefactors of the ha-
man race. All shops were closed, and business was sus-
pended in Chesterfield in the middle of the day, and
hundreds of persons, including many who had come from
a considerable distance, lined the road on which the funeral
cortege passed, to pay their heartfelt tribute of respect to the
memory of the illustrious deceased. The position attained
by this truly gent man, and the very nature of his avoca-
tions, necessarily brought him into immediate contact with
all classes of society, from the nobles of the land to the
humblest artizan ; a vast number of whom, either from
veneration of his transcendant talents, or from feelings of
friendship and regard, would have been eager to pay the
last Dad tribute of respect to the remains of one so eminent ;
this, however, was found to be impossible, and the invita-
tions were confined to the relatives' of the deceased, and a
few of his old pupils, to whom his memory must ever be as
a beacon on the road to fame, and his life an example of
what great achievements it is possible for man to accom-
plish. About one o'clock the cortege left Tapton House, and
a procession was formed in the following order :—The clerks
and agents from Lockoford and Clay Cross Collieries—two
abreast. The clergy, gentry, and tradesmen of Chester-
field and the neighbourhood—two abreast. The members
of the corporation, preceded by the town officers, with
their staves of office covered with crape, and the mace-
bearer, with the mace enveloped in crape, and headed by
the representative of the Mayor (J. G. Cottingham, Esq.,
Alderman). The Venerable the Archdeacon of Derby.
Several carriages containing the undertakers, medical men,
officiating clergyman &c. The hearse and seven mourning
coaches, containing the chief mourners—R. Stephenson,
Esq., G. R. Stephenson, Esq., Mr. R. Stephenson, Mr.
Hindmarsh, and Mr. Langlands. Then followed the car-
riages of J. Meynell, Esq., G. H. Barrow, Esq., R. Barrov,
Esq., J. G. Barnes, Esq., the Venerable Archdeacon Hill,
J. Paxton, Esq., W. Condell, Esq., Rev. J. B. Jebb, Rev.
C. Bromehead, Rev. E. W. Lowe, and several others. On
arriving in Newbold-lane, the gentry and tradesmen fored
themselves on each side of the road, and the corporation
n, after whom
church ; next followed the gentry and tradesmen,
Chris-
came the clerks, agents, and some of the workmen employ.
by the deceased. The church was coin
letelr filled by Chris-
-1 classes in so-
tiers of all denominations—by persons of a. . .
passed through their lines, heading the procession into the
ciety, including ofthe to be
county present,
who had come from distant parts c y
at the funeral solemnities of one whom they so highly es-
at
proof, if proof be indeed wanted, of the general
many families and individuals of distinction,