The Sun.
London, England, 1841-12-27 00:00:00

LONDON, MONDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1841.

PUBLICATION S.

Just published, price 245., the
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DREADFUL ACCIDENT ON THE
GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY.
EIGHT LIVES LOST.
(From our Evening Edition of Saturday.)
Yesterday morning one of the most frightful acci-
dents happened on the Great Western Railway that
ever occurred in this country.
It appears that the engine Hecla left Paddington
station about four o'clock in the morning, with the
luggage train, consisting of fourteen waggons, two
trucks, and about twenty-seven passengers. On. ar-
riving at the cutting, near Sunning Hill, within about
three miles of Reading, at a place called the Gullet,
and about eighty yards east of the wooden bridge, the
immense embankment had given way, and covered about
thirty yards of the down line of rails. The engine got
completely embedded in the earth, and the crash was
so great as to throw the tender and moat of the trait
on the opposite line ; indeed one waggon was, by
the terrific concussion, actually forced on the top
of another. The unfortunate passengers were thrown
out in all directions, and some were crushed between
the trucks, and others were buried beneath the fallen
earth. The consternation was at this time of the most
appalling nature, and the lamentable cries of a father
who saw his son literally crushed between the tender '
and the truck was of the most heart-reading description.
Information was immediately forwarded to Reading,
and the most prompt measures were adopted to render
effectual assistance in this dreadful affair. The unfortu-
nate sufferers were as speedily as possible conveyed to
Reading in the first-class carriages, where they were met
by Mr. F. A. Bulley, Mr. Morris, and Mr. May, surgeons
of the Royal Berkshire Hospital, who lost no time in
having them conveyed to the -hospital, in omnibuses,
carriages, flys, ficc., It is somewhat remarkable that
neither the driver of the engine nor his assistant sus-
tained any injury ; the conductor and the guard also
escaped unhurt, although the former was thrown from
his seat over the bank with great violence. The guard
was thrown upon the opposite embankment, and other
officers of the Company were saved by leaping from
their places. The accident happened about half-past
six o'clock in the morning, but many of the bodies of
those who were killed were not extricated before half-
past eight o'clock, although every possible assistance
was rendered. Most of the sufferers were mechanics, who
had taken their places for Cheltenham or Gloucester.
One was a Baptist preacher; he was respectably dressed,
but no papers were found on him to identify his per-
son. Much credit is due to the engineer, who, with
great presence of mind, shut off the steam before he
leaped from the engine, by which an explosion was pre-
vented. The up and down trains were delayed be-
tween Twyford and Reading until the ground was
cleared off one side of the rails, which was not effected
until nearly one o'clock in the afternoon. The total
number conveyed to the hospital was seventeen ; five,
after having their wounds dressed, were able to proceed
on their journey. Tnere were several others who had
received injuries that were attended to by the surgeons
in Reading, but lam happy to find they were not of a
serious nature. Of the twelve sufferers who arc now
left in the hospital one has a fracture of the skull, anti
has been trepanned ; two are suffering from injuries of
the bones of their feet, two with broken arms, one dis-
location of the arm, one fracture of the ribs, one lace-
ration of the scalp, one injury of the back, and three
internal injuries.
Although it was apprehended in the early part of the
afternoon that many of the cases at the hospital would
prove fatal, I am happy to learn from inquiry at a late
hour (nine o'clock in the evening) that all the patients
are going on favourably, and great hopes arc entertained
of their recovery.
It is but justice to state that nothing could exceed
the care and attention rendered to the unfortunate suf-
ferers by the surgeons, and every one connected with
this valuable institution.
Mr. May, the Coroner, held an inquest on the bodies
last evening, which was adjourned until Monday after-
noon, at the request of the foreman and one or two of
the Jury, for the purpose of ascertaining whether the
report was correct that the embankment had partially,
given way a day or two previous and had not been at-
tended to by the officers of the Company.
Mr. Saunders, on the part of the Railway Company,
attended to watch the proceedings.
(From the Times.)
An accident, attended with more deplorable conse •
quences than any we have yet had occasion 'to record,
occurred yesterday morning on this railway, and has
deprived no less than eight unfortunate beings of life,
besides inflicting serious injuries on many others.
Owing to the strict reserve on the part of all the
Company's servants, we have had considerable trouble
in collecting the following information respecting this
fearful calamity, which may, however, be relied on as'
substantially correct. It appears that the luggage-
train, which leaves Paddington at half-past four a.m.,
was proceeding downwards at the usual hour, with
about thirty-eight passengers, chiefly of the poorer
class, who were looking forward to a Christmas
holiday in the country, when on reaching the middle
of the Sunning-hill cutting, about two miles and a
half from Reading, it suddenly came in contact with
a mass of earth which had slipped from the slope
above, and covered one of the rails to the depth of two
or three feet. On meeting with this obstruction the
engine was immediately forced off the rail, dragging the
tender after it ; the next truck, which contained the
passengers, was thrown athwart the line, and in an in-
stant was overwhelmed by the trucks behind, which
were thrown up into the air by the violence of the col-
lision, and fell with fearful force upon it. The engi-
neer, and the guard, who was in the same truck with
the passengers, had just time to perceive the danger,
and springing from the carriages, escaped ; but of the
rest of th passengers, no less than eight, shocking to
say, were killed on the spot, and seventeen others more
or less severely wounded. These were conveyed, as
soon as possible, to the Reading Hospital, where every
attention which the dreadful circumstances of the case
required was paid them. Pour were sufficiently reco-
vered to be enabled to proceed on their journey the
same day, and the rest, with the exception done or two
who lie in a very precarious state, are reported to be
going on favourably.
Several persons, who arrived on the spot a few mi-
nutes after the accident happened, describe the sight as
horrible in the extreme. The morning was dark and
gloomy, but through the obscure light which was ob-
tained, were discerned the corpses of eight persons
frightfully mutilated, and crushed amidst tie wreck of
trucks which were heaped in confusion one upon an-
other. Of these unfortunate victims, one was stated
to be a wotnan ; another, a son, whose sudden and de-
plorable fate bad been witnessed by fifs own father, who
was his fellow-passenger, and who escaped with his life.
The corpses of the deceased were conveyed to a
neighbouring hut, where they remained during the day.
An inquest was held by the Coroner upon the bo-
dies of the deceased, at a neighbouring public-house,
at three o'clock in the afternoon, but we have not
been aVe to ascertain the precise nature of the evi-
dence produced. An impression certainly prevails
in the neighbourhood, that the embankments of the
railway at that part of the road where the accident
occurred are not in a secure condition. The cuttings
are very deep and extensive, and the soil through
which they are formed is stated to be of a loose
springy nature, and therefore the more liable to fall.
They are also considered to be too perpendicular, and
their insecurity is supposed to have been greatly in-
creased by the succession of rains that has taken place,
and by the change in the weather which has just oc-
curred. Previous to the occurrence of the accident,
it would appear that the attention of the Company's
servants was drawn to the state of the embankments
in consequence of its having been observed that in
some places the earth exhibited a tendency to slip.
One of the Company's servants, whose duty it was to
take charge of this portion of the road, stated, how-
ever, in his examination by the Coroner, that he
carefully examined the condition of the embank-
ments so recently as a little before 5 o'clock on
the preceding evening, that they were then per-
fectly secure, and that there was not the slightest
appearance of there being any danger of a slip
taking place. It is, nevertheless, the opinion of
some persons that the obstruction must have existed
some hours at least before the sad catastrophe oc-
curred. We can offer no opinion of our own as to the
accuracy of this view of the matter, and we have no
means of determining whether it is entitled to any con-
sideration. The inquest was still sitting at eight
o'clock last night ; and if an adjournment of the inquiry
should not take place, it is probable that it would be
protracted to a very ate hour.
We are informed that the passengers who travel
by the luggage trains are placed in an open carriage
immediately behind the engine, and between the
trucks in which the luggage is conveyed. By this
mode of arrangement, in case of any accident occur-
ring to impede the progress of the engine, the passen-
gers are placed in the most dangerous position. The
impetus given to the luggage trucks by the speed at
' if any obstruction
to the most frightful
should
ttahkeey
palarcee,prborpineglle,ttemmusint
fromng the passengers,
those aconldlismiounsiwailtmh
otshteinceavrir.,iazbglye ccounttoaffini
unfortu-
nate persons the slightest chance of escape.
We have not been able to learn the names of any
of those who have: perished in this lamentable catas-
trophe, nor have any, we believe, been recognised,
but one, who is stated to be the waggoner of the
van between Landon and Steventon. Of this, how-
ever, we can give no certain account, as, in conse-
quence of the secrecy evidently enjoined on the
Company's se oants, we have had no direct means
of obtaining &lotion, which to goo many people must

be of the most important and painful interest. We
have no doubt that in observing this extreme caution,
the Directors of the Company have been actuated by
the best motives ; but we would earnestly recommend
all railway companies, in future, out of compassion to the
feelings of the friends and relatives of the sufferers, to
afford, every means in their power of satisfying the pub-
lic, and preventing undue exaggeration and alarm.
ANOTHER ACCOUNT.

Last evening a feeling of intense excitement was cre-
ated throughout the metropolis by the circulation of a
report that a most frightful accident had occurred in
the course of the morning on the line of the Great
Western Railway, by which a most dreadful sacrifice
of human life had been occasioned. The accident
was stated to have occurred to the day mail train in
its outward progress, but from inquiries, our reporter
had made at the Paddington terminus, it appears
that this statement is not correct. From
the information with which our reporter was kindly fur-
nished by Mr. S. Clark, the superintendent of the Rail-
way, it appears that the morning goods train left the
Paddington terminus about the usual time, half-past
four o'clock a.m., and made its usual stoppages at the
different stations down the line, until it arrived at Twy-
ford, between Maidenhead and Reading. It was then
about six o'clock, and still quite dark, when the train
pursued its course until it reached the deep cutting
about half-way between Twyford and Reading. Just as
the train approached, an extensive slip of earth, the
consequence of the late heavy and continued rains, took
place from the embankment on the south side, large
masses falling right across the line. Before the en-
gineer or guard could be aware of the danger, the
engine had run upon this obstruction, by which it
was turned off the rails, carrying the train with if,
until it was comptptely buried in the earth. The scene
which ensued at that moment it would be impossible
for even an eye-witness to describe, but we understand
that on lights and assistance arriving, it was found that
four of the carriages, or trucks, in which were a number
of passengers, were completely broken to pieces, while
of the passengers eight were found to be lifeless, eight
so severely injured as to require their being immediately
removed to the Berkshire County Hospital at Reading,
while the remainder, whose injuries we: e not so severe,

were attended to by the medical gentlemen of the
neighbourhood. Immediately on the intelligence of
the melancholy occurrence being received at the Pad-
dington terminus, several of the officers of the Com-
pany, followed by some of the Directors, proceeded in
special trains to the spot, for the purpose of rendering

assistance to those of the unfortunate sufferers still sui:

viving.

Throughout the evening numberless applications were
made by the friends of persons who had proceeded by
the train, but they were unable to obtain any satisfac-
tory information as to their fate. All the in-coming
trains were late during the day, and when our reporter
left, the train which ought to have reached Paddington
had not yet come in.
FURTHER PARTICULARS.

READING, FRIDAY NIGHT.—The trucks containing
the passengers were crushed between the luggage wag-
gons and the tender, and scarcely one of the unfortu-
nate travellers escaped without the most serious and
dangerous injuries. Some of the carriages were upset,
and others jammed between the hindermost waggons
and the engine and tender.
Tile cries of the maimed and wounded, and the
shrieks of the dying, at this moment, it were impossible
to describe. It was at once a scene of destruction and
horror of the most lamentable and heart-rending cha-
racter.

Despatches were instantly sent' to Reading for me-
dical aid, and several professional gentlemen were shortly
on the spot. It may be considered most extraordinary
that neither the engineer nor the stoker rec6rei the
least injury.
Considerable time elapsed before the whole of the
unfortunate creatures could be extricated from the frag-
ments of the broken carriages. Eight were found dead,
and the whole of the remainder more or less injured.
Ti►e names of those who were killed, who were con-
veyed to a cottage bard by, were totally unknown when
this account was despatched from Reading.
An inquest upon the bodies was held this evening,
before Mr. May, one of the Coroners for Berks, and
adjourned till the afternoon of Monday next. We
shall give the whole of the evidence at the termination
of the proceedings. At present nothing has been pro-
duced in evidence in any way to attach blame to the
Railway Company.
Sixteen persons, consisting of eleven men and five
women, were conveyed to the County Hospital, at
j Reading, in various vehicles, which were despatched to
the scene of the fearful calamity, where they were most
humanely attended by Mr. F. A. Bulley, Mr. May,
and Mr. Morris, surgeons to that institution.
The folowing is a description of the injuries they
have sustained :

J. A man with his Anil dreadfully fractured, upon
whom the operation of trepanning was immediately
per formed.
2. Shoulder joint dislocated.
3. Foot dreadfully crushed. A portion of the bones
were removed.
4. A man and woman with their arms broken.
.5. Three cases of concussion of the spine.
6. Head severely injured.
7. Two men with broken ribs.

At a late hour last evening the whole of the patients
in the hospital were alive. One or two, however, who
have experienced injuries of the spine, are not expected
to survive. The sufferers are receiving every attention
from the medical officers of the institution, and no pains
are spared to alleviate their sufferings.

Tile sufferers are chiefly composed of working men,
principally:stone-masons,who were proceeding to Chelten-
ham, Gloucester, and Bridgewater. It is not expected
that any will be able to leave the hospital for a month
or six weeks.

From a quarterly ticket found upon the person of
one who is dead, he is supposed to be a Dissenting
preacher, named Jabez Cler.
The body of a respectably-dresse3 mechanic, which
was crushed between one of the carriages and the ten-
der, was nearly severed.
It appears that the engineer (who, along with his
assistant, jumped off the engine the moment the catas-
trophe occurred) had the precaution to shut off the
steam, thus preventing the explosion of the boiler,
which, under the circumstances, must otherwise have
inevitably taken place.
Immediately upon the accident being known in
town, Mr. Brunel, the engineer to the Company, Mr.
Saunders, one of the secretaries, with Mr. Seymour
Clark, left the Paddington terminus by a special train,
with nearly 100 workmen, to clear away the obstruc-
tion upon the rail.
The inquest was adjourned this evening, at the re-
cpzest of the Foreman of the Jury, who wished some
evidence to be produced to prove the state of that por-
tion of the bank which slipped during the past fort-
night or three weeks.
The inquiry excites the most intense interest through-
out the entire neighbourhood.
Since the receipt of the above accounts we have
learnt, from good authority, that the slip of embank-
ment took place between half-past four and seven
o'clock yesterday morning. The up mail train passed
the place where the accident occurred about half-past
four o'clock, and there was at that time no impediment
on the road. The train to which the unfortunate acci-

dent occurred was a particularly heavy one : it con-
tained upwards of 800 barrels of oysters and baskets of
fish. Indeed, throughout the week the Christmas

cheer that has been forwarded by the railway has been
immense. The inquest is adjourned till Monday.
The line is now cleared, and the trains will proceed

as usual.

(From a Second Edition of the Reading Mercury.)
It is with feelings of deep regret that we have to record
one of the most lamentable railway accidents that, we
believe, has ever occurred in this country, and which

took place this morning on that part of the Great
'Western Line, called "the gullet,' the deepest part

of the Sunning-hill cutting, rather more than two miles
from Reading. It appears that during the interim
that elapsed between the passing down of the goods train
about midnight, and the arrival of a similar train at half-
past six this morning, the embankment of the south side
of the gullet, and about one hundred yards east of the
wooden bridge, gave way, completely covering about
forty yards of the south or down line of rails. This un-
fortunate occurrence being unobserved by the police-
man at this district, no intimation of it could possibly
be conveyed to the driver of the approaching train, con-
sequently, on the arrival of the luggage train, at about
half-past 6 o'clock, a most terrific scene occurred. The train
which was progressing at its accustomed pace, and con-
sisted of twelve or fourteen waggons, two trucks, and the
engine and tender, was suddenly thrown off the rails, and
partially shattered to atoms. The engine, which, was
called the " Hecht," ran into the mass of earth, in which
it was more than half buried, while the tender and passen-
ger trucks were turned over and jammed against the
waggons immediately behind. The consternation at this
moment, amid the expiring yells of some of the passengers,
and the shrieks of others less injured, may be more easily
conceived than detailed. One of the most distressing
features, perhaps, of this awful scene, was the lament-
able cries of an aged father, who saw his son, who had
o nn his countenanceredful
wasa n
was
shodci
skcienrgnl
iyb
lmutilated,efaccompanied him in this unhappy journey, literally
crushed between the tender and the truck, and instanta-
neously killed. Another of the sufferers, apparently an aged
m
was conveyed to Reading as speedily as pos-
sible, and several medical gentlemen were shortly on the
spot. There were about thirty passengers, including
some females, nearly the whole of whom were more or
catastrophe entirely or thatati Information
of the
d a

less. injured ; about twenty were brought onvto Reading,
in a carriage sent up for that purpose, and their appear-

PRICE 5d

ante, on their arrival at the station, was of the most de.
pressing character.
It is a remarkable fact, that neither the driver of the
engine, nor his assistant, sustained any injury; the con-
ductor and the guard also escaped unhurt, although the
former, we believe, was thrown from his seat over to the
bank, upon which he fell with great force. The guard
was thrown upon the opposite embankment, and the
other officers were saved by leaping from their places.
By about half-past eight o'clock a great number of
persons had reached the spot, and the most active exer-
tions were made to extricate the poor fellows who were
lying dead beneath the wheels and among the shattered
fragments of the trucks. This, however, was a work of
great difficulty as well as hazard ; and several hours
elapsed before the heavy trucks were raised.
The removal of each presented a spectacle too horrible
to be described ; five of the unhappy men were extri-
cated without much delay, to the remaining three were
so entangled with the whee and shattered trucks, that
they were for a long time unapproachable. One of
these, a decently dressed mechanic, was taken in the
waist by the tender and the truck, in an upright posi-
tion, his back being nearly severed by the crash. They
were all at length removed:to a small hut in the London-
road, where the eight bodies were deposited and covered
with straw. One of them appeared about 18 years old,
while the others, so far as we could judge, were from
about 20 to 30 years of age, except one man, who, as we
have before stated, though not recognisable, must have
been somewhat older.

The engineer, with great presence of mind, shut off
the steam before leaping from the engine, by which an
explosion was prevented. The whole of the up and down
trains were delayed at Twyford and Reading, until a pas-
sage could be effected, which was not until nearly mid-day.
The total number conveyed to the hospital is 17,
being twelve men and five women ; thirteen were imme-
diately placed in bed, more or less seriously injured,
combining fractures and dislocations ; 'but, with one
exception, no amputation will be necessary : the
most serious are two or three spinal cases, the inju-
ries being so severe, that there is little hope of their
recovery. The other four, although much hurt and
bruised, will shortly be enabled to proceed on their
route to Bristol. Fortunately there were fewer pa-
tients in the Hospital than has been known for some
weeks past, from whieh circumstance every accommoda-
tion and assistance was readily afforded the unfortunate
sufferers. We would submit that the passenger trucks
should be placed in a less dangerous situation than that
in which they are generally (being attached to the engine);
had they been placed behind the luggage waggons, this
afflicting loss of life would, in all probability, have been
avoided, as several of the last waggons retained their
positions on the rails without receiving the slightest
damage.

The names of the deceased we have not yet learned ;
but, from their appearance, they are principally mecha-
nics and labourers, and wer3 journeying towards Ciren-
cester and Bristol. The inquest, we believe, will be held
this evening. _ _

The following is the account given by Mrs. Carpenter,
one of the passengers :
" The train left London at half-past four o'clock.
There were three trucks containing passengers, about
40 or 50 in number. There was only one truck-load of
goods, and those were packed between the passengers.
The night was very clear, and we were going about the
usual speed. All of a moment we felt a shock, and were
tossed against each other, and up into the air and down
again, and then the carriage Was broken all to pieces,
and then we found ourselves among the luggage. I can-
not say how my husband got out, but after he got out he
dragged me out, and also my sister-in-law, both of whom
were insensible, but afterwards recovered. The persons
who sat on the right and left of me were killed. We
were assisted out by our friends, who were not so
much injured, and laid upon the bank-side, but I
saw no policeman at all. At the time the accident occured
we were going at a fast-rate. I and my three relatives
were the only persons who were so little injured as to be
enabled to conic to Bristol. After the accident a mes-
senger was dispatched and brought persons. In about
an hour afterwards some policemen and several surgeons
arrived, and afterwards a train came and took us to the
hospital at Reading. They took all the persons to Read-
ing. I saw myself ten dead bodies, and I heard that was
the number killed. I believe that every one of the pas-
sengers had limbs broken or were otherwise seriously in-
jured, excepting I and my friends. When we came
away there was a young woman expected to die every
minute. I heard that she was a servant girl. Ido not
know how many were taken into the hospital; but I
heard the matron say that eighteen were taken in besides
those dead. I heard the surgeon say that he was just
going to take off one person's foot. I believe most of
them were greatly injured. The engine was driven into
the fallen earthwork to a considerable depth. There
was one baby there belonging to a woman, which after
the accident she was unable to find for a long while, at
length she found it unhurt and asleep between two
dead men."

(LATEST PARTICULARS.)
INQUEST ON THE BODIES.

It appears that shortly after the melancholy accident
had been communicated to Mr. Saunders, the Secretary
to the Railway, that gentleman took steps to get the ne-
cessary parties together, in order that a Coroner's Jury
might be empannelled to inquire into the cause.of the
death of the eight unfortunate men in question. Accord-
ingly, Mr. May, the County Coroner, issued his warrant,
and at three o'clock in the afternoon of Friday, a jury,
consisting of twelve inhabitants of the parish of Sonning
assembled at a small inn, on the London-road, about two
miles from Reading, called, " The Shepherd's House."
The jury, after being sworn, proceeded to view the
mangled remains of the eight poor men, and after wit-
nessing the distressing spectacle, returned to the inn, and
the inquiry was proceeded with.
The jury room was crowded by some of the most re-
spectable inhabitants of the neighbourhood. Mr. Saun-
ders, the Secretary to the Great 'Western Railway Com-
pany, Mr. Sadgrove, the Railway Superintendent, and
other officers of the Company, were likewise present.
The following statement ot what occurred before the
Coroner's Jury may be relied on as being, in substance,
a correct account of what took place :
Mr. Edward May, surgeon, was the first witness called.
He deposed that about eight o'clock on that morning he
was sent for to the Reading Railway Station, and was in-
formed that an accident had occurred on that part of the
line known as Sonning Cutting, and that several parties
had been injured. He instantly repaired to the spot,
which is situated about halfway between the Twyford
and the Reading stations, and about two miles and a half
from the latter town. Upon arriving there he found two
dead bodies lying on the side of the train, and his atten-
tion was afterwards directed to three other bodies that
were lying under a truck or carriage. He was also in-
formed that three bodies bad been previously removed
to a hut on the London road, which was a short distance
from the spot where the accident had occurred. He saw
those bodies afterwards. Thus making in all eight per-
sons who had been killed by the accident. Examined
the bodies and found that in respect to the first that he
noticed both arms and legs were broken; the third exhi-
bited a similar injury; the fourth displayed a fractured
skull; the fifth, fractured ribs ; the sixth, fractured ribs
and broken collar-bone; the seventh, fractured ribs and
pelvis; and the eighth, fractured chest and other injury.
Of course he need not say that the injuries which were
thus exhibited were the cause of death.

Thomas Reynolds, the engineer, was next examined ;
he deposed he left the Paddington station with the train
to which the accident occurred, which is called the goods
train, at twenty minutes to five o'clock on Friday morn-
ing, and got to Twyford about twenty minutes to seven
o'clock. He proceeded onward and met no obstruction
until he calve near to a wooden bridge which crosses
the railway, and leads from Woodley to Sonning, and
then the engine ran into a body of earth which had fallen
upon the railway, and which was caused by the slipping
of the embankment through which the railway was cut;
the consequence was, that the engine was turned
off the line, the carriages then turned over one ano-
ther, and thus the fatal occurrence that took place
had arisen. At the time the accident occurred the train
was going at the usual speed, namely from sixteen to
eighteen miles an hour. This was the rate at which the
goods train travelled. About half a mile before he got
to the slip in question he saw a policeman who showed
him a light that "all was right." Had noticed slips in
the vicinity of the place where the accident happened,
hut did not think them of any consequence. When the
stcraairneelNyvasseneeaxntyexthaimnigne;
dw. heniitehseacidolltiislioontrtaoionkepolnas
accident occurred it was very dark, and witness could
place
eonffgtihnee satnedamteannddelre,atpwedo the engine.
George Hassam, the guard, who had the care
carriages, e
ae
of h
truck for passengers' luggage, and
ol turned
r n
theed
sixteen luggage
waggons. He also deposed to the fact of the train rr •
ing about twenty minutes to seven o'clock at Twyford.aiv-
When about half way between this station
and Reading
the engine was thrown off the line in the way already
described. This obstacle to the progress
of the train
caused a dreadful collision, by which the carriages were
thrown off the line, Causing the melancholy accident in
question. He was in the habit of travelling in the train
by night, and usually observed a watchman on the line.
He, however, missed him during the last week. The
morning was extremely dark. The engine driver was
perfectly sober, and there could be no ground for attach-
ing blame to him. Witness had reason to believe that
the earth fell on the train as it was passing, for he was
nearly smothered from the quantity ofearth that fell. It
was however so dark that ho could not see.
Mr. Thomas Bertram, assistant engineer to Mr. Bru-
nel], deposed that he had the care and superintendence of
that part of the line which lay between Reading.a d
tolled and examined the state
dington. He constantly wa
1 e had t. d.
of the works between the points ind
dovimnefn ionietestdin
did this daily by trar'r'llrnr up
raosrali " which
to Paddington and back. inspectedp
had taken place a short time since in Sonning cutting,
and had taken the necessary steps to prevent any evil
rising from it. Employed foremen at
consequences a
short distances
along the line, whose duty it was to re-
port
to him constantly the state of the works in every
respect; and if any thing required attention he instantly
gave orders that the matter should be looked to. In the
event of any thing occurring in his absence that required
prompt attention the foremen had power to employ per-
sons to do what was necessary. He was quite sure the
" slip" which caused the accident was a new " slip"—for
there had been no indication of danger in that quarter
previously. If there had been, he should have seen to it.
Thomas Bottrell nest deposed that he was employed