The Sun.
London, England, 1851-05-05 00:00:00

THE LATE FATAL RAILWAY COLLI.
SION IN SUTTON TUNNEL.

INQUEST ON THE BODIES.
On Satuday morning an inquest was held at the Red
Lion, Preston-brook, before Mr. Nicholson, Coroner for
the southern division of Lancashire, on view of the bo-
- dies of Mrs. Whettenhall. a widow lady, who had re-
sided near Bolton; and of Messrs. Davidson, Anderson,
and Daltoe, and a youth named Newhall, all of Man-
chester, who bad been killed by the fearful collision of
trains in Sutton tunnel, on Wednesday evening last,
upon the return from Chester races to Manchester.
The jury, having been swore, proceeded to view the
bodies, which presented a sickening spectacle, and the
scene of the occurrence is of itself enough to strike
terror into the minds of even those who are familiar with
inquiries like the present.
Captain Lathom, the Government Inspector, attended
in the course of the day to watch the proceedings; and
Mr. Edward Bennett, solicitor, of Manchester, and other
Professional gentlemen, attended on behalf of the rela-
-tives of some of the deceased, as well as at the request of
• suffering survivors.
Mr. Molter. who was badly injured, is since dead.
• A strong feeling pervades the public mind in regard
to this melaaeholy occurrence, end the: ceroner, as well
• as Dr. Wilson, foreman of the jury, eipressed their de-
- terminetion, in justice to the friends of the deceased,
the pubic, and the company themselves, to investi-
• gate the entire proceedings of the railway servants most
rigidly.
The chairman and other officers of the company were
present, tied afforded all facilities in their power.
Tthrhodies having been identified,
Mr. John Taylor, superintendent of police, Manches-
ter, thus deposed—l was at Chester on the evening of
Wednesday last. On arriving at the Railway station,
to return to Manchester, I perceived two trains about to
start. One was sent off a little before seven, and the
other a little after. .A third train was also speedily
filled, and dispatched after a short interval; into this
train I got. I do not know if there was a light at the
end of this train, or of either of the others. We
at a quick pace to Frodsham, but at the mouth
th of the
tunnel the pace was considerably slackened. The
I
mouth of the tunnel is near Frodsham station. was
in a second-class carriage near the centre of the train,
and when about a mile in the tunnel sustained a
severe shock. All the parties in the same
against each other. I
pat nay head u
carriage were knocked
d_
the window and saw a
glimmering light out
tout the engine, and called out
to the people in the next carriage to pass word
down to know what was the matter ; it was half an
hour before we got any answer, when a man came by
with a light, and we than ascertained what had taken
plane. I and five or six others got out of the carriage
and walked along the line to the engine, where I found
a heap of carriages belonging to the train before us
smashed all to pieces. I saw all the five bodies now
identified taken out, and very many passengers seriously
injured ; among the latter Was Dr. Lett, whom I as-
sisted out, and afterwards helped to Manchester. Of
course there was no light then at the end of the second
train, and I could see DO remains of one. The deceased.
were all quite dead when I saw them first. Mrs. Whet-
tenhall was found between the fragments of two broken
carriages. I saw no guard to our train, but there was
a guard to fee one immediately in advance of it. I
spoke to William Dixon, the driver of our train, and
asked him how it was he ran into the other ? He said
the tunnel was so full of smoke and steam he could not
see a yard before him, and that he was knocked down
and rendered insensible for some time. Lie was perfectly
sober, and so also was the guard of the second train. I
remained in the tunnel three hours and a half, and then
assisted in telling Mr. Rooker and others to Man-
chester. It was quite daylight when we left Chester, so
that I do not know if there was any tail light to the
train.
By the jury—We had been coming at a moderate
pace. It was about half an hour after we left Chester
when we were in the tunnel. It was very dark, but I
tqok out my watch and felt where the long finger was,
and it was just past eight. The train proceeded very
steadily up to the time of the collision. There was
nothing said at Frodsham about the trains that preceded
ours. I found the engine off the line when I first saw
the broken carriages.
Mr. Wm. Thomas Ansel], district superintendent of
the Electric Telegraph Company, residing at Manches-
ter, deposed:—l travelled by a train which left Chester
at half-past seven on the evening of Wednesday last. I
Was in a first class carriage, middle compartment, and
near the centre of the train. Nothing particular oc-
curred until we got to the tunnel, when the speed was
considerably slackened, and continued to be diminished
till we got two-thirds through the tunnel, when we came
to a dead stop. We had stayed about two minutes at
Frodsham. I noticed a red light on the end of the tra n
that left a little beore seven. Up to the time of our com-
ing to a dead stop I had heard occasionally a sound as of
th`e engine makiug attempts to get on; but the driving
wheel slipped from the metal being wet. I put my
head out of the carriage, and the tunnel was full of
steam and smoke, so that I could see nothing but a white
gloom. I soon atter herd the puff of an engine behind,
upon which I threw myself back and fixed my fee t
firmly against the seat opposite me, at the same time
shouting to all the others in the carriage to hold hard,
when there came a crash as of another train having run
into that one in which I was. The crash was a pro,
longed one, and seemed to me to last Btarly a minute. I
kept my seat, and escaped unhurt; bat as soon as I
coati I got out of the carriage. I heard nothing at
Frodsham as to the train that had gone before uc, but
perceived some time alter that we bad struck it. I only
perceived one shuck in the tunnel, and was not aware
that tho train by which I was travelline had run into
another train in the tunnel. The shock must have been-
very slight, or otherwise I must have felt it. The train
be'ore us had no engine beheld.
By the jury—After the concussion I walked on to
Moor, arid was then informed by a gentlemen in a mar-
riage cf the time train that our train had struck the
preceding one. The rails were wet. I did nut consider
that our train was too long for an engine.

•Mr. Joseph Steele, patent agent, -of 123, Chancery-
lane, London, deposed :—I was a passenger from Ches-
ter by a train which left about seven o'clock. Two
trains NO left previous to the one in which I travelled.
I $lO not now consider it necessary to state what oc-
curred in the morning at the Chester station, but I must
say that, in my opinion, there was gross mismanagement
all day there. I came on the platform at ten minutes to
five, intending to return to Manchester, where I had seen
bills pwted announcing that the trains would start as
s'e'a " filled. I found a train nearly full; and as 1
had a first-class day-ticket from Manchester, I got into
a first class carriage. It was not then five o'clock.
train remained upwards an hour, and witnessed two
trwins succession filled and started, I got out and
called for the inspector, who at length I found. [Mr.
Superintendent Criehley here stocd up, and was iden-
tified by the witness as the officer alluded to.] I said,
Gi Afr„ ;inspector, when will our carriages be sent off ? I
have seen two trains leave for Manchester while I have
been in the carriage ; and what is the reason ours
which is full, has not left yet?" He said, "Go
back to your seat, sir, and that is the only answer
I got. I went back, and at seven the train left.
Argentleman who 'had remained in the carriage
with me an hourgot out, and went into another train,
which soon filled, and was sent off nearly half an hour
before the one in which I was. We went on sluggishly
netil we came to the tunnel. It was then five minutes
Put eight. It seemed to be great labour togo on. The
engine seemed to gasp as if it would give up the ghost;
and SO it did when we got half through. We had been
stopping five or ten minutes, when I was suddenly
thrown into ray opposite neighbour's face by a concuss
siee. I stopped in the carriage, having sustained no
Inaterial injury. There wait a third-class open train be-
hind Ili, and
the concussion and irebound broke one of
the
c',uplit • train hales the one in
which I -1- Irons. I saw no
Wass.
It was the first of the three, and was the
one that
caused thestoppage. were about fif-
teen or sixt. There
any guard. er csariars, but I do not think there was
and polineam,t Moor ststion I called out for both guard
gbe-driver and no one answered. -I went to the ea-
inthe tee_,,,,,d asked him the reason why, we stuck fast
ine. Some htFie said there was no water in the en-
come out of Chester passengers said, " How dare you
to which he made without a proper supply of water?"
erred.
The engine was soon
but remained quite uncoil-
rington for a further sup Isoon after
_taken on to War-
end of the train, and observed there water. I looked at the
In two minutes afterward, a was no stern-light.
red light. boy passed down with a
Mr. G. F. Robinson, of Stockport,
Mr. James Haddock, of Warring,on cotton-spinner;
Burgess, of Sutton, blacksmi(h;
end other
Samuel
having been examined, and there be
n.
still
witnesses
of other evidence, the court was 9,6djoluu a great mass
reed until ten
o'clock on Monday morning.

OFFICIAL LIST OF THE PASSENGERS rtT
Mrs. Whettenball, sister of Mrs. Ridgway,. -olitkitpe:
moat, near Bolton, apparently about 35 Years of
She. had on a rich mourning withag'• Dg dress, a white errnice
t; .
—PP't and shawl
4Pb "Aviddson, single, a •bout 30 years of age, resided
with Dar. Rooker (seriously ,INat Waterloo-place,
injure../, ace,
Clieethsi
-te, and of one of the depArtmes at
thy .warehouse foreman a
'rehouse of Messrs. BSI:Me/WM and Co., George.
street.

lienry Anderson of Devonshire-strget,
maa at Messrs Linime, fore-
Lee'and Co.'s, paper-hangers,
. hangers, John Dal-
- Vest
man, realding 7,working
aged 40, draper and dyer, a
din,' man,,ri\s,seiwhalim Bank Meadow-street, Ard wick.
Cheshire.'
Whitley,
youth about 16 years of age, from

ate It'op
I.vaua
Ns,-
e breast
leg almost severed, arm andr ''br.place, Cheethana
.s
Francis Rooker,
--right
otherwise dangerously bone fractured, and
injured,
a is the assistant sur-
veyor in the pavior's departmentaart:
s tnoutla
e Town Hall. 11e
had to...c.ratch the earth from n-
J: P. Napier, of the firm of Napier al'iici Co.,
Il
printers,
42, George-street; savero internal 1,,1'e, and injury
of tbe.spine.
, barriage
ut not
Mrs. Ridgway, cf Bolton, very much stunned
seriou2ly.iejared. She was in thi.x. first-class
along with Mrs. Whet tenall, who was killed.
Jarn?a Drebble, of Sheffield, who had come i an ex-
press- tutu from Holyh-ad to Chester, on hin,, ..-
Sheffield, had both his legs bruised, and his I°
pressed by BOMething lying on
upon it whilst he was l • 'at
the, ground. .
Th°44oo-Johnson, of the Albion Hotel, Piccadilly,
several contusions, but not of a serious nature. He was
accompanied to his house, on arriving at Manchester,
by .Mr. Thomas Rose, who also sustained some slight
bruises, —
Wyatt, calico-manufacturer, Longsight, bruised in
the. shoulders. . .

James Thompson, KerEall Moor; injury on the knee,
bur. not serious.