The Sun.
London, England, 1869-10-29 00:00:00

THE NORTH-EASTERN RAIL IVAY.

The inquest on the bodies of William Moor, engine-
driver, and Robert Greaves, fireman, who were killed by
the collision on the Bishop Auckland and Sunderland
branch of the North-Eastern Railway on Friday night last,
has been concluded at the Hunwick Railway Hotel.
Colonel Hutchinson, the Government Inspector of Rail-
ways, was present. A good deal of evidence was taken,
but the facts were very simple, and were as follows :—On
Friday night last the train for Durham, Sunderland, and
Newcastle departed from Bishop Auckland at the usual
time, ten minutes past six o'clock, and after leaving Hunwick
Station the guard, Thomas Fawcett, saw the signal on at
Roughlee, and he put the break on. But when within about
150 yards of the back signals the train was run into by twelve
heavily laden coal trucks from the opposite direction, and
the result was that the engine of the passenger train was
knocked over, and the engineman and fireman were killed,
while several of the passengers were badly hurt. Hunwick
station is not in telegraphic communication with the other
stations, and the cause of the accident was that Brance-
peth Colliery sends its coals and coke down the Bishop
Auckland line to Sunderland to ship, and in heavy trucks
to the south, and is connected by an independent siding
which is upon an incline, to the main line. On the night
in question No. 474 engine, belonging to the North•-
Eastern Railway Company, was pulling a load of trucks
from the colliery on to the siding. The night was dark,
and the engineman had drawn out some twenty-seven or
twenty-eight loaded trucks, when the guard told the fire-
man, John Wanless, who had only been a month in the
employ of the railway company, and who had not been at
Brancepeth Colliery before, to go down and hold the points,
as he (the guard) was about to uncouple some of the waggons.
He did so, but Wanless, getting confused, had allowed some
of the waggons to pass the points and to run down the incline
on to the main line ; the passenger train met them as
they were running at immense speed; the engine of the
passenger train and several of the trucks were "smashed up,',
and all the mischief was done. There wore no means of stop-
ping the trucks, and the passenger train could not get out
of the way. The Deputy Coroner said he was under the
impression that there was telegraphic communication
between all stations, and was of opinion that such com-
munications ought to exist. Colonel Hutchinson said it
was very desirable that there should be telegraphic com-
munication between all stations, and there was at this time
some agitation going forward in favour of such facility.
There was generally communication between the large sta-
tions, but not between the smaller. On this subject of corn
munication between all stations the Board of Trade felt
very strongly, and were of opinion that all lines should be
worked by a system of block-telegraphy, which was very
simple and effective. Railway companies should issue
orders that no shunting should go on at the top of inclines
in making up a train, and for this purpose more siding
accommodation should be provided. The accident
was the result of gross negligence alone, and that had
been shewn to be the case all along, notwithstanding
other matters which had been mixed up with it.
The Coroner then summed up the evidence, and left
the matter
,for the consideration of the jury. After
half an hour's consultation, the jury announced "That
they found that the deceased William Moor and Robert
Greaves were accidentally killed by certaln trucks running
into the train in which deceased were. That the said
trucks had been allowed to run away down the incline at
Brancepeth Colliery by John Wanless, a fireman in the
service of the North-Eastern Railway Company, mistaking
the duties assigned to him at the points ; that the jury
were of opinion the North-Eastern Railway Company had
been guilty of gross negligence in sending John Wanless to
perform duties at Brancepeth Colliery, which he had never
previously performed, in the dark; and also in allowing
trucks to be shunted up the main line at the top of an in-
cline so near the time when a train was due. The jury also
recommended that telegraphic communication be made be-
tween all stations."

A CHEAP AND BEAUTIFUL BED FOR THE
WINTER.—This heading suggests wool and feathers, buO
really refer to a suggestion in the Gardener's Magazine for
the decoration of those damp, mouldy plots into which
winter gardens in and about London are apt to degene-
rate :—" The bed has a centre of Cineraria maritima ; next,
a broad band of the Chilian beet ; next a band of Golden
feather, and, finally, a margin of Sempervivium Coliforni-
cum." The writer states that a bed planted in such
manner has a charming appearance throughout the winter,
and that the whole stock of plants can be raised without
an inch of glass.

A numerous popular meeting held at Malin,
Bohemia, near Kuttenberg, separated after passing the
two following resolutions That, instead of Latin, in-
comprehensible to the great majority of Bohemians, the
language of the country should be employed in all religious
ceremonies ; and, 2, that laymen shall in future take part
in the government of the Church. A certain number of
priests were present at the proceedings, and the majority
voted in favour of the resolutions proposed by the com-
mittee. The object of the assembly was to proclaim, like
the congress at Pesth, Catholic autonomy in opposition to
Ultramontanism. Similar meetings are being organised in
other parts of Bohemia.

A. SNUFF-BOX FOR THE POPE.—Th© gold snuff-
box sent from San Francisco tojthe Pope contained about
600 dols. in gold. The box is three and a half inches long
and two and a half inches wide. On the top, in a blue
enamel setting, is a raised oval of rich gold-bearing quartz,
remarkable for its purity of colour and the manner in
which the streaks of gold ore aro interspersed throughout.
The box bears the following inscription :—" To the Holy
Father Pio NON 0, from the Vicar-General, San
Francisco."

EMBEZZLEMENT IN CORNWALL. - Mr. Josiah
Ralph, manager and cashier of Perran Foundry, near
Truro, on extensive works owned by Sir William Williams,
Bart., and Co., has absconded, a defaulter, it is stated, to
the extent of several thousands. The books are in a state
of confusion, so that the exact amount of his defalcations
cannot be ascertained, but it is said he has decamped with
something like £2,000, which ho received a few days ago
in Wales, in payment for engines supplied by the firm. Ho
is believed to have left the country, his wife and children
remaining at Perran.

PARIS CORRESPONDENCE.

TrunSDAY.

According to the Lit erte of this morning, we are not to
have any attempt at a Parliamentary session until the
29th of November. All the efforts made to induce the
Emperor to reopen the " petite session " so abruptly sus-
pended in July have proved unavailing, and as the interval
between us and the 129th grows shorter and shorter, of
course the change becomes more improbable. Another
public question of great interest has been, however, more
favourably decided in high quarters. It has been
propcsed to restrain the liberty of the press
in consequence of a very violent article which
appeared last Tuesday in one of the journals.
Fortunately, however, wiser counsels prevailed, and though
one section of the Cabinet was very anxious to punish the
offender, it was decided to leave matters as they are. The
ConstitzJionnel and the Libertd both undertake the office of
censor of the press, and are justly indignant at the
reckless folly which :strengthens the hands of power, while
it disgusts all moderate and right thinking men. It was
yeAerday reported that the last number of the Refonne,
containing a furious article advocating civil war, had been
seized. This statement is, however, positively con-
tradicted.

Five hundred of the workmen of Lyons have addressed
a letter to M. Raspail, dated the 26th, in which they thank
him for the lesson which he has given the democracy. The
writers fear that in the excitement of political reforms the
questions of the relations between capital and labour,
which are most interesting to them, will be overlooked.
M. Raspail, they believe, has recognised their importance,
and has constituted himself the representative of the
workmen's views and wishes. Their great international
association will soon, they boast, be reckoned by mil!ions.
The affair of the 26th is still the subject of conversation
and discussion in the absence of more engrossing topics.
The Journal des Debats satirically compares it to those
battles at whose conclusion a Te Deus is sung in both
camps. However, wo can hardly regard the present situa-
tion as anything but an armed truce between personal
power and the people.

Two measures of considerable social importance are
being discussed by the Conseil d'Etat—a scheme for gra-
tuitous primary instruction, and the draft of a Senatus-
Consultum for altering the form of nominating the
mayors. I have already told you that the privilege of
nomination is to be retained by the executive, so that this
much-looked-for reform will be of a very partial and un-
satisfactory nature.

There is little to say of the strike of the drapers'
assistants. The Constitutionnel denies a rumour that
has been circulated to the effect that the authorities
had rendered assistance to the Magasin du Louvre in
furnishing a hundred young girls from charitable institu-
tions. This would have been an intervention between
employers and employed, and nothing of the kind has
taken place.
M. Jules Simon has left for Bordeaux, and M. Gambetta
intends to follow him shortly. The two Deputies intend
on leaving the Gironde to repair to St. Aubin in order to
investigate the events of the strike.

A report, which needs confirmation, declares that the
Imperial Government has sent an official agent to the
Spanish Ministry to intimate the displeasure that has been
occasioned to it by the countenance afforded to the
Duke of Montpensier in his candidature for the throne of
Spain.

Another duel has taken place. The combatants were
M. Emault-Peltrie, a captain in the National Guard, and
M. Escalier. The scene of the combat was the Bois de
Vincennes, and the fight lasted several minutes.
Escalier was very seriou3ly wounded.