The Sun.
London, England, 1860-11-19 00:00:00

Cattle train which was smashed to pieces at the mo
ment of the collision, not a single man has escaped
with his life. The total number of persons, there-
fore, who have perished by this dreadful catastrophe
is not less than ten. The two drovers named Mac-
donald, who were at first supposed to be brothers,
are not so nearly related to each other. The body
of Edward Macdonald has been identified by his
brother.
The inquest was opened this morning before Mr.
Alfred Carter, coroner, and a respectable jury, of
which Mr. C. H. Bracebridge, who accompanied
Miss Nightingale to the Crimea, was foreman.
Mr. Cleether, from the office of Mr. Carter, of
London, appeared as solicitor for the company, and
there were also present Mr. Cawkwell, traffic ma-
nager; Mr. Dudley Parsons, goods manager; and
Mr. Grew, district superintendent. Mr. Dudley
Baxter appeared on behalf of the friends of the
deceased.
The jury first proceeded to view the bodies, one
of which was at the Bull's Head, and the others at
the Queen's Head inn, Atherstone. They were
shockingly mutilated and hardly recognisable.
James Hamlarook, the first witness examined,
said he lived at Holyhead, and supplied fodder to
the cattle owners. He identified the bodies of nine
of the men, who were drovers, and were in the
goods train at the time of the collision.
Edward Barber, driver of the mail train from
Glasgow to London, said he had been in the em-
ploy of the company. On Thursday night he went
from London to Rugby, and then went on to Staf-
ford. He brought the limited mail from Stafford
at 23 a.m. on Friday morning. That was the right
time to leave. He knew the deceased Jas. Cherry.
On arriving at Tamworth he found there was a
signal (red) to stop. He was apprised of there
being no train in advance before he left Stafford.
There were three signals at Tamworth. As soon
as he saw the red signal he reversed the engine and
nearly brought the train to a stand. That signal
(the auxiliary one) could be seen for 400 or 500
yards. He next noticed a white signal for him to
draw up at the station, and he did so. The limited
mail train always stopped at Tamworth. The
signals were on account of the Liverpool goods
shunting there. They took in water at Tamwortb,
and after staying three minutes he saw the signal
of his guard to advance. He had no communica-
tion with any one at that station. The time they
left Tamworth was 1 58—one minute before the
right time.
Mr. Grew explained that the men were allowed
three minutes for attending to their engine, &c., at
Tamworth, but they were expected to go on as soot'
as they were ready.
Witness continued—He observed no signal be-
tween Tamworth and Atherstone, but on reaching
the first curve he observed the signals were all
right, but he observed the red light turned on
about 30 yards before he reached the station, the
policeman waving his hand and lamp.
By the Jury—There was no light whatever on
the auxiliary signal, although there often was one.
James Cherry immediately applied the break.
Witness immediately reversed the engine in the
proper way, and he directly saw three lights
(red) in front of him—two side and one middle
lamp. The distance being so short he was unable
to stop the train. The distance would be about 100
yards. He did not jump off, and the collision in-
stantaneously took place. He was on the foot plate
when the engine struck the waggons. The engine
went over the guard's van and a second-class car-
riage containing the drovers, and one cattle truck.
The engine overturned on the embankment, and
he had a narrow escape with his life. When he
first saw the signal they were proceeding at the rate
of 45 miles, and on seeing the train he had slack-
ened to 30 miles an hour. It was not usual to
slacken on leaving the station, unless the road was
out of order.
By a Juryman—He had no intimation at Tam-
worth of their being a cattle train a-head. The
cattle train was a special train. He was generally
told when there was a train in the way. He saw
the night foreman at Tamworth, hut he did not
say anything. The auxiliary signal chewed no
light at all on this occasion, and that was the rea-
son he did not apprehend any danger. The stoker
disappeared at the time of the accident.
Charles Henry Garlick said he was a guard in
the employ of the London and North-Western Rail-
way Company, and had been so for about four years.
He joined the limited mail at 11.14 p.m. on the
night prior to the accident, and everything went
on right till they got to Tamworth, when they saw
the red auxiliary signal, which was subsequently
turned white, and the train was accordingly taken
into the station. Here they received the meilbage,
and saw Moorcroft, the platform inspector, who
had charge of the station during the night, He
made no communication about a train being in ad-
vance, nor did they receive any intimation to that
effect. Moorcroft signalled the train to go on, and
it did so. They saw nothing until they got past
the Atherstone station, where he saw the policeman
or pointsman waving a light to and fro. There
was no auxiliary signal. Witness used both his
hands and feet in order to apply the break, but
the collision immediately took place, and he be-
came insensible. The first man he saw after he
was taken out was the engine-driver. One of the
passengers taken cut of the cattle train had a gold
watch on, and he saw some one take it off his per-
son, but he could not say who it was. He (witness)
was chief guard, and Jas. Porter was under guard.
James Porter deposed that no instructions were
given at Tamworth with respect to any danger
ahead. He saw a white light before passing the
main signal at AtherstOne, but he was not aware
that signal was an auxiliary one. He was in the
break, but he was not very much hart. This was
the second week he had been on the line, but he
had been employed as porter at Weedon, in North-
amptonshire.
Mr. Cleather explained that there were two
white lights on the Tamworth side of Atherstone,
and that might account for witness not knowing
which was the auxiliary signal.
John Mutts, driver of the goods train, said he
had acted in the capacity of " extra enginedriver"
since the 29th of March last, and for the last
four months "regular driver." He left Stafford
at 12.18 on Friday morning with the cattle train.
It consisted of 31 carriages, 26 being cattle trucks.
There were also a guard's break, drovers' carriage,
and three trucks of goods. The goods were next to
the engine, the cattle next to the goods and the
drovers' van, the guard's break following next.
Charles Clarke was the fireman. The first station
they stopped at after leaving Stafford was Tam-
worth, which they Reached at 1.25, remaining 10
minutes there for the purpose of taking in water.
He had some conversation with Moorcroft about
leaving, and he said, " Get out of the road," wit-
ness understanding by that he was to get out
of the way of the train behind. Witness said
he would go as soon as his mate had fetched a
shovelfull of sand, and Moorcroft said, " Oh, there's
plenty of time; there's 20 minutes." 'Witness re-
plied that it was a slippery night, but be would do
his best to get to Nuneaton. Moorcroft said he was
to go on and shunt at Nuneaton.
By the Foreman—Moorcroft, being the official in
charge, was the proper person to tell him to go on,
and he went on half a minute after receiving the
order.
Witness continued—The mail train was due at
Tam worth at 1 56. There were 22 minutes to spare,
according to Moorcroft s statement. The first mile
and a half the engine slipped, and then went very
well. The first three miles of the journey from
Tamworth occupied 12 minutes by his watch.
It
was 2 5 when he arrived at Atherstone. It would
under ordinary circumstances take 25 mutes esfor
such a train to go from Tamworth to Atherstone,
and, being £0 closely followed by the limited mall,
he intended to shunt at Atherstone, and shouted
tut to the policeman that he would do so. He
knew the limited mail was due, but there was no
an sald
particular time for it to pass.
The ptaint3m
,s4ll right." 'Witness stopped The
train, -and the
to
policeman tvned. the points,
shunt. He then backed the tr4iP, 4Pri got about
five
painyards on the siding when he saw the mail. He
to his mate; the, stoker, " The mail's into us:, 1