The Sun.
London, England, 1860-11-22 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 22. 1860.

enough to distinguish between the Volunteers and
the Line, he hoped they would find to their cost,
that it was, as the old proverb had it, a distinction
without a difference.

TILE FATAL ACCIDENT ON THE
TRENT VALLEY RAILWAY.

The adjourned inquest on the bodies of the un-
fortunate men who were killed by the recent acci-
dent on the Trent Valley Line was resumed by Mr.
Alfred Carter, coroner, and the jury empannelled,
at the Corn Exchange, Atherstone, yesterday .
morning.
There were present, as on the former occasion,
the Marquis of Stafford, a director of the company ;
Mr. Cawkwell, traffic manager ; Mr. Motteram,
barrister, of the Oxford Circuit, for friends of some
of the deceased ; Mr. Cleather, solicitor ; Mr. D.
Parsons, goods manager ; and Mr. Grew, district
superintendent. Mr. Ormandy, manager of the
cattle traffic (from• Liverpool), was also in attend-
ance, together with Mr. M'Connell, superintendent
of the locomotive department.
Mr. Dudley Baxter again appeared for the friends
of certain of thejdeceased men, and also Mr. Overell,
solicitor, of Leamington ; Mr. Gibson, of Dublin ;
and Mr. L. Warren.
The first witness examined was—
Jonathan Jackson, who deposed—l am in the em-
ploy of the London and North-Western Railway,
Company, as breaksman. I have been so employed
for the last five years past. On Tuesday night last
I joined at Chester a cattle train at 9 5 p.m. I
stopped first at Crewe for water and coke. The
train consisted of 23 waggons of cattle, break van
and drovers' van, the drovers' van being before the
break van ; the break van was at the extreme end
of the trail. I don't know how many were in the
drovers' van; I knew only one of them, John Mac-
donald. I remained at Crewe about 20 minutes. I
was directed, on leaving Crewe, to go on to Staf-
ford, after picking up a few more goods trucks ;
the shunter gave me orders to go on. We left
Stafford at 12.18 a.m. on Friday morning, having
arrived here at 12 o'clock ; we then went to Tam-
worth, where we stopped to take in water; havin.,,
done so, the inspector (Moorcroft) gave us orders toa
proceed. We were delayed at Tamworth 10 mi-
nutes;to take in water. We left at 1.35 p.m. The
rails were rather slippery after we left Stafford, but
I heard nothing said about it at Stafford ; the sig-
nal to start the train at Tamworth was received
from Moorcroft. As I passed, I said, " Are we to
go on ?" He said, "Go on to Nuneaton, out of
the road."
By a Juryman—We had about 22 minutes to-get
to Nuneaton before the mail was due.
Witness proceeded—After leaving Tamworth
we slipped about a good bit. I should think for a
couple of miles. After that the engine ran as usual.
The signals were all right for us to pass on reach-
ing Atherstone. I mean the station signal was all
right. I observed no light in the auxiliary signal,
but I was not looking out for it. The main one
showed a white light. We ran though the station,
and then the driver pulled up the train for the
purpose of shunting. I applied my break after
passing the points. The signal was given for us
to come back and shunt, but before we had left the
main line the limited mail came round the curve
into collision. I could not see whether the danger
signal was up. I jumped on to the six-feet rails;
beore I could pick myself up I heard the crash. I
got up as soon as possible, and scrambled over the
fragments to the engineman, who said we had
better block the down line. Another mail was
shortly due. I helped to move the waggons to libe-
rate the sufferers. I am generally breaksman to
the cattle trains in the winter time. The cattle
trains do not start at any particular time ; they are
special trains.
By a Juryman—l am not aware that they travel
at any particular speed.
By the Foreman—l can't say what the general
speed is, because we try to get on as soon as we can.
The engine was not overloaded.
By the Coroner—The time of the departure of
the cattle trains depend on the arrival of the boat.
By a Juryman—lf we are getting on too slow it
is my duty to ask the cause. I was so confused I
never noticed the time it took to get from Tam-
worth to Atherstone. There was no unusual delay
at Tamworth. We were in motion at the time of
the collision. It would, perhaps, take three minutes
from the time of being in motion to getting com-
pletely on to the siding.
By Mr. Baxter—None of the cattle were taken
out Tamworth, nor did a bullock run out upon the
line.

Witness—Sometimes it takes five or six hours to
get from Chester to Rugby, sometimes three or four;
it depends on the time of the delays. I don't know
what trains were behind or before us on this occa-
sion. The rules (produced) give no directions as
to the speed of the special trains, or where to
stop. There are no rules to that effect. When
I left Tamworth the limited mail was due in 22
minutes. It would take from 30 to 35 minutes to
. get from Tamworth to Nuneaton with a train such
L as the cattle train. I can't say how long the delay
, would be in consequence of the slipping. It is about
13 miles from Tamworth to Nuneaton. It was not
my business to know at what time the limited mail
reached Nuneaton. It was my business to know at
what time it reached Tamworth. The limited mail
does not stop at Nuneaton. I had orders to pro-
ceed to Nuneaton whether the limited mail over-
took us or not. Those orders were given verbally
by Moorcroft. I lost my time-book in the collision,
so that I could not tell at what time the limited
mail passed Nuneaton or Atherstone. We have
time-tables which sometimes denote the time at
which trains leave stations, whether they stop
or not; the time-table I had only told the time
they had stopped. I might have taken 20
minutes to run from Tamworth to Atherstone
on the night of the accident ; the distance be-
ing seven miles. The mail train, the inspector
said, was due in 22 minutes; I can't say the mail
train was two minutes in advance when the accident
occurred. I had nay watch, but I was too confused
to look at it ; it took 20 minutes as near as I can
guess. [A return of the time at which the goods
train passer the different stations made by the
witness was here produced. The 4witness allowed
40 minutes to get from Tatuworth to Atherstone in
this return.] It sometimes takes 40 minutes,
sometimes 20 ;it depends on the weather. I can't
say whether it took 20 or 40 minutes on Friday
morning. I have to ask the engineman how much
the engine will take. I did not ask him on this
occasion. When we take on extra trucks at Crewe
we have an additional engine to assist us to get up
the bank at Whatmore. I believe I could see the
auxiliary signal three quarters of a mile before I
reached it. It is my business to look for the auxi-
liary signal, but I did not see it. I cou'd see the main
signal half a mile before reaching it ; it was a white
signal. I applied the break when I found the
engineman slackening speed. I can't say how long
it would take to go from Atherstone to Nuneaton.
The train is in my charge. We are told by the inspec-
tors on duty at the stations where to shunt. The
discretion with regard to shunting lies between
the engine driver and the inspector. We had a
more powerful engine to Stafford than we had after
we left. We changed engines at Stafford. With
reference to the cattle trains we act in accordance
with the instructions given at the stations at which
we stop. The book I lost would not tell whether
it took 20 minutes or 40 minutes to get from Tam-
worth to Atherstone. The return (produced) is a
correct copy of what appeared in the book, so far as
I can guess. I made up the return on Saturday,
after the collision, from my recollection of the en
tries in the book.

Henry Meakin deposed—l have charge of the
auxiliary and main signals at Atherstone station,
as gatesman and signalman. I was on duty there
on Friday morning lest. I went on duty at 6 p.m.
Thursday, when I examined the state of both the
signals ; they were lighted. The auxiliary signal
is lighted by oil, the main by gas. I did not look
to see whether there was a supply of oil at the
auxiliary signal, because it is not my place to trim
them. The signals were in wcrking order when I
examined them. It is the duty of Evans, the por-
ter, to attend to the light in the auxiliary signal.
It was the duty of Woodward, the gateman, to look
after the light at the main signal. I signalled the
different trains as they came up. The last I sig•
nalled before the cattle train arrived. I can't ex-
actly say at what time. I noticed the cattle train
approaching at 5 or 6 minutes after 2 o'clock, at a
distance of about 800 yards; as soon as the engine
and tender passed the auxiliary signal I put on the
danger (red) light. Up to that time white lights
were at both of the signals. As soon as the engine
got opposite me I heard the driver say something
which I could not catch ; I then put down my hand
lamp, and the main signal on to danger. When
the train had run through the station I said to the
pointsman, "The mail's coming;" he replied,
" They are going to shunt" (meaning the cat :e
train). I heard the mail train coming; I waved
my white light to the peintsman, and said, " Al'
right, the line is blocked." The mail then
appeared in sight, about five minutes after
the cattle train had passed ; the pointsman
was more than 100 yards off when I spoke to him.
About five minutes elapsed between the time I heard
the mail train and saw it. The mail train passed the
auxiliary signal with the steam on. I then passed
to the up-line and waved my lamp with a red light.
The steam was on till the train was within about
20 yards. If he had reversed the engine the steam
would be off. When he passed me I shouted to the
driver of the mail, " You'll be into them! " He
appeared not to notice me. He was going when he
passed me at the ordinary speed, I should think—

40 or 45, miles an hour. The collision then took
place. I received verbal notice soon after I went
on duty that a cattle train would leave Stafford at
11.30. After the collision I stood on the crossing
till the pointsman came down to me and said, "The
mail's run into them—full speed!" I sa=d, " Has
anyone gone to block the-down line He replied
in the affirmative. I went and blocked the up line
at Merin ale-crossing, and the pointsman went for
assistance. I passed the auxiliary signal on my
way, end the danger signal was on then. I called
up Stevens, the policeman at Merivale-crossing, and
told him to stop all trains up ; at W hitlington-
crossing, to which I then proceeded, I also called
up the policeman and put on the danger signal. I
then returned to my post at the station.
By Mr. Gibson— We generally reckon the limited
mail would pass us at 2 10 a.m.; it was therefore
accurate in point of time. It was not my duty to
put on the danger signal because the mail train was
due five minutes after the cattle train passed. The
driver of the mail train might see the auxiliary
signal half a mile before he reached it; if he had
applied the break at that distance the speed at
which the train was going when it passed me would
not have been so great.
By Mr. Baxter—l can't say I have ever known
the mail train so close upon another train before.
By the Foreman—The main signal is, I should
think, as high again as the auxiliary one ; the
main signal could be seen two miles off.
By the Coro•ier—The driver of the mail would
see the main signal if it were turned on a long way
before he would see the auxiliary.
By a Juryman—The auxiliary is to protect the
station when trains are in.
By Mr. Gibson—The driver of the mail train
might have flopped the train altogether, if he had
seen the signal at the distance of two miles, which
he might have dore, for it was a clear night.
By Mr. Cleather—l was in court when the en-
gine-driver gave his evidence on Saturday. I could
not tell whether he had the steam on at full speed
when he passed me. He had at about 20 yards'
distance.
Mr. O'Connell here explained that if the engine
was reversed the steam would not be turned off,
but would be used to propel the engine in the op-
posite direction.
Witness examined by Mr. Cleather—The main
signal could be seen at two miles distance on the
line. I have never had the opportunity of seeing it
at that distance from an engine or any similar ele-
vation.

Thomas Stevens gave evidence as to his being
called up on Friday morning by the last witness.
He saw the auxiliary signal turned on red, and
also the main signal.
By Mr. Cleather—The auxiliary signal was on
when I went to bed, at nine o'clock ; Meaken never
told me it had gone out.
Richard Evans deposed that he attended to the
lamp of the auxiliary signal, to see it was properly
supplied with oil and to light it. He trimmed it
between 10 and 11 on Thursday morning last. He
filled it with oil.
By a Juryman—lt was supplied to bunt for 18
or 24 hours.
Thomas Jenkins said—l am pointsman at the
Atherstone station of the London and North-
Western Railway ; I was on duty on Friday morn-
ing last; about five or six minutes past two the cat tle
train arrived from the north; after it passed the sig-
nals at the north end of the stat ion the driver sounded
his whistle to tell me, as I understood, that he in-
tended to shunt; I looked at my watch and saw the
limited mail was due in four or five minutes. I
showed my white light to the driver, by way of let-
ting him know that I understood what he intended
to do; when the train had passed me I walked
down between the two main lines. I heard Meakin
at the north end say " The mail is coming." I re-
plied, "They (the cattle train) are going to shunt."
He showed me the white light to inform me the line
was blocked and right for shunting. I did not hear
him say anything to me when he did so. I then
followed the cattle train till we got to the points. I
could then hear the limited mail coming. I sig-
nalled the driver of the cattle tra'n on to the siding.
I believe the cattle train was stationary at the time;
the driver began to put back slowly; he could not
do so fast at first. I listened for the limited mail to
whistle, but he did not. I thought it strange, as I
heard him coming at what seemed to be full speed,
and as I saw Meakin had put on the red light at
the main signal before I left the station. I heard
him coming at what seemed full speed through
the station. I felt frightened, and I left my points.
When about 100 or 130 yards off me I noticed sparks
proceeding from the funnel of the engine, as if it
were in full speed. I then waved rry hand light
(red) backwards and forwards. He gave me ro in-
timation that he saw me. I then turned on my
white light to see how to run oat of the way.
By the Foreman—l have frequently heard the
limited mail whistle on previous occasions on pass-
ing through the station. It depends on the way of
the wind. At the time of the collision it was N.W.
by W.
Richard Pratt deposed—l am a porter in the em-
ploy of the London and North-Western Railway at
the Atherstone station. On Thursday evening last
I received notice that a special cattle train would
leave Crewe at 11 30. The notice was brought by a
guard, and stated that the cattle train in question
would pass Atherstone about 11 47. I received it
from the guard of the train which reaches Ather-
stone at 550 p.m. I gave the notice to the police-
man Henry Meakin between 6 and 7 o'clock, when
I went off duty.
William Moorcroft deposed—l am foreman and
night stationmaster in the employment of the Lon-
don and North-Western Railway Company at Tam-
worth. lam on duty every alternate week. I was
on duty in that capacity on Thursday night. When
I came on duty at 7 o'clock I found a written notice
in the office to the effect that a special cattle train
would pass on the up line from Crewe, which might
be expected to pass Tamworth at 128 a.m. The
train arrived at 1 20. When it arrived the engine
was detached from the train and took in water; this
occupied about 10 minutes, the train leaving at
1 30. I noticed the time by the clock, and I made
a memorandum of the time when the train left
directly I got into the office. I spoke to the breaks-
man just after the train stopped, and asked him how
they had been coming from Stafford, meaning whe-
ther they had been running well or not. He said
they had been coming very well. I said, "Then
you haN e come within the hour. You will be able
to get on to Nuneation." I then went into the
telegraph office to see if there was any notice of the
limited mail. I found it had not been reported. I
then went to the engine-driver, who bad returned
to his train. While I was going I heard the points-
man saying something about whether he would be
able to get on, and he replied, " Get on ! Aye," or
words to that effect. I then asked the engine-
driver what sort of a train he was in, and he re-
plied, " Oh ! all right."
By a Juryman—He'did not tell me he had been
slipping. It was a very dry night.
Witness continued—l said, " You will be able to
get on to Nuneaton, as you have 26 minutes' good
start before the limited mail is in here." Before
the started the fireman went and got a shovelful of
sand.

By a jury man—Every engine should travel with
sand, I should say at all seasons of the year whether
slippery or not.
Witness proceeded—l called out to the breaks•
man as he passed me, " Make haste and get out of
the way to Nuneaton." I have the sole manage-
ment of the starting of the trains when I am on
duty at night. The driver said nothing to me
about the slippery state of the rails, nor the breaks-
man either. All trains stop at Tamworth at night,
excepting the Irish mail. Nothing was said by
the servants employed, or either of them,
about the slippery state of the rails. It
was a bright starlight night. The limited
mail was telegraphed to Tamworth as having
left Stafford at 1.23. It arrived at Tamworth at
1.55. and left 1.57 ; the right time for the limited
mail to leave Tamworth is 1.56. I did not tell the
driver of the limited mail that there was a cattle
train before him, or the guard. I did not think it
was requisite. The cattle train left 27 minutes
before the limited mail; the cattle train had 45
minutes to get to Nuneaton before the limited mail
would be due; the mail was allowed 40 minutes to
run to Rugby from Tamworth. It is 13 miles from
Tamworth to Nuneaton. The instructions received
were that in the event of a luggage train being in
advance of the mail, the latter was to be allowed to
proceed if there were 45 minutes for it to get to
Rugby. _ _

By Mr. Motteram—lt is nay duty to order the
trains to shunt if I think there is not sufficient time
for them to get out of the way. I gave no instruc-
tions to the driver of the cattle train to shunt any.
where else but at Nuneaton. I estimated that the
cattle train might get on to the siding at Nuneaton
in 40 minutes, from the rate at which the train had
been running from Stafford. I allowed the cattle
train 45 minutes to get to Nuneaton. It would take
the mail train 19 minutes to get to Nuneaton. I
did not detain the cattle train at Tamworth because
there was time to go on.
By Mr. Warren--If the driver of the mail train
has stated I had some conversation with him about
the slippery state of the rails, it is untrue. If the
breaksman has sworn that I never spoke to him
until the train was in motion, that is untrue. I
saw the breaksman first in the porter's lodge.
By Mr. Motteram—The express fast goods train
arrives at Tamworth at 1.20, and reaches Nuneaton
at 2. The cattle trains are also fast trains, and
would b 1 as likely to get over the distance in 40
minutes as the express fast goods train.
The inquiry was then further adjourned till
Thursday.

IRELAND.

DUBLIN, WEDNESDAY MORNING.
" SECRET LITERATURE OF ORANGEISM."

Under this heading the Northern Whig analyzes
a curious document which appears to have obtained
a " select" circulation in that town, which is dig-
nified (although no one can tell why) with the
title of the " Irish Athens"—l mean Belfast. The
Whig says :

"A handbill hes been placed in our hands pur-
porting to be an address To the Orangemen of
Ireland.' The address (which bears date Sandy-
row, September 20, 1860,' and is signed A Mem-
ber of Gwynn's True Blues, No. 728, and No Sur-
render') is printed on purple paper in golden ink,
and surmounted by an equestrian statue of Wil-
liam 111. If reproduced at full length, it would
probably occupy a column of the Whig. We can
employ our space to Netter purpose than in reprint-
ing it ; but in view of the recent outrage at the
Music-hall, with which it is possibly connected; a
short analysis of its contents may be desirable.
The address opens with an exhortation to all true
Orangemen and Bible loving Protestants to prepare
for action,' and suggests that district,' or if pos-
sible county meetings of the Loyal Orangemen, and
every true-hearted Protestant who wishes to unite,
should assemble immediately, not in hundreds, but
in thousands, in every district and in every county
(by all means without banners and music), and thus
far obey Tuscan law, yes, worse than Tuscan
law, which would commit a. man for trial
at the next assizes for no other reason than
watching a procession passing by.' Tile
object of these proposed gatherings is not clearly
defined, but it seems to be to tell the Govern-
ment, fearlessly and firmly, that the fatherless
Emblems' Act, which has just been smuggled
through an unfaithful House of Commons, is a dis-
grace to the name of British statemen and a British
Parliament.' The following passage will give some
idea of the temper and language of the address :
" ' Let us tell our beloved Queen, in respectful
terms, that she, as a Protestant Sovereign, cannot
stand justified before a Protestant nation should
she be advised by her present Ministers to sign her
name to such a Popish-pleasing, unconstitutional
measure. The man that dare propose such a thing,
let him be banished as a traitor and an enemy to
the Crown and Protestant Constitution. Let us
tell our Sovereign Lady, in the words of an old un-
flinching Protestant, Dr. Drew—removed from
among us by the serpent-like beAuilings of an anti-
Protestant, Orange-insulting Bishop, when his
good counsel is much wanted—let us. then, in his
words, respectfully say, " Hear, 0 Queen of yet
mighty England; hear, 0 Monarch of a Protestant
and much honoured line; behold the increasing
concessions made to Popery by successive Parlia-
ments, and know that these must end in woe to a
Protestant nation."

" After prophesying a time when, if she squander
away the last remnant of Protestantism, filthy
Rome' will displace her, and her posterity be driven
from their present palaces to beg their bread, if
they escape the fetters and tortures of a merciless
inquisition,' the writer goes on to denounce the
existing Government, as aiming at nothing short
of a Popish monarchy,' on. the ground that 'seven
Popish judges disgrace the Irish bench, when Pro-
testant gentlemen of superior talents are with-
out either place or pension.'
" The reference which will be noticed in the
preceding extracts to the ' beguilings of an anti-
Protestant, Orange-insulting bishop,' is repeated in
a subsequent exhortation to Orangemen not to be
discouraged by the conduct of Protestant-deceiving
Orange-insulting bishops, nor Popish-insulting
judges ;' to ' heed not, nor fear such men. . . .
men who would stoop from such exalted positions
to do any dirty work their employers might want
done.' A significant sentence follows Our re-
spected Vicar and the Rev. Mr. Potter have done
their part faithfully, and may they long be spared
as faituful Protestant watchmen to fight manfully
the betties of the Lord, and cry No peace with
filthy Rome, fearing ro man, however exalted his
station.' While recommending his fellow-Orange-
men to assemble peaceably and orderly,' the
writer of the address exhorts them to ' stand ready
and if it must come to that, to march to the banks
of the ever-memorable Boyne, and there plant the
standard of Orange once more, and repeat the deed
of our conquering forefathers.' We understand that
this inflammatory document has during the last
few weeks been extensively circulated among the
Orangemen of this town and district. If this be the
case, the late outbreak at the Music-hall is not a
matter of surprise. The reerences to the Bishop of
the diocess, and those to Dr. Miller and Mr Potter,
were a fitting preparation for the disgraeeful scene
which has now formed a theme o: comment through
out the kingdom. Whether they were designed to'
prepare for it is a question of probabilities which
may be left to our readers to decide. The intellec-
tual and moral qualities d:splayed in the above ad-
dress are just what we should expect to find in the
parties to that affair."