The Sun.
London, England, 1860-09-11 00:00:00

THE RAILWAY ACCIDENT NEAR

MANCHESTER.

The adjourned inquest was resumed yesterday
at Haslingden.
Mr. Grundy, solicitor to the Lancashire and.
Yorkshire Railway Company, stated that on Satur-
day only one of the carriages to which the broken
couplings were attached was seen by the jury; this
morning both of the carriages were at the station
with a view to the inspection and for the conve-
nience of the jury.
Thomas Robert Ashworth sworn—l am a joiner,
living at Blackburn. I was in the portion of the
second train which broke off atHelmshore. I was

in the third carriage from those we broke away
from, by the giving way of the coupling. It was a
Birkenhead carriage. When the train stopped our
carriage was between the road crossing and the
station. We had stopped, perhaps a minute, before
the coupling broke. I heard the snap. It was
only one snap. I felt no jerk, but immediately after
I felt that the carriage was gently in motion back-
ward, and the motion gradually increased its velo-
city. I immediately unloosed the door to mount
the carriages, that I might put the break on, I
went towaids the rear of the train, and traversed
the tops of three carriages. I found the break in
the rear of the third carriage. The speed would
then be six to eight miles per hour. I turned the
handle of the break once and a half or about twice
round, and we then came against a following train.
Before that I heard the skidding of the wheels of
a carriage further to the rear, from a break to that
carriage having been applied. That break was
applied after I got out of my carriage. I only heard
it; it did net seem to be any check. I should think
that was six carriages below me, and I saw the

man on the carriage applying that break. That man
was James Tomlinson, the guard. 1 had seen him
mounting his break carriage' at the time. I did the
same, but I had three carriages to traverse before
I got to the break that I put on. lam not in the
company's service. While I was applying the break
I noticed the engine of the third train coming up.
I was knocked off by the collision between the car-
riages. I hurt one knee, but I crept out, and went
down towards the rear, meeting Tomlinson, who
was relighting his lamp, and went with him to-
wards where the dead and wounded were lying. I
went by orders of Mr. Shaw, the superintendent,
to an engine at the back of the third train, and
sent it for medical and all other assistance that
could be obtained. I did so, and returned in about
two minutes after seeing the engine go. When I
got back I saw several bodies lying on the ground
and fast in the wreck. The engine of the third
train was in motion when I got outside, but I could
not see the engine behind the third train by reason
of the curve of the line. The steam of the engine
I saw was blowing off, as though they were re-
versing the engine.
By a juror—The engine on which Mr. Shaw

was came down the other line half-a-minute after

the guard relighted his lamp. I did not see any
persons on the rails which that engine went down.
By Mr. Baldwin—l was quite steady and sober.
I had only drunk three glasses of ale that day.
The first time I saw Tomlinson on that day was in
returning, at Ramsbottom. I helped him to get
out passengers, and asked him whether he knew
where the third train was, and he said he thought
it was close behind. I never saw it come in sight
whilst we stopped at Ramsbottom. I cannot say
whether the break I went to was a little bit on or
not. It might be. I did tell the superintendent
that I thought it had been on. I thought that be-
cause I could only get the break round about twice.
The skidding I heard might be from the break I
was turning on. Tomlinson ran past me as I was
opening the door to get out of my carriage. In
the morning I saw Tomlinson at the first break,
as we went to Manchester. Chippendale
the guard, was at the second: and myself at the
thira, at the rear end. As we returned I did not
see Chippendale after leaving Salford. I supposed
there were four breaks in the morning, as I saw
some boys sitting on the top of a carriage as if
there was a break to it ; but I did not see a break
there.
put on the third break myself, in the
morning, in
going down the incline where the acci-
dent subsequently occurred. I had no more autho-
rity to be there than you. Chippendale had the
management of that break, but I undertook it
it e
07. Zyg
Nobody requested me, and no one
iwatitehrfoeurtedorwdeir
with me
me
for doing so.
reason for getting on to
the
was because I had given
ap my own seat in the carriage I had ridden from
Accrington in, and not because I thought anyone
Bbyre Mr.ak nLe r
the ch
me
was required at that break.
By Mr. Baldwin—The rails were a little wet at
night, and I cannot say whether if I had been at
the last break when the backward motion began it
would have prevented the collision, but if I had
been there I should have applied it. Ido not
know how many carriages a break would hold on
an incline like this. One of the new patent break
vans might perhaps hal e done it. Ido not think
the carriage breaks are so powerful as those. When
I went over the carriages I crept on my hands and
knees, but had to get up to step from one carriage
to another. I had been at the break nothing like
a minute when the collision took place. Cannot I