The Sun.
London, England, 1858-05-13 00:00:00

THE FATAL ACCIDENT ON THE TRENT

VALLEY RAILWAY.

NUNE.: TO rDNEsDAt NIGHT.

The coroner and jury empanelled est.rt'a:; t., luvr h-
tigate the circumstances atteAing this disastrous acci-
dent reassembled to-day at the Bull Hotel, in this town,
for the purpose of further prosecuting the icquiry.
The Marquis of Chandos, chairman of the London and
North• Western Railway, Mr. Bruyeres, supe'rintendent
of the southern division, and other officials of the com-
pany were present. Mr. Cleather, from the office of
Mr. Carter, of Great George-street, attended to watch
the proceeding for the railway company; and the in-
terests of two of the deceased were professionally repro-
sented,—in the case of Mr. Richmond by Mr. Moordaff,
of Cockermonth ; and in that of the Rev. Mr. Miller,
by Mr. Girdwood, of Belfast, brother-in-law of the de-
ceased gentleman,
The jury consisted of 14 highly respectable inhabi-
tants of the parish of Attleborough, among whom were
three clergymen. Mr. H. R. Harper, a magistrate for
the district, was unanimously chosen foreman of the
panel.
After the jury had returned from viewing the scene of
the accident yesterday,
Mr. Girdwood made a formal complaint against the
railway company for having, as he stated, effected im-
portant alterations in relaying the rails since the acci-
dent. He said he was informed and believed that the
metals had been raised from their previous level fully
1i inches.
Mr. Cleather assured the learned gentleman that no-
thing had been done beyond restoring the rails to the
original position from which they had been displaced by
the accident, in order that the traffie over the line might
not be interrupted.
The identification of the bodies was then proceeded
with.

Mr. 'W. Morgan, of London, identified the remains of
Mr. W. J. Morgan as those of his son.
Mr, W. Girdwood, of Belfast, identified the body of
the Rev. T. Miller, who was witness's brother-in-law.
Mr. Bruyeres here handed in a pocket-book and other
property taken from the deceased, which he had re-
ceived from the conductor of the train.

Mr. Girdwood identified the pocketbook as having be-
longed to the deceased, and complained that an insur-
ance ticket, which he understood his brother-in-law had
upon him at the time of the accident, could not be found.
Mr. Bruyeres said the property produced was in pre-
cisely the same state as he received it from Edgar, the
conductor of the train, and he knew nothing of an in-
surance ticket.

Mr. Girdwood inquired if Edgar was in attendance
Mr. Bruyeres said he was not. He was so much
shaken by the accident that he had not been able to
leave London that morning. Care would be taken to
insure his future attendance.

Dr. Allenby, of Leamington, identified the remains of
Mr. J. Richmond,

The evidence as to the accident was now proceeded
with.

Robt. Wyatt was first called. He said—l was guard
of the 9 a.m. Scotch express from Enstan on Monday
last. We proceeded on our regular course over Trent
Valley line until within about a mile and a half on the
south side of the Nuneaton station. I was then in my
van looking out for signals, and while so engaged I ob-
served a cow on the rails, ab nit 100 yards in frent i f
the engine. I immediately put the break on. Vile my
hand was on the break the engine seemed to strike some-
thing, which I supposed was the cow. I was knocked
by the shock into the bed of the van, which was thrown
elf the rails on to its side into a field. I broke the win
duw and gut out. The 9 o'clock train is not timed to
stop at Nuneaton ; but I think we ought to pass Nun-
eaton about 23 or 25 minutes past 11. Alter I got
out of my van I saw a portion of the carca-e of the
cow on the line, and I have no doubt that it was the
cow which I had previously seen, and which was struck
by the engine. The train was going about 40 wiles
an hour. We were running at our regular speed. I saw
nothing but the cow on the line. Ido not know that
a part of the cow's hide with the horns had got en-
tangled in some of the carriage wheels. There is rather
a sharp curve near the place where the accident cc
curred, which prevented my seeing the cow sooner. I
have no doubt that the collision with the cow was the
c .use of the accident. There is an aux.liary signal near at
hand, but I did not observe it. I only looked at the cow,
and my first thought was to do ad I could to stop the
train. We cannot see the signal till we reach a bridge
near to which the accident occurred. The collision took
place instantaneously on my seeing the cow.
.Taeaes Harrison was next called. He said—l am an
engine-driver in tho employ of the London.and North-
Western Railway C maps.ny. I drove the train which left
London on Mor.day morning at 9 o'clock. The train in
toe,tion consisted of six carriages and two vans. I saw
the cow coming towards me on the rails near Attleborough
crossing. I immediately shut oil the steam. told the fire-
man to apply his break, and also whistled for the guard
to do the same. Directly that was done the engine struck
the cow, and the carriages were scattered over the line.
The couplers broke, and the carriages fell over the shallow
embankment to the right and left of the line. The engine,
tender, and the last van were left on the rails. After the
collision the train proceeded about 40 yards before the
couplers broke. The gateman at Attleborcugh was in an
adjoining field, apparently striving to get ahead of the
cow and drive it off the line. I was not knocked down,
because I held on to the engine with both hands. The
gateman waved his danger signal flag to u", but I saw
the cow before he did so. If the gateman had been at
his post I should not have seen him before I saw the
cow. After the accident had happened, and I saw the
damage done, I ran my engine to Nuneaton to obtain
medical and other assistance, and stop all coining trains.
I returned with my engine back to the place of the acci-
dent, and did all I could to alleviate the sufferings of
the wounded passengers.
During, he examination of this witness Mr. Gird wood
complained of the manner in which the inquiry was being
conducted, and at length carried his interruptions to
such an extent that the foreman severely admonished
him, and desired that he would desist from tur.her in-
terference with the jury.
John Reeve, being sworn, said—l am a guard on
the Trent Valley Railway, and accompanied the train,
in the rear break van, on Monday morning. When we
arrived within about a mile and a half of Nuneaton the
driver seunded his whistle. I immediately put my break
on, and the cohisioa instantly occurred. As soon as I
got clear I told the signalman, who was on the other
side of the hedge, to go back and stop all down trains.
He was waving his red flag at the time tits acci.'ent oc-
curred. Everything that could be done was done to
stop the train. My van was net thrown off the reile
The first intimation I had was the whistle of the-engine.
I did not see the cow. I went up the line about hail a
mil-, although I had sent the signalman to stop any
train. I stopped a train of empty waggcns. When I
got back the bodies had been removed. We were as
near as possible to our time, having started from Rugby
at the proper hour. The witness was then examined as
to the signals at Attleborough crossing. He said it was
considering the speed at which the train was
travelling, to have pulled up in time to avoid the acci-
dent. At 40 miles an hour it required at least GOO
yards, and probably more, to bring the train to a ilaud-
still.

John Guest, stoker to the train, was next examined,
and gave evidence corroborative of that of the driver.
This closed the proceedings of yesterday. On re-
assembling to-day,
Mr. Joseph Thompson, farmer, of Attleberough, was
called—He said he occupied a farm closely adjoining the
scene of the accident, and sublet a small piece of land,
something less an acre, to the owner of the cow which
had caused this accident. On Monday last, about. ha f-
past 11 o'clock, be was walking near the railway, when
he observed a cow upon the line. She was then walking
up towards Rugby, and "lowing" as if lost. He called
to the gatekeeper to assist him in getting the animal off
the line, and together they endeavoured to turn her
back and get her out of danger. They failed to do this
before the down express hove in sight, and imme-
diate!), afterwards witness saw the engine come in
contact with the cow, and the carriages of the
train topple over and fall down the embank-
ment. The remainder of the cow's carcass was
scattered along the railway for about 50 yards. The
accident occurred almost opposite to the slip of land out
of which the cow escaped. The land was separated
from the railway by a " cut and laid" qnickset hedge,
which, when he last saw it before the accident, was a
very good one. That was some three months back. A
cow might leap such a fence, but it would be a good
jump. Witness had known a cow jump over a five-
barred gate. Where this fence might be considered in-
sufficient was in places where the posts and rails, placed
on either side of it when the quickset was planted, had
been removed. Had they been allowed to remain, wit-
ness would have considered the fence strong enough for
anything.
By Mr. Cleather—Witness had never heard of stock
getting out on to the railway in that neighbourhood
before. He considered the fence good enough fur quiet
cattle, but, in consequence of the field iu which this par-
ticular cow was confined being " ridge and furrow" the
land rose near the hedge, and the fel ce was less difficult
t) clear. Witness did not examine the hedge on the day
of the accident after it had been broken down by the
carriages, and trampled upon by many persons in their
did all
che iecaotubEldr
endeavours to assist the wounded persons. There was
no delay in extricati.g those who were killed. Witness
sent for wine from his house for the injured persons, and
tosva relieve
gladthe rt
os uhffaevre an opportunity
opportunity of
publicly acknowledging the valuable assi,ance which
Mr.
.Thompson had rendered, and in the' name of the
company he begged to thank him for it
During the examination of this witness .
come obser-
vations tell from Mr. Gird wood which were g indi nanty
resented by the jury ; upon which Mr. Girdwood'
threatened to leave the iequest room, and see if he
could not get justice at another tribunal'.
George Baker, jun., keeper of the 801 l Lie, at Attie-
borough, and owner of the cow which occat.ioned the
accident, said he had purchased the ani_aal with her
calf on the previous Friday at Coventry market.took 'away her 9 He
i
calf and turned her nto the piece of
land adjoining the railway on Saturday morning, toge-
ther with a pony. The cow now and then " lowed" for
her calf, but witness took no notice cf that. Nothing
had ever strayed out of this field Lefore during he three
or four years he had held it. The fence was "cut and
I.id" abr.ut six or eight weeks ago, and vale of the old!
pekoe and rails were then rem wed. After that witness
told his father that he did not think the fence was so