The Sun.
London, England, 1867-07-13 00:00:00

LATEST INTELLIGENCE. The Col.

(REUTER'S TELEGRAMS.)

Mr. Thomas GPI.

'arring t on.

WARRINGTON, Friday Evening.
The inquests on the bodies of Mr. James Gill, of
Birmingham, Mr. James Partridge, of Kirkdale,
Miss Mary Elizabeth Adcock, of Liverpool, Mr.
Edmund Gibson, of Llantrissant, and Mrs. Sarah
Cocking, of East Retford, the five persons who
were killed in the late collision on
,the London and
North-Western Railway, at Walton Junction, near
Warrington, which were adjourned from Friday
last, were resumed this morning at Latchford, by
Mr. James Dunstan, the coroner.

Mr. Roberts, from the office of Mr. Blenkinsop,
solicitors to the company, accompanied by Mr.

Mason, assistant general manager, and other offi-
cials, again represented the company. Mr. Moore,

of Warrington, appeared on behalf of the friends of

Col. Yonand, the inspector from the Board of
Trade, said they had examined the spot at Walton
Junction, where the collision took place. He did not
find the junction quite in the same state as it was
when it was opened in 1856 as regards the Arpley

Branch. The indicator to show the position of the

points, whether close to the main line or the
Cheshire Junction line, had been taken away, and

the points moved stiffly. They were designed to
be self-acting, standing open to the main line, and
the two indicators were put up to enable the

pointsinen to see whether they closed properly
at the two junctions. He did not consider,

when the line was opened, and does not now,
that the pointsman could see if the points were
open about three-eighths of an inch or not—they
being situated at such a distance from the box. It
was the object of placing indicators to enable him to

see, clearly and distinctly, whether they were open
or not. lie should explain to the jury that the
junction was felt to be so dangerous by the London
and North-Western Railway Company, and by the
Birkenhead, Lancashire, and Cheshire Junction
Railway Company, that after the regulations of the
Board of Trade for the working of the points, drawn

up by him at their request, had been agreed to by
them in 1855-6, they both repudiated their engage-

meats—one company because there were not three
double semaphore posts with arms at the junction
instead of two, and the other because the points
were at such a distance from the signal box. The
junction, as it was opened, he was responsible for,
and he believed it was constructed in the manner
most conducive to the public safety then known.

In 18G2 a collision between two goods trains oc-
curred at that junction, not owing to the want of a
third double semaphore signal,. nor, to the distance
at which the points are worked froM the box. Two
men were injured in that collision, one of whom
died from the injuries received. The circumstances
attending the collision were inquired into by one of
his colleagues, Capt. Tyler. He was not present at
the inquiry. The inquiries made by the Board of
Trade, he might explain, were only permissive in-

quiries. He had the original report made by Capt
Tyler. It recommended certain things to be done
at Walton Junction to make it more safe, and to
bring the knowledge obtained between 1855 and
1862 to bear at the junction. There were one or
two minor points, not of importance. Capt. Tyler
added :—" Under these circumstances it is now de-
sirable, with a view to the future safety of the traffic,
that extra siding accommodation should be laid on
between the Arpley Branch and the London and
North-Western line towards Warrington ; that a
third semaphore post with two arms on it should be
erected at the junction cabin ; and that the most
improved apparatus should be applied for working
the points and signals in connexion with one another.
The points should be free to move when the sig-
nals are all at danger ;' the signalman should be
unable to lower his signal for a train to pass until he
had first set his points right for that train. After
having lowered his signals for a train to pass, he
should not be able to turn his points in the wrong
direction for the train, so as to cause a collisio n ;
and he should not be able to make any mistake in
the working of the signals that could lead to a col-
lision between any two trains. These improvements
will necessarily lead to some alterations in the cabin
itself, and the opportunity will be afforded, in car-
rying them out, of giving the signalman larger win-
dows, that he may have a better view in every di-
rection, and providing him with telegraph instru-
ments and telegraphic communication, by means of
which he may, at least, be warned of the approach
of the trains upon the different lines which are under
his control. This being an arduous and important
post, and one at which considerable complication and
a very heavy traffic over two junctions are combined
I think it would be wise to employ three men to do
the duty, and thus to reduce the periods of labour
from 12 to 8 hours for each man." He was not
aware how it happened that these recommendations
had not been attended to, because he generally
found the London and North-Western Company
were prompt to carry out any recommendation made
by the inspectors for the Board of Trade. He thought
that had they been carried out a collision of the
kind which happened on June 29 could not have oc-
curred without disobedience of signals on the part
of the engine-driver of the passenger-train. lie
should add that the Board of Trade had no power
to order anything of the kind •to be (lone after the
opening of a new line or junction. Previously to a
new line being opened they can compel a company
to carry out the recommendations of their inspectors.
The junction has been altered for the worse since it
was originally opened, in the removal of the indica-
tors and the points becoming stiff. By the Jury—He
did not think the working of these levers was too much
for one man, as he knew a station where 67 levers
were worked by one man ; but there he could not
make a mistake dangerous to the safety of the pub-
lic. He could not reverse his signals so that two
trains could come into collision. There were several
inventors who constructed signals on such a principle
that they could not be lowered without the points
being set right first, and any one would have pre-
vented the occurrence of the collision, except in case
1 of disobedience of signals on the part of the engine-
driver. He had no doubt there was a mistake on
the part of the pointsman, but he thought no human
being with so many trains passing him would be free
from mistake. lie knew of one general manager of
an important railway who objects to these signals,
but he had been compelled to use them at new junc-
tions. The Board of Trade could compel the adop-
tion of anything considered necessary before the
opening of new lines and junctions, but not after-
wards. A. copy of Captain Tyler's report was sent
to the London and North Western B,ailwayCompany,
but not to the Great Western Railway Company.
He thought it would be better to supply it to both
companies in a case of a junction between two com-
panies. In the case of a properly protected junction
a collision could not occur from a signalman neglect
nor even from his falling down in a fit. It is not
possible to have two signals off, which if obeyed
would lead to a collision: That is one principle in
a properly protected junction; the other is that the
signals cannot be lowered without the points being
set right. The points at Walton Junction are very
hard to move in one direction, and do not move
easily in the other. The London and North-Western
Railway Company objected to the working of the
points when the junction was opened on account of
their distance from the signal-box, but he thought
the objection arose from a wanted knowledge on the
part of their officials. He (lid not think the collision
was occasioned by any defect in the points. He
thought the indicators ought to have been replaced,
unless the signal arrangements were entirely set
aside and Captain Tyler's recommendations =lied
out.

The Coroner then addressed the jury, who even-
tually entered a verdict of " Manslaughter" against
John Rowson, the point man ; at the same time
blaming the London and North Western Railway
for not carrying out Capt. Tyler's recommendations
in 1862.
Rowson was admitted to bail—himself in £2OO,
and two sureties in £lOO each.

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