The Sun.
London, England, 1858-08-26 00:00:00

reaching Brettell-lane station a circumstance occurred

which created some alarm. There was a sudden

jerk, and one-third of the train was separated.
I could not understand the extra shake, and put my head out
of the window and saw that there had been a separation of
the trains. This was during the morning journey: From
that time we received several shocks. On the second

shock, which was before we arrived at the Kidderminster
station, there was another separation, and myself and
wife were in the carriage next to the carriage where
the coupling chain had separated. When the train sepa-

rated, I jumped out of the carriage and ran by (he side for
at least 50 yards, until the last portion of the train stopped,
and the guard then came and placed a new coupling chain
on. While running by the side of the carriage, I observed

that some chains were broken, but I cannot say whether
they were under the centre of the carriages. The middle
chain was not broken, and the guard immediately coupled
the carriages again, by fastening the centre chain, which
appeared to me not to have been fastened before. From
this fact, I assume that a similar occurrence took place
at the Brettell-lane station. After this occurrence I had
a conversation with the guard, and I said to him " I hope
those engineers are not playing us any tricks. I don't know
whether they are drunk or not, but I hope not, although,
from the many jerks we have bad, I should feel inclined to
believe so." The guard said they were playing no tricks, that
they were both perfectly sober, and that one was a teetotaller.

We then went on pretty steadily to Worcester. On the re-
turn we started from 'Worcester about half-past six o'clock.

I was in the first portion of the train when it was separated,
and that part consisted of 29 carriages. In the two trains
there were 1,540 people, or from 50 to CO people in each of
the carriages. A second engine joined the train either at

Church-hill or Kidderminster, and the train went on very

steadily to the Round Oak station. The latter part of the
train then became detached from the former. I was in the
former part, and when the separation took place
the latter part of the train of 15 carriages ran
down the incline towards Stourbridge. After standing
at the Round Oak station for about 10 minutes our part of
the train was pushed gently back by the engine for the
distance of half a mile, perhaps, where it stopped, and soon
after it further moved to within 100 or 150 yards of the scene of
the accident, which was reported to us by one of the porters,
who had a lamp in his hand. There wee a terrible rush from our
carriages when the news of the accident reached us, and we
saw people being carried away dead and dying on planks and
various articles. It was dark; so much so that I could not
distinguish the features of the children who belonged to
the schools, some of whom were in that part of the train
which had run down the incline.

By the Coroner—My impression is that when the chain
separated on the occasion when I ran by the side of this
carriages, that, had the centre coupliag been fastened, the
separatien would not have taken place.
By the Foreman—l saw no lights in any of the carriages•
There were none in the carriage where I was. The train
was engaged exclusively for our schools, and I was much
astonished to find that it was converted into a general ex-
cursion train. I had refused to allow persons not connected
with the schools to have our tickets for the train.

Mr. John Phillips, stationmaster at Round Oak station,
examined—l was on duty at the Round Oak station on
Monday last, when this excursion train arrived in the
morning. There were two engines to that train. I don't
know the names of the engine-drivers of that train. There
were two guards, but the guard of the front portion of the
train was a stranger to me. The one behind svltS
Thomas Cook. There were upwards of 40 carriages in
that train. If there was any complaint, either by or
in reference to a guard, it is to be made to the first
stationmaster. If chains or couplings are broken, there
are fresh ones kept at every station to supply the deficiency.
No one applied to me for any such things on the morning
of the accident. I was at the station during the greater
part of the day. I have no stated hours. I was not at
Round Oak station at the time of the accident. I was et
Dudley, and had left the station in charge of my assistants
named Boulton. We have telegraphs from Round Oaig
to other stations. We gave no signals of the progress of
this excursion train from station to station. We are not
in
the habit of doing other than use the signal stations. I first
heard of this accident about nine o'clock on Monday night
on Dudley platform. I hastened, with all the force I could
muster, to the scene of accident to assist the sufferers.
By the Coroner—l don't know whether the Oxford, Wor-
cester, and Wolverhampton permit strangers to travel In
the guards' break vans in excursion trains, It is prohibitei
with ordinary trains. It is the duty of stationmasters to
see that the three coupling chains are properly coupled
when a train is at the station, although there are no parti-
cular instructions to that effect. (Soma coupling chains
were here produced which had been broken, and which
31 the
witness identified as the property of the company, 4°
the coupling hook of one of the carriages, which, as well AS
the screw, was broken completely in half.)
Witness continued—The chains produced were given hint
by the porter, who found them at the spot where the acci-
dent happened. They were in the same state as when gives
to him. The broken nut and screw he picked up himself on.
the following morning at the spot. That nut and screw'
would have been sufficient to have sustained the enormous'
weight of a train consisting of 1,500 people. He could
not account for its breaking,
By Mr. King—The end of the pin which is fixed to the
buffer plank was broken, and pulled through the nut.
By Mr. Burbury—There are signals at some stations to
show whether the line is blocked or not. There is no such
signal between Brettell-lane and Round Oak. There is the
telegraph. It was not used with respect to this train till
after the accident. There would be a greater tension on the
shackle irons on the incline between Round Oak and Bret-.
tell-lane than on level parts of the line.
At this stage of tile proceedings, the Coroner said in
inquiry of so muck importance it was advisable that an or
portunity should be afforded for the relatives of the deceased
persons, as well as the company, to produce any further evi'
deuce which would be likely to throw alight on the eircuel'
stances which had led to so lamentable a loss of life; SUCK
being his views, lie now proposed to adjourn the investige"
tion for a few days.
The inquiry was then at six o'clock adjourned for a vree'
STATE OF THE SURVIVORS.

Upon instituting inquiries after the conclusion of the
inquest, it was ascertained that no less than 15 have died,
88 have been discovered to be more or less injured, 3E3
seriously, for the recovery of 13 of whom very great doubts
are entertained. Many more, however, are believed to We
been hurt, but not sufficiently to prevent them reaching their'
own homes. These cases have not come under the cognisance
of the officers of the company, to whom it is only justice 0
state that they have done everything possible to alleviate
the sufferings of the injured parties and to assuage the
grief of the relatives of the deceased persons. The spot
where the collision took place, between the Round Oak Bed
Brettell-lane stations, is an incline of 1 in 76, which Wig
account for the terrific velocity with which the detached
carriages, without the check of an engine, dashed down ill
and into the other portion of the excursion train.

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