The Sun.
London, England, 1858-08-04 00:00:00

Geneva

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Western
Eastern

Grand Central
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THE PENINSULAR MAIL.

FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.

SOUTHAMPTON, TUESDAY.

The steam-ship Alhambra, Capt. Steward, arrived
this morning with the above mail, 34 passengers,
£6,042 in specie, and a full cargo.

Her dates of sailing were—Gibraltar, July 24 ;
Cadiz, 25 ; Lisbon, 29; Oporto and Vigo, 30.
Her Majesty's ship Curlew was at Gibraltar; at
Cadiz the Spanish war-steamer Isabel and the
French war-steamer Requiem ; at Lisbon the usual
Portuguese squadron; at Vigo the English steamers
Dutchman and Echo.

The Alhambra spoke the steam-ship Colombo,
steering for Gibraltar; the St. Lucia, from London
to Oporto; and the Tagus, steering out of Vigo Bay.

THE COLLISION AT THE WILLESDEN

J UN CTI 0 N.

ADJOURNED INQUEST ON THE ENGINE DRIVER,
The adjourned investigation into the circumstances ecu-
nected with the late fatal railway collision at the Willesden
junction of the London and North Western Railway was
resumed last evening before Mr. Wakley, the coroner, and a
jury, at the Sussex Arms Tavern, Shepherd's-bush, the place
where it was previously held not affording sufficient accom-
modation.
Mr. Bruyeres, general superintendent; Mr. D. Steven-
son, superintendent of the goods department; Mr. Beres-
ford, superintendent of police; and Mr. Henderson, loco-
motive superintendent at Camden station of the London and
North Western Railway, were again present.
The coroner, on taking his seat, inquired if Henry Lamb,
the absconded pointsman, had been apprehended; and being
answered in the negative by Mr. Bruyeres and Mr. Beres-
ford, he remarked that the case must proceed in his ab.ence.
Cross, the policeman at the junction, was recalled, and
said had Lamb done his duty he would have left the points
alone, the effect of which would have been that the 4 o'clock
train would hfrve kept straight down the main line. I did
not see Lamb at the points either before or after the collision.
Had it been the Kew train, I should have whistled to the
poiatsman with a whistle I have for the purpose, supposing
that 1 had not seen him at the points. I have been five years
at the junction, alternately for a fortnight at the points and
then at the signal box. In reference to the prevention of
such accidents, I think it would be advisable that there
should not be a change in the duties of men from points to
telegraph and telegraph tto the points.
Cor,rner—wliae objection would there be for the telegraph
box to be just opposite the points, s that the pointsman
would be within hearing of the signal man ? We wish to
know how these accidents may be prevented. Only one life
ha,-, hem lost now, but there might have been hundreds of
lives lost. Unless we can suggest some remedy that may be
the case seine clay from a similar accident.
Mr. Bruyeres explained that if the signals and the points
were so close as suggested, it would create a divided respon-
sibility, and would be attended with greater danger than
otherwise.
Evidence continued—l am quite sure Lamb was sober.
He was himself shunting the coal train across the junction
just before the collision. I did not see Lamb at the paints at
all. Had the down train been the Kew train I should have
stopped it, teeing that the coal trucks were not shunted at
all.

• The Coroner—Don't you think, Mr. Bruyeres, that there
should be two men, instead of one man, kept at these points.
The prospect for the public safety is awful.
/vie: Bruyeres considered that to place two men at the
points would be attended with greater danger, as the men
would get talking and neglecting their duty.
Mr. H. Bercsfurd, superintendent of the North-Western
Railway Police, proved that he bad taken steps fur adver-
tising the absconding pointsman, Henry Lamb, in the Police
Gazette, but he bad not yet been heat?, of.
The Coroner—Mr.-Bruyeres, can you state what can be
done to prevent similar accidents ?
Mr. Bruycres—l cannot suggest anything. Every pre-
causion is taken, and the fact of the white boards being in
front of iha Kew engines is considered sufficient distinction
between the Kew and the main line trains.
The Coroner—.lt is a fearful thing for the public that an
accident of this kind sbiuld happen, and that the public
snould be told that nothing can be done f.r their protection.
Mr. Bruyeres could not see what could be dune, unless
they could make human beings net to do such extraordinary
things as had hen done in ihiscass. The Kew trains cattle
so slew to the junction that you could almost walk as fast,
whereas the speed at which this gain was corning doian
ought alone to bare convinced Lamb that it was not a Kew
train. In accordance with his printed regulations, had a
Kew train been coining at such a speed it would have been
Lamb's duty not to have turned it into the Kew lice.
The Coroner—There never was an accident in the world
proved more clearly to hale resulted from the carelessness
cf one person.
Mr. Brtlye7e3 was here sworn, and In answer to questions,
said that there had been no complaints against Lamb, who
was a careful and steady man. With refer eoce to the sug-
gestion of Cross, he disagreed with it, because by placing
the men alternately at the points they had four good men
who understood both the pointsand working the telegraphs.
The latter was the most responsible duty as well as the
most severe.
• • There being no further evidence, -
The Coroner said there could be no doubt but that the de-
ceased, William Pine, the engine driver, came by his death
in consequence of the calpable conduct of Henry Lamb, the
pointsman. They could not believe he wilfully did it, or if
so, it would be one of the most aggravated murders ever
perpetrated. As it was, the case amounted to one of man-
slaughter at least. The witness Cross, he thought, had
made an important suggestion which it would be well to
consider, namely, that of keeping men permanently at
either telegraph or points. He (the coroner) should have
been exceedingly,glad if Mr. Bruyeres bacLheen able to suge
gesesemething tir the nfety of the pdbtic: •
The jury then retired; and, after an absence of half-an-
hour in consultation, returned a verdict of manslaughter
against Henry Lamb, and appended the following :—" The
jury recommend that an extra man should be appointed to
work the points, and that the men should be confined to
that work, and nothing else. A'so, that the telegraph sig-
nal box should be placed just opposite the points. The jury
also attach great blame to the manager of the North Lou-
don Railway in consequence of the irregularities that mark
the time of starting the Kew trains from their stations."
The proceedings then terminate!'.

THIS DAY'S SHIPPING.

.-.----,..p...----

LONDON, Aug. 4.—Wind this day at noon, W.S.W.;
strong breeze and fine.
FALmounts, Aug. 3.—Arrivcd—Audreas Perim, from
Arenas for Hamburg; Adele, from Batavia; H.M.S. INF-
sell, from Kingswood ' • Evadue, from Rangoon ; Lord
Londesborougli, from Rio Grande ; Imolas, from Monte
Video.
WHITEHAVEN, Aug. 2.—Wind S.S.W.—Water Spout,
from Quebec.
OFF FALMOUTH, Aug. 3.—Arrived—Bombay, from
Bombay.
SOUTHAMPTON, Aug. 4.—Arrived—Avon (s), from
Brazils. 1
SWANSEA, Aug. 3.—Wind S.S.W.—Arrived—Abun-
dance, from Gurraeba.

TFSTIMONIAL TO LORD /TOWN RITSSFLI..--Tt
generally understood that the cc ;u. uni!y , J.wt, esident
is Lohrl,ti intend to sense of the ebligadon they
T....a to tuts tobictnan by presenting to Lady John Russell
a boudoir suite, consiativg of a table and four chairs com-
posed of solid
'Tun CONVICT CIIERRINOTON.—AftCr sentence 01.
death had been pronounced npdn this unhappy man, says
the Ipswich F.jute pre,shge ,
has,
usi.nascererfrat:lvairndeat,oc(ansetealbl
tlyn the
county gaol, I
at-
tended by two ellicers ; and where, we suppose, be will
cortenue until hit execution. He evinc,:s every sop-I,lmm
of being deeply impressed pith ha position, and Lis de-
meansur Is inniktd with a propriety becoming his terrible
fate.. Soon aftrr his being removed to his cell, he applied
far the spit iturl asistance of the Rev. J. Raven, the minis-
ter of St. Nicholas Independent Chapel, and the rev. gentle-
man is assiduous in his a'teutiou upon the unhappy man,
seeking zealously to prepare him for that tribunal, before
which he must shortly appear to answer for bis crime. It
may not be generally known that the last execution for a
murder in the borough took place in 1831, in front of the
county gaol, where, in the absence of a reprieve, Ebentzer
Cilarington will sulicr. the list penalty of On Idw.