The Sun.
London, England, 1858-09-14 00:00:00

NEWTOWN AND MACHYNLLETH.

The half-yearly meeting. of this company was
held at Machynlleth on Friday, Mr. R. D. Jones in
the chair.

The report stated that the company had yet
nearly two years for the purchase of land and four
years for the completion of the railway. Negotia-
tions had been entered into with contractors, and it
was hoped that by the next half-yearly meeting the
board would have come to an arrawrement for the
commencement of the works. The Corns Tramway
Company had obtained a new act, authorising them
to complete their undertaking ; that line was in
course of formation, and when completed would
form a junction with the Newtown and Machynlleth,
and be an important feeder to it.
The CHAIIMAN enlarged on the various topics
referred to in the report, and moved its adoption,
which, being seconded by Dr. EVANS, was unani-
mously agreed to.
EtitaYken to obtain payment of arrears
steTphsehaSdEcitTA
been (Mr. D. Howell) mentioned that
of calls, on which interest would be charged.
The proceedings closed with a vote of thanks to
the chairman.

THE CATASTROPHE ON THE OXFORD
RAILWA E

Mr. A. C. Sheriff, general manager ; Mr. Wilson,
engineer ; Mr. Hurry, another officer of the line,
were engaged from an early hour yesterday morn-
ing, in experimenting between Round Oak and
Brettel-lane stations, with a view to ascertain the
difficulties that a guard would experience in stop-
ping a train of 17 carriages and a van, in the event
of their breaking away from others at the former
station, and running down the incline towards
Bt tean rTuhen
carriages
cr were laden each with
22 cwt. of iron, 5 cwt. each more than the weight
which Capt. Tyler, the government inspector, com-
puted would be equal to the weight of the 'passen-
gers who were in the part of the train that broke
away on the night of Aug. 23, when that dreadful
accident occurred which occasioned the experiment.
The number of tickets issued by the company for
the train to which the calamity happened was 1,500,
adults and juveniles together. Basing his calcula-
tions upon a proportion of these leaving the train
at the preceding stations, the government inspector
set down as the weight in each carriage 17 cwt.,
and with that weight made his recent experiments
on the same piece of line.
On the last day of the inquiry before the coroner,
the guard Cook, who was in the part of the train
that broke away, deposed that at one time, when
the train was receding at the rate of four miles an
hour, he applied his break, and succeeded in nearly
stopping the train. Yesterday the train came into
the Round Oak station with the breaks on, as is
usual on approaching a station at which it is in-
tended to stop. The engine was then uncoupled,
and the train allowed to recede, till it had attained
the speed of three miles an hoar, 'the break was
then applied, and the train was stopped in 11 yards;
again, going at the rate of 31 miles an hour, the
break brought it up in 33
yards ; a speed of 51
miles attained, and the train receded 23-1 yards be-
fore it could be-stopped ; a return again to 31 miles
an hour, and the carriages ran back yards before
they could be stopped. All this time the same num-
ber of persons was in the guard's van as was there
when the breakage took place ; and, although there
was a second class break in the train, yet only the
break in the guard's van was used.
Later in the day the jury- were invited to witness
the experiments--in fact, for the information of
those gentlemen the experiments were determined
upon. The Rev. Mr.- Bayley (Baptist minister),
the foreman, and about six others of the panel,
witnessed similar experiments. The foreman and
others rode in the guard's van, and watched the
application of the break ; others superintended the
measuring of the distance that the train ran ; whilst
another rode in the second class break to see that
that was not used in stopping the carriages.
The following were the results of the second ex-
periments. Running at
24 miles an hour, stopped at 101 yards.
"31
4-

162 „
51 ff ff 66 ~
101 „ •
fl ff
Again a speed of 6 miles an hour wag obtained ; the
guard applied his break, got out of his van, and
threw a " sprag," or pointed baulk of timber be-
tween the spokes of one of the wheels and stopped
the train in 70 yards. The regulations of the com-
pany require the guards to carry a good supply of
these sprags with them. Another start, again a
speed of six miles reached. Once more the guard
applies his break, and then runs to the second class
break, applies that also, and brings up his train in
61 yards. The disadvantages of the raiLs being hot
from a strong noon-day sun were supposed -Co ba-
lance their being a little damp on the night of the
accident.