The Sun.
London, England, 1857-07-04 00:00:00

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[PRICE 4D.

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THE LATE FATAL ACCIDENT ON THE
NORTH KENT RAILWAY.

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vent the die ce sign 17g:igen& , tiOu
;ereen under' the bridge. It., 4,7,,...,z„,:1(7; '
By Mr. Bodkin—He d 3.t.,)t:*(t ip; . %:16 •
a trul light to the train wi ,X*Ox-i--• nintiP, ~,,,:,:t.
By Mr. Burgon—On T , 'Ar-v-Afai\thi)keniAn t
the gas pipes used for the si ftlitSferAleanq, t ;
he did not know when they werklleankt out be-
fore. •
By the Coroner—The pipes were cleaned to iiii
prove the light.
By Mr. Bodkin—He could not say' when the
pipes were cleaned out before. When he wanted
to improve the lights he had the gas pipes cleaned

out.
By the Coroner—The wire was pushed to put on
the red light, and a person sitting on the wire
would cause the substitution of the white for the
red light.
Mr. Burgon said he should be in a position to -
show that the effect of the persons pressing on
the wire that night was to shift the lights.
By the Coroner—Witness had no occasion to go
to the end of the train before the accident,
and that was why he did not know if there was a
red light there.
By Mr. Bodkiii--He believed there was nothing
to justify the engine-driver entering the station on
Sunday night in the manner he did.
By a Juror—He was unable to state the speed at
which the 9.30 train entered the station.
By the Coroner—lt appearel to enter the station
at a faster speed than was usual for a stopping
train. The speed of entering a train depended
much on the state of the weather.
By Mr. Bodkin—There is great traffic on Sunday
nights.
By the Coroner—He considered the distance
signal the commencement of the station. After
stopping a train at the distance signal, and the
driver saw no train a-head, he might advance to
the semaphore signal. If the driver of this train
had noticed the red light, and not the train on the
line, he was justified in coming on to the semaphore
signal
The Coroner then called for Wild, the signal-man.
Mr. Bodkin—He is in custody, undergoing ex-
amination before the magistrate.
William Wiley, guard, No. 20, deposed that he
was guard of the 9.15 train from Strood on Sunday
night. The train was late, owing to five minutes'
stoppage at Woolwich, and five minutes at Charl-
ton, for all clear signals. The train arrived at Lewis-
ham at 10.38. The train ought to have run
through the station, but it was stopped in conse-
quence of the danger signal being on. Witness put
his liteak on. as soon as he saw the signal, bu.,,t find-
ing the pace slackened, and the driver ring care-
fully, he took off his break. The train ettpped
about 100 yards within the distance signal, and
shortly after stopped dead. He got out and stood
behind his break in the rear of the train. There
was a red tail-light on the off side of the train, and
he had his red hand-light with him. Witness went
back a little and saw the Beckenham train go to-
wards London. He heard a train coming, on
which he ran forward, waved his lamp, and whistled
with his fingers. He was standing on the down
line. His reason for using his fingers in whistling
was, that he could make a louder noise than if he
used the company's whistle. He shouted, whistled,
and waved his light, but the driver of the train did
not appear to notice him. When he turned round
he saw the distance signal. He did not see it
flicker. The distance signal could be seen at all
times shortly after leaving Blackheath. He had
seen it from Blackheath station. The steam of an
engine going through a tunnel or under a bridge
impeded the sight of this signal. The train was de-
layed 18 or 20 minutes before the collision. He
was on the down line all the time, and he was un-
able to say if any of the passengers left the train.
He believed one or two of the off doors were not
locked ; the keys did not fit them, and there was
not time to lock them before they left Strood.
The train passed him at the usual speed of 20 miles
an hour—the speed of a train about to stop at
Lewisham. It was down an inclined plane. The
stoppage of a train depended on the engine, length
of train, and the weather. Some trains could be
stopped within 100 yards, whilst others required
300 yards. He eonsideredi it was the duty of the
station-master to give orders for the advance, &c.,
of a train "stopped" within the distance signal ;
he also considered the train protected when it got
within the distance signal, and that it was not his
duty to go back half-a-mile and put fog signals on
the lines. He had his fog signals in his pouch
when he walked back towards the train, but there
was not time then for him to place fog signals on
the line.

[A. portion of the following appeared in our impression
of yesterday
Mr. C. J. Carttar, coroner for West Kent, re-
sumed the inquiry yesterday morning at the Plough,
Lewisham, into the deaths of the eleven.unfortu-
nate individuals who lost their lives on the North
Kent Railway on Sunday night last.
Mr. Bodkin, instructed by Mr. Rees, solicitor to
the South Eastern Railway Company, who work
the line, attended to watch the case on their behalf.
Mr. Burgon, for the engine-driver and stoker ;
Mr. Soloman for the relatives of Mrs. A Wilcox
and Miss M. A. Howe, sisters • Mr. W. J. Scott,
for the relatives of Mr. T. Franklyn ; Mr. Norton,
of the firm of Norton, Son, and Elam, for the rela-
tives of H. and T. Turner (brothers-in-law) ; Mr.
Armstrong for the relatives of Frincis Drake.
The Hon. J. Byng, chairman of the board of
directors of the South-Eastern Railway Company,
was present during the day.
The first witness examined was Mr. John Nel-
son, station-master, Lewisham—He deposed that
on Sunday night the 9.15 train from Strood ar-
rived at the distance signal, Lewisham, about 10.40
to the best of his recollection. It ought not to
have stopped, but have run through the station
about 10.20. He did not know the cause of its de-
tention. The train drew up at the signal distance-
pest because the danger signal was up, in conse-
quence of the line being blocked between the Junc-
tion station and the Lewisham station. It drew up
within the distance signal, the head of the train being
about 40 yards from the station master. Witness
went to the train to see if there was room in it for
the passengers left behind by the last train, making
arrangements for stopping any up train ; finding
there was no room in the train,. he. did not have it
brought to the station. He then went to the signal
box, and saw the signal "stop all up," from the
junction. He then tapped at the instrument two
or three times, but received no reply. He went
out and saw the signals up for the Mid Kenc
train to be let out first. The train remained
stationary from 10.40 till 10.55, when he
saw an engine from Lewisham dart through the
bridge with two white lights in front. He was
much alarmed, an.' before ho could jump off he
heard the collision. He ran down and seeing the
frightful nature of the accident he went to the
driver of the 9.30 train that ran into the other, and
said to him, " How is this, how came you to run
past the red light?" He replied, "It's a bad job, Mr.
Wilson, I did not see the red light in sufficient
time to pull up." Witness then saw Abbott, the
head guard of the train running towards the
station ; he desired him to run down to
stop anything coming up. A thought then
occurred to him to recall Abbott, which he
did, and asked him to examine the distance signals.
Abbott replied, " That is all correct, I saw it
plainly." Witness replied, " Never mind," and
asked him to go with him ; they went to the signals
and found them correct. Witness went back to
the signal box, where he found Wild ; he looked
at the telegraph needles and saw that they stood
" stop all up." He asked Wild, " How's this ;"
Wild replied, " I can't say—Blackheath gave me
two beats on the instrument, to which I gave no
reply as the needle stood " stop all up ;" two beats
indicated that the up train was ready to start, but
on receiving no reply the train ought not to have
been started, and the Blackheath station-master
ought not to have detained it. If an answer had
been given for the train to proceed, one beat would
have been sufficient ; that might have been given
without altering the needles pointing " stop all
u Two dials were produced and the working of the
instruments explained by a gentleman connected
with the railway electric signals company. It ap-
peared to be the most perfect plan that possibly
could be devised for safety by the prevention of a
collision. To the instrument is affixed a gong and
a bell for giving notice to e ich station, the gong
being struck for down trains and the bell for the
up trains, and on no occasion could they be struck
by mistake. If Lewisham signalled to Blackheath
" stop all up," the latter could not have altered it
until another signal from Lewisham that the
line was clear. Blackheath, with two beats,
should have called the attention of Lewisham
to the train being ready, and even admitting
Lewisham might have given a wrong signal pro-
vision was mado for rectifying such a mistake before
the trains leaving. The signals were struck by the
pressure of a button and not by clock work, which
gave a distinct striking that could not be mistaken
in counting.
The evidnce of Mr. Nelson was then resumed—
The last entry he found in Wild's book was the
signal of the 9.15 train then standing in
the station ; it is the duty of the man
at the instrument to immediately enter
the signals he receives, and he had entered
that the train had left Blackheath. Wit-
ness drew a line and wrote his name under it, te'l-
ing the signal man to enter all further signals
he
received under it. The danger signal on e post
that stopped the 9.10 train was in the same state
when the 9.30 train arrived that ran into it. The
signal post was under the care of Wild, and could
not have been tampered with by any one during
the 20 minutes that elapsed. He believed it had
not been tampered with. If it had been tampered
with he or Wild must have known it. (The signal-
book was produced and examined by the coroner
and jury.)
By a juryman—The Lewisham Junction danger
signal could not be seen at Blackheath, but the
distance signal that stopped the 9.15 train could
be seen there ; the Blackheath station master had
told him so.
Witness desired Wild not to interfere with the
signals to Blackheath, but to let them remain as
they were. There being great confusion he went
to the assistance of the sufferers. Saxby was in
charge of the signals, whilst he sent Wild to the
train. He believed he did not alter them ; the
train was standing at the proper place wben the
collision occurred. Perry alluded to the distance
signal when he said he could not see the red light.
It was a clear night, and the signals could be dis-
tinctly seen. He believed the driver (Perry) was
sober. 'Witness did not notice the state of the
breaks. It was the duty of the man Wild, who
attended the electric signals, to work the other
signals. He signalled of his own accord though
under his (witness's) personal orders. The 9.56
Woolwich train was the first cause of the stoppage. It
was stopped at New Cross for the collection of
tickets. The great mischief occurred to a, third-
class carriage in front of a break van. This was an
open third-class carriage ; had it been a covered
carriage no doubt it would have better resisted the
accident.
By Mr. Burgon—lt would not have been a
prudent thing for the guard of the stationary train
to have gone back and put fog signals on the rails,
because he was waiting for a signal to proceed. If
he had deemed it prudent to do so he should commu-
nicate wi th the driver to wait for him. In this case he
ought not to have done so because the train was
expecting to start every minute. He did not know
that the telegraph signals were auxiliary signals.
They had been used on the line ever since he had
been on it. In the absence of the telegraph
signals he thought the guard ought not to have
gone back. He thought a danger signal sufficient
protection for a train about to remain two or three
minutes. If it were to remain half an hour_liee
thought then the fog signals should be used.e
_l;rla
telegraph signals of " clear all up" were entenr2ads
box, and then communicated to the statio_ue
en t
gine-
who would inform the guard, and he th
driver. If " all clear" was indicated, a train. be
and it be-
fore it was started, would be signalled,
often started before an answer could be returned.
He denied that the 9.15 train passed the distance
signal at a speed of five miles an hour. The driver
.
of that train passed it
and came on to the Sema-
phore signal. It was the practice on the line for
dother t rams not to treat the
non-stopping an °
signal or a stopping signal without any-
distance
thing else occurred, but to 'come on to the sema
phone signal... He called to Abbott to look to the
signals in justification of his conduct that all was
right • there had been complaints of the state of the
signal from engine drivers. Hill might have com-
plained of it two days before the accident occurred,
but he did not recollect it. He did not notice on
Sunday night the passengers get out of the train,
and that they pressed on the wires of the signals as
they sat on the bank ; the effect of sitting on the
wire would be to strain it, and probably swing
round the signals ; the wires werenot protected from
the public. Where the train stopped the wires of
the signals were close to the ground.
Plans of the Lewisham and Blackheath stations,
with the curves, signals, &c., were put in and
proved by Mr. Curtis Edwards, engineer
o f
th GraasV t eSo
end, who was also examined at some leng
signal at
there relative distances. The distance. t was 281
Lewisham could be seen at Blackheath ;
the semaphore
yards between the distance and
but not litlfiluelA to
signal the line slightly curved

By Mr. Burgon—He could have done it if he had
gone back immediately after the train stopped, but
he did not consider he was required to do so. The
pa.sengers were not unusually noisy for Sunday
passengers.
By Mr. Norton—One red light was placed at
the tail of ordinary trains. If an express train was
to follow two red tail lights were used.
By Mr. Burgon—He had heard engine drivers
say they had been on duty 18 hours a day ; the
longest time he had been on duty was on Sundays.
It lasted from 'half-past 7 o'clock in the morning
till 11 or half-past 11 o'clock at night, with an in-
terval of two hours.
After some further evidence, the inquiry was ad-
journed.
Photographs, taken by direction of the company
of the line, by Mr. Beard, the photographist
of King William-street, were produced before
the jury, showing that the signals at Lewisham
were distinctly visible at distances greater than ne-
cessary for the driver to bring his train to a
stand, and one of the photographic views was
taken from an engine placed on the main
line of the railway at the Blackheath Station, a
distance of three-quarters of a mile ; the other
from the engine when at the distance of 800 yards
from the Lewisham station. In both views
the danger signal was most clearly delineated, and,
in one, the guard who ran back on the night of the
accident to warn the approaching train was also
most accurately represented, as holding out his
lamp as a signal of danger.

CRICKET.