The Sun.
London, England, 1857-07-03 00:00:00

INQUEST THIS DAY.

Mr. C. J. Carttar, coroner for West Kent, re-
sumed the inquiry this 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 Friucis 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 Sirood 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-
post 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 ue
within the distance signal, the had of the train being
about 40 yards from the station mister. Witne,s
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, and before he 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, " Its a bad job, Mr.
Wilson, I did not see the red light in sufficient
time to pull 4." 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 hav e
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 each 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 twain being ready, and even admitting
Lewisham might have given a wrong signal pro-
vision was made for rectiying 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 evidence 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,
ing the signal man to enter all further signals he
received under it. The danger signal on the 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 lie 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 with 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 li.t. In the absence of the telegraph
signrls 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 he

thought then the fog signals should be used. The
telegraph signals of " clear all up" were entered in a
box, and then communictted to the station master,
who would inform the guard, and he the engine-
driver. If "all clear" was indicated, a train, be-
fore it was started, would be signalled, and it was
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
non-stopping and other trains not to treat the
distance signal or a stopping signal
The case was proceeding when we went to press.

INTERESTING MECHANICAL EXPERIMENT.—Among the
many surprising achievements of science and art few will
be deemed more interesting to the gentler sex than the
successfnl termination of a long series of experiments
which have for a long period tested the ingenuity of those
by whom the novel task has now been accomplished.
Without enumerating the disappointments which attend
all experiments, it will be more agreeable to follow the
processes which have been attended with so perfect a re-
sult. An imitation of the beautiful Indian work of
Peshawur was required ; and, from the close-matted
nature of that embroidery, and the complicated detail
which constitutes the Hindoo-Etrurian style of work,
' all attempts with the needle were abandoned, and a
skilful compressing process was adopted. Engraved
copper-plates are charged with the colouring matter and
placed on a metal box connected with a steam-engine.
The box is fixed in a strong table, and a pressure of 70
tons, by means of a hydraulic machine, is applied to thr
fabric, which has previously been placed, with five thick
blankets, upon the copper-plate. While the fabric is
under this enormous pressure the steam is turned into
the box, and the design is thus raised and fixed with an
effect that cannot be distinguished at a short distance
from the finest descriptions of braiding. The most deli-
cate, as well as the roughest, fabrics can be so treated.
The effect is singularly beautiful, and the articles now
produced—namely, a jacket and dress of light and ei.
quisite material, and of every nuance of colour—can be
Purchased by a lady at a cost less than the mere imita.
five embroidery attempted by the needle. Jay and
Smith, the proprietors of the Sponsalia, Regent-street,
are the fortunate originators and patentees of this charm-
ing novelty—one which bids fair, as the French say, to
have a grand succes.--frfornmg /Iva/a.