The Sun.
London, England, 1861-09-03 00:00:00

remained on the line uninjured after the collision,
and none of the men in charge of it appeared to have
been injured. Trains coming from Kew usually stop
at the Kentish-town station, it being the next to
Camden-road, and at the latter passengers have to
change carriages for the North London line. In
this instance the excursion train did not do so.
That the men on the ballast train distinctly state ;
and it seems impossible it could have stopped there,
for had it done so, the driver must have seen the bal-
last trucks. Indeed, at the scene of the accident
the matter was not disputed ; for, on some one
remarking that it was a wonder why the passenger
train had not pulled up at Kentish-town, one of the
officials remarked " It was an excursion, and had no
right to stop there." In reply to an inquiry as to
whether he was right in shunting at that particular
moment, one of the men in charge said there was
nothing to tell them the up train was coming, and
added, "There are no papers for those excursions.°
If it be a fact that there are no time-tables for ex•
cursion trains at a point where shunting has been
going on several times in the day for some weeks
past, there must have been gross negligence on some
one's part, more especially if the passenger train
was to pass the Kentish-town station without pulling
up. Under such circumstances, and considering that
the line is so much curved from Hampstead to
Camden-town, the only wonder is that such an unt
pardonably faulty arrangement had not sooner re-
sulted in a catastrophe like the present. The train
the return journey of which has brought desolation
and sorrow to so many homes consisted of 13 or 14
carriages besides the breakvan which followed the
engine. It is stated that the excursionists were
officers and friends of officials in the employment of
the North London Company; but such was the con-
sternation to which the fearful occurrence gave rise
that it was with considerable difficulty any particu-
lars were gathered more than those which the
ground itself presented to the spectators' view. At
about a quarter past 8 a down train arrived from
London. The engine came to a etand, of course, and
the look of terrified amazement with which its occu-
pants viewed the scene was indescribable. At that
hour there were some thousands of people collected
in the fields and up the embankment at each side of
the bridge. Two or three of the smashed carriages
formed one monster fire that shot up its flames to an
immense height. The wounded lay here and there,
writhing in agony. Men were engaged in dragging
corpses from under wheels and axle-trees, and out
of carriages that had been crushed like pasteboard.
Gentlemen and ladies carried water-cans, bottles,
and other vessels, and were constantly
giving those drinks which the mangled so greedily
asked far. Many ladies ran about with linen for
the
_doctors to bandage the wounded ; and them-
selves assisted in the kind office. The policeman
with their lanterns kept a path for those who were
carrying the injured to the cabs, vans, and carts,
which were now drawn up in a line to the byroad
leading out of Kentish-town ; and from all sides
men, women, and children were running with lamps
and lighted candles to what, without the slightest
exaggeration, may be termed a field of slaughter.
The driver of the ballast train said that the excur-
sion train appeared to him to have been coming at
a rate of about 60 miles an hour ; but the probabi-
lity is that he was deceived in this. To those who
saw it from the windows of the houses and from the
field it did not appear to be coming at such speed,
though its pace was rapid.
Any list of killed and wounded which was pro-
cured last night must necessarily be imperfect, but
on inquiry at the hospitals the following list was
obtained of the persons who had been admitted :
To the Royal Free Hospital, Gray's-inn-lane, Mrs.
Emma English, aged 40, wife of James English, re-
siding at 24, John-street, Clerkenwell, dead. The
injuries which this lady had received were fracture
of the spine, laceration of the left foot, and several
severe scalp wounds. She died in three-quarters of
an hour after her admission to the hospital. James
English, aged 41, her husband, has received scalp
wounds and several contusions, which are not likely
to prove fatal. Sarah Cox, aged 43, No. 1, Iceland-
road, Old Ford, has received fracture of the ribs,
scalp wounds, and general contusions. A child, six
months old, with bruises on the head, name not
known. The patients taken to the hospital were
promptly attended to by Mr. Alexander Marsden,
the house surgeon.
In the Middlesex Hospital.—Two boys named
Greenwood, one 12, the other eight years, and a lad
aged about 18, name unknown, brought in dead.
A man named Terry, living in the Liverpool-road,
collar-bone fractured. A woman named Philpott,
nasal bone fractured, and other injuries.
In University College Hospital, Gower-street, Miss
Stacey, West India-yard, Bow; and Mary Sellis
(addresses not known), dead. Three others dead,
not yet identified. Elizabeth Ward, 91, Upper-
street, Islington ; George Hewitt, Cornhill-road,
Bow ; Olive Hewitt; Sarah Essex, the Point,
Stratford; Mary Ann Mathews, 3, Colt-street, Old
Ford; John barley, Catholic Chapel, .Nloorfields ;
Joseph Cocks, 7, John-street-north, Shacklewell ;
Mrs. Drake, Mrs. Hemmings, Annie Ward, Mrs.
Jane Green wood, wife of a station master ; Mrs.
Holt, Henry Stacey, John Stacey, George Henry
Bolton, the stoker, Old Ford, Bow; W. Woodley,
Iceland-road ; George Woodley, father of the above;
Edward Essex, Stratford New Town ; Isaac
Coxall, Old Ford, Essex; Mr. Cox, Bow; William
Stewart, Leighton Buzzard; Joseph Bridges, 2,
Richmond-terrace, Campbell-road, Bow; Mr. Rush-
brook, Hawkscourt ; two men and a boy unknown,
one woman unknown, and an infant unknown, all
more or less injured. In St. Pancras workhouse, an
old woman, name unknown, dead.
It was generally stated that several of the
wounded had been conveyed to the Great Northern
Hospital, but on inquiry at that institution we
ascertained that such was not the fact. The above
list gives a total of 10 dead and 33 wounded in the
hospitals ; but it was stated that there were at least
three dead who had not been taken to any public
institution. These, with the 10 in hospital, would
give 13 dead. It is impossible yet to say how many
were wounded. The driver of the excursion was
named Scott, and, judging from the anxiety ex-
pressed about him, he must have been a favourite
with the servants of the company.
Miss Stacey, who is among the dead, died after
amputation of the left leg. Her right leg was frac-
tured in additioa to the other injuries which she
had received.
At a late hour last night it was stated that Scott,
the driver of the excursion, was not dead, although
the injuries which he had sustained were very se-
vere. We were unable to sscertain which of the
accounts in reference to this man was the correc
one.

tier' the hour approached for them to return to
town. The first train that left Kew was an excur-
sion train, and it arrived at Camden-town station
about a quarter past 7 o'clock without any impedi-
ment having been experienced. Soon after a second
train started on its return to town, consisting of 13
or 14 carriages, the first three being what are termed
" saloon carriages," and of considerable length.
Every carriage was crowded with excursionists,
and the speed at which it was going somewhat
exceeded the ordinary rate, but was not, as it
has been reported, so great as 60 miles an hour.
Nothing occurred to threaten danger until the train
reached the end of the embankment and the begin-
ning of the viaduct on which the railway is con-
structed across the Kentish-town fields, when, just
as it approached the arch under which a road is
intended to pass from Hampstead-road to Kentish-
town, a train laden with ballast was being shunted
off the rails, but before it had entirely cleared the
rail the engine of the excursion train came into
collision with it, and in an instant the engine was
tumbled down the embankment, dragging after it
the three long saloon carriages and an ordinary
second-class carriage to a depth of upwards of 35
feet into the fields. The first carriage fell on its
side, the wheels towards the fields and the head close
to the wall of the embankment, and was utterly
smashed. The next two carriages fell sideways on
to the first carriage, and the fourth carriage fell
on its side on the bank. The engine was separated
from the train, thrown a great distance into the
fields, and broken almoSt literally to pieces. The
scene that ensued was heartrending. The groans
and shrieks of the wounded and of the dying were
most appalling. But not an instant was lost in
rendering assistance to the sufferers, and the car-
riages being broken means were thus afforded to
rescue those who had been the least injured, and to
remove those whose injuries were such as scarcely
admitted of relief of any kind. The rumours as to
the number of the dead were, as in all occurrences of
this dreadful nature, conflicting. Some stated five,
and others seven, while there were persons who
alleged that no less than eleven bodies had been
removed from the wreck of the carriages. On
visiting the London University Hospital at half-
past ten o'clock we saw two women and one
man lying dead, and we found that there were
upwards of twenty persons in the wards who
were more or less injured by the accident. The
consequences of this calamitous event, however,
were not confined to those passengers and excur-
sionists who were in the four carriages that were
precipitated down the bank ; many persons who
were in the other portion of the train were very
seriously injured, and a considerable time elapsed
before the railway was cleared. With regard to the
cause of this most fatal occurrence there can be no
difficulty whatever in arriving at it. The daily werk
of carrying ballast is suffered to proceed on the ra

whether one train or 20 trains may be passing in a
given space of time. Persons living in the neigh-
bourhood and who witness the operations that are
going on often express their astonishment that acci-

dents do not happen ; but habit deadens the sense
of danger, and until some such awful calamity as
that we have now to report occurs the most ordi-

nary precaution which circumstances call for is
neglected. Had those who direct these matters re-
membered that when several excursion trains were

running on the line in excess of the usual number
of ordinary train: it was their bounden duty to take
care that the line was made clear of every moveable
impediment, no ballast truck would have been in
the way of the second excursion train, and no deaths
and sufferings from a most calamitous event would
now have to be recorded.

THE TERRIBLE COLLIRION ON THE
LONDON AND BRIGHTON RAILWAY.

BRIGHTON, MONDAY.
The adjourned inquest on the bodies of the 23
unfortunate passengers on the above railway, who
were killed by a collision in the Clayton tunnel on
Sunday, the 25th of August, was resumed this day
at the Town-hall, at 2 o'clock, before Mr. David
Black, Coroner.
Captain Tyler, the Government Inspector of
Railways, was again in attendance, as were Mr.
Slight, secretary ; Mr. Faithful], solicitor; and Mr.
Hawkins, traffic manager to the London and
Brighton Railway. Captain J. C. Fitzmaurice,
auditor to the company, was also present. The legal
gentlemen who watched the case on behalf of the
friends of the deceased were again in attendance.
The first witness examined was—
Archibald Perry, inspector of permanent way of
the London and Brighton Company, who said,—l
have measured the distance from the south end of
the Clayton tunnel to where the engine lay. The
distance was 225 yards. You can see tha distance
signal 986 yards before reaching it from Brighton.
From the distance signal to the signalman's plat-
form is 300 yards, and to the mouth of the tunnel
305 yards. From the entrance of the tunnel to the
first sign of the collision is 220 yards. At this
point there are marks on the brickwork and dis-
placement of the ballast. From the south end of
the tunnel to the first shaft is 169 yards ; to the
second shaft, 368 yards. The entire length of the
tunnel is one mile 22 chains, of 22 yards to a chain.
The length of the tunnel in yards is one mile 484
yards. The distance of the north end of the tun-
nel to. Hassock's-gate is 79 chains, one chain less
than a mile. The distance from Brighton to the
entrance of Patcham tunnel is two miles 38 chains.
The length of Patcham tunnel is 22 chains. The
distance from the north end of Patcham tunnel to
the south end of Clayton tunnel is one mile 79
chains. It is seven miles from Brighton terminus
to Hassock's-gate. At the south end of Clayton
tunnel there is a gradient post, which states that
the gradient south of the tunnel is 1 in 264, the fall
being four miles and 50 chains. The same gradient
post describes the gradient north 1 in 264 north-
wards for three miles and five chains. Looking
south from the signalman's box at the south end of
the tunnel, the straight line is 871 yards; but 200
yards of slight curve intervene before the straight
line commences.
By Captain Tyler--It is 220 yards from to
mouth of the tunnel to the mark lett by the lon-
motive chimney on the top of the tunnel, where it
mounted the third-class carriage of the excursion
train. The collision may have been a few yards
south of that point.
By the Jury—l never heard of a driver running
past the distance signal at safety and being pulled
up by a signalman with a red flag.
The Coroner (to Mr. Faithfull)—Will you pro-
duce the gßard's time-book now ?
Mr. Faithfull—Yes, sir.
Mr. G. Hawkins, traffic manager of the London
and Brighton Railway (after the usual caution
from the Coroner), was then sworn and examined.
He said,—l have been in the company's service 19
years. I have held my present office about 12 or
13 years. My general duties are to superintend and
supervise all the arrangements connected with the
traffic on the railway—porters, policemen, guards,
signalmen and stationmasters. The clerks in the
goods' department are also under my control. I
am responsible for the hours fixed for the starting
uf the trains. The time-tables for the regular
trains are submitted to the directors; for the ex-
cursion and irregular trains I am solely responsible.
The times of the starting of the three trains had
been settled by me. The trains called excursion
trains, although running at lower fares, are really
regular trains, and run at stated hours. The
Brighton excursion train is one running every
week, and is therefore put in the time-table. (A
time-table was here put in by the witness.) A
train starts from Brighton on Sunday at 8 15,
calling at the Norwood junction. That is in the
time-table as a regular train. The Portsmouth
train runs only once a fortnight, and is therefore
classed among the special train service. It is not
mentioned in the time-table. A special paper is
circulated among the company's service every Si.
turday morning relative to the special trains of the
week. (This paper was handed in.) The Ports-
mcuth train leaves Portsmouth at six a.m. on Sun
day morning. This special paper is issued to
stationmasters, en ginedrivers, signalmen, plate-
layers, and all others concerned. The Portsmouth
train has to make 16 stoppages before or including
its arrival at Brighton. It to be shunted cif
from the Portsmouth line to the Brighton departure
line. It has to make several shunts," an opera
tion which cannot be well performed under 10 or 12
minutes. It arrived, I believe, at Brighton at 8.16,
and left Brighton at 8.28. That would be twelve
minutes, and would not be an unreasonable. time.
I was not in Brighton when the accident happened.
The time of the three trains leaving was 8.5, 8.15,
and 8.30 a.m., one train, the first, being in the sin•
cial notiin Arid the other two in the general times
table. It is ono of the rules of the company that no
train shall be started (except at London-bridge) at
a less interval than five minutes from the despatch

of the previous. That is in force at all the stations
except London-bridge. Rule 35 applies to trains
passing stations on the main line rather than to
trains starting from a terminus. The common prac-
tice is, that no trains should start within five
minutes, but there is no printed rule to that effect:
I never remember a time when that practice did not
prevail. I am still speaking of the stations and not
of London-bridge, where we start at intervals of
less than five minutes. There we have signals for a
long distance within view of each other, and we
sometimes start trains at intervals of three minutes.
If the trains are equal and engines equal I think
they maybe started with perfect safety within five
minutes of each other between Brighton and Has-
sock's-gate. That is the shortest interval I should
recognise in starting from Brighton. The progress
of each train is made out by the station clerks at
various stations on the line, and sent to me. Those
stations are Hayward's-heath, Three Bridges, Croy-
don station, Victoria station, and London-bridge sta-
tion, including the time of starting from Brighton.
(Returns of Sunday, Aug. 18—the Sunday before
the accident—handed in, also guard's report from
Sunday, Aug. 18, to the Saturday following.)
I have not the returns of Sunday, the 25th
(the day of the accident). The whole ser-
vice of that day was completely disorganised, and
several trains did not run. I will produce them if
you wish, but we must have time to prepare them.
The guards make the entries of the time of leaving
the stations. I will have a return made out of two
or three of the Sundays on which the Portsmouth
excursion trains ran, with the time at which these
three trains started from Brighton, including the
Sunday of the accident, and including also the
time of arrival of the Portsmouth excursion train
at Brighton. I will also have a return prepared
of the actual time of starting every train going up
on the Brighton main line during each Sunday in
August. lam not aware as a matter of fact that
trains are started from Brighton at shorter inter-
vals than five minutes. No such circumstance has
ever come to my knowledge. The most frequent
cause of delay from any terminal station is the late
arrival of passengers. It is utterly impossible to
start a train at the precise time at which it is ad-
vertised. The doors of the station are kept open
until the exact hour. If a fly comes up when the
hand of the clock is on the hour it is admitted ; the
luggage has to be taken to the end of the platform.
The passengers won't be hurried, and they will
choose a carriage they like. There may be a large
family, and it is, in fact, impossible to start a train
at the precise minute advertised. The Portsmouth
excursion is advertised to start from Brighton at
8 5 a.m., but it does not take up passengers there.
If it kept correct time that would allow 8 minutes
for shunting. If the Portsmouth train arrived 20
minutes after time it would be sent off before the
Brighton excursion.
The Coroner—l have it in evidence that the
Portsmouth train arrived at 8 16, and left at 8 28.
Witness—ln that case it would be the duty of
the station-master at Brighton to start the
Brighton train first, because a considerable time
must be allowed for shunting the Portsmouth
train, and the interval would allow the Brighton
train to get well away. Express trains and excur-
sion trains can be got away nearer to their time
than ordinary trains, because people do not bring
luggage, and are more punctual in arriving. The
increase in passenger traffic on the line has been
very great. In 1848, the number of passengers
conveyed by the company was 2,485,000 ; in 1860,
it had increased to 9,545,000. That was exclusive
of the season-ticket-holders, who have increased in
a larger proportion. The number of trains, I
should say, has increased in a larger ratio than
the number of passengers. My object has always
been to keep the trains within a reasonable limit in
point of length, and I attribute our increase of pas-
sengers in a great measure to the increase of the
number of trains. A signalman who had two trains
passing him nine years ago, when Killick became
signalman, would have, I doubt not, four times as
many now. We have more relieving men than we
had then, but we have also more places to relieve.
When there is a large number of trains we get the
signalman's attention, which we cannot insure when
he has very little to do, The safest part of the line
is where it is most crowded. When trains follow
rapidly after each other,lif a signalman neglects his
duty we hear of it from th enginedrivers and
guards and travelling inspectors. If the trains, on
the other band, have a long interval between them,
a man is far more likely to leave his post, or go to
sleep than if he has trains passing continually be-
fore him.
The Coroner—lf it should appear that three
trains ran within six or seven minutes of each other,
under the existing arrangements would that be safe?
Witness—l think it ought not to be. It ought
not to be unsafe, but it is imprudent. But I have
heard no evidence that the three trains ran within
an interval of six or seven minutes. The shortest
time mentioned was three within 10 minutes, which
gives an interval of fire minutes between each train.
At 30 miles an hour they would be two miles and
a-half apart, and there would be no danger.
The Coroner—Then three trains might pass
through the tunnel within a space of 10 minutes
with safety.
Witness—Perfectly so.
The Coroner—Taking one day with another, and
under existing arrangements?
Witness—Yes, they might do so for ever. It
happens, no doubt, that one train leaving Brighton
and passing through Clayton tunnel might and
would gain on another.
A short adjournment here took place.
Mr. Hawkins then continued—l heard for the
first time at this inquiry that these signalmen have
24 hours' duty. I find that to get the whole of the
Sunday and Sunday night with their wives and
families they arrange with each other to work the
24 hours off at a stretch. Had I known it I should
not have sanctioned it, for I don't think a man ought
to work 24 hours at a stretch. A man may on such
duty read a book or newspaper. It is not work—it
is only duty that requires attention. On the busier
parts of the line a man has not time to read. The
signalmen are expected always to have their atten-
tion on the stretch to see a coming train, and because
I knew that it was not in human nature to keep the
attention directed always to one point where a train
was not expected I had the self-acting apparatus
two signalmen at the busiest parts of
fitted up to ring a bell when a train approached. I
never employ
the line. If I did that I should get a divided re-
sponsibility, which lam always afraid of. I have
known but few accidents occur through the mis-
takes of signalmen. Where the signalman is also a
Dointsman he sometimes makes a signal one way and
moves the points another. Accidents sometimes
arise from that source. A driver having seen a red
flag at the mouth of a tunnel ought not to have
backed his train without he had first sent his guard
back to see the obstruction, and without being told
by his guard to come back.
The Coroner—Was there any ground for Scott's
backing the train ? What could lead him to back
his train ?
Witness—There are many circumstances that
would make it excusable. He did not like to keep a
number of passengers within the tunnel. If he could
see that the line was perfectly clear the wisest
course would have been that stated by Jackson the
other day, to creep slowly on through the tunnel.
However, it would be against the rules, and there
might be reasons why one line only in the tunnel
should be worked. It was as much against the
rules to go back, however, as it would have been to
go forward. It was the'cluty of the hinder guard
to run back directly the train stopped. Be should
have gone back to the first fixed signal, to see it
put to danger. He ought then to have gone to the
driver and told him to back the train to the mouth
of the tunnel.
The Coroner now asked the professional men
whether they wished him to make an order for the
production of the documents which were refused by
the solicitor to the company, or whether they would
be satisfied with the documents being placed in his
hands arid those of the jury, with liberty to examine
the witnesses upon any discrepancies. He was
ready to make the order if they wished it ; but it
might cause some delay.
Mr. Read said he should be content if the Coroner
and the jury would look at the documents and ask
any questions that might occur to them if they ob-
served any discrepancies.
Mr. Fryer said he differed from Mr. Read, and
thought it desirable that the public and the jury
should have these reports.
The Coroner--What documents do you require ?
Mr. Fryer—_l wish to have the report of the
journey made by Scott, engine-driver of the
Brighton excursion (the second train), and also his
daily return. Also the statement made by Boynett,
the guard, to Mr. Turner, the travelling inspector.
Also a statement made by Butcher, which was taken
down.

Some difficulty having arisen as to the custody
of these documents.
Mr. Slight said he believed the whole of these
dccuments were in his custody.
, Mr. Faithful! having repeated that he declined to
produce the documents,
The Coroner
shall have to ask you to-
morrow, Air. Slight, whether these documents are
in your possession, because I shall have to make an
order for their production.
By Capt. Tyler—I consider the stationmaster at
Brighton acted wrongly if he started one train at
828 and another at 8-31. I think be was acting
not only against the rules of the company, but also
against his practice. I think there was, in fact, an
interval of five minutes between the trains.
Capt. Tyler—The guards and drivers all agree
with one another within a minute !)
Witness—l believe that the variance is not more