The Sun.
London, England, 1868-09-04 00:00:00

quence of the fire and smoke. I could see three
carriages in front of the mail-van when I got
up. The fire was just corning up between the

front of the mail van and the preceding carriage. I
saw some people trying to detach the second mail
van from the first by cutting the leathern commu-
nication. It would have been impossible for any
one to uncouple the first mail van from the preced-

ing carriages. I was the first man who got off the
train. At the very moment I got up I saw that the
guard's van next to the engine and the first carriage

were on fire.

The Assessor—Then how soon was the rest of 'the
front part of the train up to the first mail van en-
veloped iu flames and smoke ?
Witness--Almost before I could get out of the
ditch into which I was knocked.

The Assessor—How far had you to get out of
the ditch ?
Witness—l could get out at a stride.
The Assessor—Then the fore part of the train was
enveloped in flames almost instantaneously ?
W it n ess—Yes.
The Assessor—Did you hear any cry from the
occupants of the fore part of the carriage?
Witless—Yes ; from the sea side of the carriage
I heard two female voices, but I did.not hear what
they said then.
The Assessor—Then did you at any time ?
1‘ itness—Yes. When I was detaching the car-
riages of the hinder part of the train from the mail
van I put my head under the buffers to get on the
six-foot way, and I heard a female voice say,
" Mind your own business," I did not see the

speaker, but the voice came from the fore part of
the train.

The Assessor—Did you see who the words were
spoken to ?
Witness—l saw Mrs. Dickens coming from the
front part of the train.
The Assessor—But were not the carriages in the
front part of the van on fire?
Witness—They were just beginning to catch fire
at the corner next to the post-office. The carriage
then was about three parts burnt.
The Assessor—And yet at this moment you heard
a female voice speaking ?
Witness—Yes. It happened, as nearly as I can
say, about a minute and a half after the collision.
The Assessor—ls it possible for you to be mis-
taken as to the direction from which this voice

The witness produced a sample of the oil taken
from the bulk of that shipped by the luggage train,
and performed an experiment showing the proper-
ties of the oil. He poured a small portion of it
into a vessel and dipped a lighted match into it, the
effect of the oil upon the light being exactly the
same as if it had been dipped in water. When,
however, at the request of the jury, the witness
held the lighted match over the vessel for a minute
or two, a flame floated on the top of the oil, which
the witness said:was explained by the temperature of
the oil being raised by the flame. It evidently ap-
peared that if the light had been sufficiently power-
ful to raise the temperature of the oil at once it
would have ignited.
In answer to Mr. Wood,
Witness said he accounted for the rapidity with
which the flames spread in the following manner.
The barrels of petroleum were all broken, and the
engine driving over the wreck ignited the whole
mass as it passed over it. There were about 1,700
gallons in all, and the combustion would be very
rapid.
Mr. Davies, solicitor of Holywell, said he had
been consulted by the two brakesmen, Richard
Williams and Robert Jones, as to the propriety of
tendering evidence in this case, and after consider-
ing all the circumstances he had advised them not
to appear as witnesses.
The Assessor--I think you have exercised a very
proper discretion.
Ralph Hall, locomotive superintendent, had ex-
amined the engine of the mail after the accident,
and stated that he found the engine lying on the
side of the embankment. It had been subjected to
intense beat, and the whole of the interior works
were incited.
Mr. Edwardes-Wood—Was the outside varnish
burnt off ? (Laughter.) '
Witness—Yes. (Laughter.)
Mr. Wood then proceeded, amidst the manifest
impatience of the Court, to cross-examine this wit-
ness at great length on minute points connected
with the appearance of the engine.
Mr. Thomas Maguire, assistant engineer on the
Chester and Holyhead Railway, produced and
proved plans put in on the scene of the accident. It
is (he said) 66 yards from Llanddulas station to the
Llysfaen siding. The length of the longest line
of rails of the siding is 256 yards. The
length of the other line of rails is 100
yards. The length of a goods train of 44
waggons, with brake van, locomotive, and tender
would be 230 yards. If the longer side of the sid-
ing had been empty on the day of the accident it
would have taken the whole of the goods train.
The longer side of the siding is near the main line.
I have seen the point upon the rails where the three
loaded waggons were " kicked off" from the goods
traiu. There is an incline commencing on the Holy-
well side of the Llanddulas station, and extends
towards Abergele station for a distance of one mile
and a half.
Mr. Lee, resident engineer of the Chester and
Holyhead line, examined by Colonel Rich, said—
The incline from the east end of Llanddulas plat-
form, towards Abergele, is for the first 470 yards 1
in 660, for the next four lengths of 20 yards each
1 in 203, 1 iu 147, one in 119, and one in 102.
The next length in 1,350 yards, and the gradient
is one in 100. The gradient for the next two
miles 1 in 112, still falling towards Abergele.
When a goods train of 44 waggons was standing
with the engine at Llysfaen siding the two last
waggons would be standing on an incline of
1 in 100. If the waggons are in perfect order they
will stand on a gradient of 1 in 260. A train of
six waggons would certainly not stand on a gradient
of 1 in 100 unless the brakes were on. I have known
the brake of a van to be broken or dislodged by a
concussion. The blow might have the effect of
breaking the teeth of the brake-wheel, and so wholly
releasing the wheels of the van, or it might loosen
the brake-wheel and partially relieve the van. If
the six waggons and the van had not been stopped
by collision I expect they would have run down to
Abergele. The point where the collision occurred
is a mile and three quarters from Llanddulas sta-
tion, and the incline is 1 in 412. The accident took
place iu a cutting from fifteen to twenty feet deep.
From the curve ou the line I do not think the
driver of the mail could see the waggons approach-
ing till they were within twenty yards of him.
Colonel Rich—Supposing these three waggons
that were kicked off from the train struck the tail
end of the train, could they have started the tail end

came?
Witness—lt is impossible.
The Assessor—Supposing that there had been
passengers in this part of the train at that moment
was there any means of saving them ?
Witness—lt was impossible for them to have got
out on the land side, because of the fire and smoke.
I do not think that those in the front carriages
could have got out on either side. I hose in the
carriage near the sea could get out only through
the windows, supposing the doors to have been
locked on the sea side. With the exception of
the shriek from my mate and this female voice, I
heard no human cry from the burning carriages.
By Mr. Littleton—l got a bad blow from the
splinters, and am still suffering from the effects of
the accident. I went dizzy a bit, but did not lose
my senses. I have had some talk with Mrs.
Dickens about this matter. I could not distin-
guish what the other female voice said, though I
heard a second voice. I will undertake to swear
that the words I heard were " Mind your own busi-
ness," and not " Never mind me." It was the
hinder mail van that I uncoupled. The reason I
did not try to uncouple the carriages from the front
mail van was that it was too hot for me on the land
side. lam certain that when I jumped up I was
not further back than the mail van. The side of
one of my shoes was burnt. I know Mr. ood-
ruffe, mail sorter, who travelled in the van. I did
not see him nearer to the engine than I was when I
got up. I cannot tell whether the engine ran for-
ward after the collision. (On the question being
repeated, witness corrected himself, and said the
train did go forward a little, but he could not give
the distance.)
By the Assessorl—l am positive that when I got
up I was opposite the carriage before the first mail
van. When I was walking back towards the rear
of the train and from the fire some one nearly
threw a post-office bag upon me. The front wheel
of the first carriage was off the line. It would have
been impossible for the passengers in the front car-
riages to have escaped alive whether the doors were
locked or unlocked.
By Colonel Rich—l cannot say whether at the
time I got up the first three carriages were or were
not on fire, the smoke was so dense. It would not
have been safe for me to go to those carrirges on
the land side. The wind blowing obliquely from
the sea rendered the flame and smoke less fierce
and dense on the sea side.
Colonel Rich—'Then you beard these female
voices coming from a carriage before the first mail-
van when you were stooping down to unfasten the
coupling irons of the van attached to it, and at a
time subsequent to that at which you believed it to
be dangerous to approach the front carriages
Witness—l did, sir.
After the evidence of this witness bad been read
over to him, a statement, in his own handwriting,
was put into his hand, and he was asked to say
whether he had ever stated that the gentleman to
whom he gave his key had got upon the steps of one
of the burning carriages. The witness admitted
that he had said so.
This inquiry referred to the evidence of Mr.
Charles N. Townsend, given this morning, in which
he stated that upon the driver giving him his key
he opened the door of the carriage whence the little
girl was calling for aid, and which did not form a
portion of those consumed.
Thomas Hinton, rear guard of the mail train,

. _
was next examined. He said—Upon the collision iof the train, supposing the brake in the van:was
taking place I was struck senseless on the floor of my ; properly screwed down and the waggons themselves
van. It was 12.45 when I got out of my van, and braked ?
at the time the whole of the front part of the train
was in flames. I gave instructions to two men to
go up and down the line and stop all trains, and as
I finished speaking to them I saw Mrs. Dickens
coming up from the direction of her own house,
and proceeding towards the front portion of the
train. I did not see where she went. I lost sight
of her for a moment, but I saw her again later
on. She was carrying a pail of water oa one oc-
casion, but I cannot positively say which. I can-
not say whether Mrs. Dickens or myself got to
the front first, but I rather think I did. Suppedog
her to have got up as soon as myself, it would
not have been possible for her to have spoken to
passengers in the carriages between the engine and
the mail vans. I saw the last witness, Thompson,
uncoupling the carriages from the post-office van.
It was after I had been up to the front of the train
and returned to my van at the rear Thompson called
out to me, " Toat, take off your brake," and I re-
plied that if was off.
This witness, notwithstanding his condition from
the effects of the accident, was subjected to a long
cross-examination by Mr. E. Wood, the purpose of
which was not clear, and which certainly did not
elicit a single fact in addition to those brought out
in the Assessor's examination.
George Wright . proved that Miss Mary Anne
Roe, of Dublin, was a visitor at the Queen Hotel,
Chester (of which the witness is head porter), on
the night of the 19th August. On the following
day the witness accompanied her to the mail train,
and saw her get into one of the first carriages. All
Miss Roe's luggage was labelled by the witness,
" Miss Rae, passenger to Dublin." She was in the
front compartment of the same carriage that the
late Lord and Lady Farnham travelled in, and con-
sequently nearer the engine.
Mr. Humphrey, of Saltney, said he was engaged
at the St. David's Works in the manufacture of oil
from coal and shale. On the 20th August 50
barrels of oil went from the St. David's "Works to
Dublin. They were sent from the works by the
" pick-up luggage train" for Holyhead. It was the
ordinary quality of burning oil, or paraffin oil. It
was called the Cambrian oil. He was acquainted
with the properties of the oil. It is not explosive,
and no amount of concussion will cause it to ex-
plode. The application of fire would cause com-
bustion. He wished to state that the oil would not
ignite until its temperature was raised to 135 Far.
It is then inflammable, more so than ordinary oil,
approaching more nearly to the quality of a spirit.
The application of the fire from the engine was
quite sufficient to cause the conflagration which
followed the collision of the Irish mail. The car-
riage of this oil by railway was not more dangerous
than the carriage of naphtha or strong methylated
spirit. Spirits over proof were more dangerous to
carry ; strong Irish whisky, for instance, would
-take fire more readily and burn_far more fiercely.
By Mr. Grantham—There is an act of Parlia-
ment which requires that this oil shall not throw off
inflammable vapour under 100 degrees, which is
considered the safety point. He had tested the oil
when manufactured, and it showed that it would
not fire except at 137 degrees, 37 degrees of tem-
perature above the safety point. He had never
known a case where explosion or ignition
,of the oil
had resulted simply from concussion. They had
had barrels of the same oil smashed during transit
over the railway, and no explosion had resulted.
The men in the works did not use covered lights,
but worked with naked candles. The fumes of the
oil when ignited were not particularly noxious,
being composed chiefly of hydrogen and carbon
The effect of any large volume of smoke upon hu.
man life was almost immediate suffocation. I
would burn out the oxygen, and leave nothing bu
carbon.

Witness--Certainly not.
Colonel Rich—Supposing the tail end of the
waggons to have been braked, as you say they
must have been in order to stand upon this in-
cline, and the three others backed gently down
towards them, would they have set the others in
motion ?
Witness—l think not.
Colonel Rich—ls it not customary to brake
waggons when they are kicked off ?
Witness—l have not seen it done. It often
happens that they arc not kicked far enough, and
have to be Ghoved.
Colenel Rich—ls it not customary when kicking
waggons off to join others on au incline for the
brakesman to accompany and brake them ?
Witness —lt is not usual.
Colonel Rich—ls it not customary when the tail
end of a waggon is left standing upon the mainline
during the process of shunting for a brakesman to
be left in charge of the van ?
Witness—Not unless it is upon a sharp incline.
All the waggons of the London and North-Western
Railway Company have brakes attached.
By Mr. Wood —lf an engine had gone after the
runaway trucks on Thursday week it would have
run down on the other line, and the driver would
have passed the trucks and tried to catch them at
the first crossing. If the brakesman had been in
the van he could have stopped the trucks as soon as
they started down the incline upon being struck. A
chain or strap with a ring attached to the brake-
wheel, so as to enable the brakesman to lock the
wheel upon leaving the van, is a great additional
security. If there is no locking apparatus to a
brake it is liable to become dislodged by a blow or
concussion. it is not quite clear to my mind that
the three waggons kicked off did strike the tail end
of the train.
Mr. Wood—Then if that was the case the brake-
van could not have been left upon the main line ill
proper order ?
Witness—No ; it could not. I cannot say of my
own knowledge whether the brake-van of this
goods-train had a strap or not.
By Colonel Rich—Even if the brake had a lock
it might have broke by a blow. The line was opened
in 1848. One siding was put in,in the beginning Of
1850, and the other siding in 1864. The distance
from Mrs. Dickens's house to the fence wall of the
railway is 29 yards. The wall is 4 ft. 7 in. high•
This she mounted by a ladder. There is then a
slope 21 yards in length, and to the spot where the
tender lay is a further distance of 57} yards.
At this stage the usual mid-day adjournment
took place.
Mr. Mason stated that the brakeman and the
station-master were responsible for the safety of
the train during shunting.
Colonel Rich said that the brakesman had .everY
means at his command for safely shunting the
train ; and that the accident would not have 1131)-
pened if these had been used.

Colonel Sarmiento, who has just been chosen,
almost by acclamation, President of the Argent'uo I'
public, though he has shown his patriotism and military
ability in the field, is chiefly known among his country'
men by his labours in the cause of education. Indeed+
he is popularly teraied "the schoolmaster." Ho was born
in 1811, the year after the Argentine Republic wt'a
its independence, and is of Spanish origin. 11;.
regarded the establishment of Republican lust'-,
tutions as impossible, sinless the people were firs"
educated, and spent many years in the United State°
studying the working of the common school system. After
that, returning to his native country, he was made suc-
cessively chief of the department of schools, Senator,
Minister of State, and governor of his native province.
His election will, it is believed, be immediately followed
by the adoption of the:free-school system throughout tit°
Argentine Confederation.
JOHN CHINAMAN.—The San Francisco .Thatetill
gives the following complimentary notice of "John China.'
man's" aptitude in railroad building :---"John Chinaman
is übiquitous. You see him everywhere—on Vier/
mile—on almost every foot of the road—from Alta'
to Reno. Ills bizarre figure greets you at Writ
station, at the mouth of every tunnel, on the side e`
every causeway and cutting, in the most perilous places--
where the snow is deepest and the avalanches thickest
—you see bins high up on the mountain tops, chOPPias,
wood, and you see him down in the deep gulleys plying
his shovel or his pick ; you see him at his task in the gVeJ
of the early dawn and the gloom of the evening t
vilin
There is not a lazy hone in his body, and he is not t 33,
fastidious to do the shabbiest kind of work, providea
ho is paid for it. He works bard and eats but little ; (I°.„-,,6
his own cooking, washes and mends his own clothes•
is hardy, patient, persistent, faithful to his emPl3Year:'
and seldom refuses to do what he is told. He has ,T.,;
veloped such aptitude for certain kinds of work, P:-of
made himself so essential au item in the great virotka
building the road over the mountain, and has been Wit;
so true, steadfast, and inoffensive, that all, eveoi.
common day labourers, speak well of, and, Ave beafely
generally treat him kindly. If John is not very I°s if
stocked with ideas, he has imitative instinct largtea;.
developed. As a tunnel cutter he was especially it:7llW.
ere
During the progress of the great Summit tunnel tud 0,
was a strike in some of the Nevada mines, 311 tho
number of Cornishmen came up to work for aid
company. But it was found that the Chinamen c_ffoul
do considerably more work and stand the fatigue and oil
air of underground work much better. The Coraislla
tried it awhile, but concluded to leave the work of
through granite mountains to the more adaptable Cc'
tial, and went away in disgust."
p'115."
LADVERTISEMENT.I—HoIIoway's Ointment and - I to
Wonder-working Remedies.—As the battle of life 113titt,..
be fought alike by the naturally feeble and the Cons
tionally strong, how momentous is it to preserve the 'eg,
mer from adventitious ailments. A scratch on the2ich
slight swelling or inflammation about the ankles, Walca..
would have been cured at once by Holloway's 1330,.000,
meats, grow, from the want of the commonest precauti
tea
into grievous diseases, which throw the sufferer on tb.,evory
of sickness and perhaps his family on the parish. 11400
peasant's home should have these remedies, they Wlltoe
both parents and children frem much misery, and' %tots
all, they will remove their complaints at a triaipg
and leave no disheartening heavy bills behind. 10010
(ADVEUTISEMENT.J—IIenceorth no one will doubt theliZrabil°
Iroperties of Du Barry's health-restoring Revalentablnvalids' and Infants' Food, since to the thousands of nee
nvalids'
it has already received from Invalids whose position 11, poPei
deemed hopeless, we may now add that of his Holiness 0,,,00°_,
whose health has been perfectly restored by it after thirtY )evoe ch.
unsuccessful medical treatment. We quote from the '`
Midi," July 25th Rome, Jmy 21,1866. -The health of t
rote'
Father is excellent, especially since, abandoning all othProjeals
dies, he has confined himself entirely to Du Barry's liery filetV
Ara'oica Food, of which he consumes a plateful at eve'tu,k,lie
It has produced a surprisingly beneficial effect on hig /11' ~
his Holiness cannot praise this excellent food too 11,,igh'ig 064
extract a few out of more than 68,000 cures:—Cure ta'plior
the Marchioness de Brehan, of seven years' liver c:ipfts%.
wasting away, debility, nervousness, with a nervous P 1,8
all over, bad digestion, constant sleeplessness, and theZ;:tt tot ti•A,
tolerable nervous agitation. Cure No. 1.771: Lord
Decies, Lord-Lieutenant of Waterford, of many years a „eel
No. 49,802:. "Fifty years' indescribable agony froth so,
nervousness, asthma, cough, constipation, liatulenro;
sickness, and vomiting.—Maria Joly." Cure No. 46,-,:t taq;
James Roberts, of Frimley, Surrey, of 30 years' diseasa.
`
°
spitting of blood, liver derangement, and pariial deaflie-re tl.ls
Bo
01 .
portaut Caution—Beware of the many unsavoury „
o. I,te
sloppy imitations to which, without authority, I(e,,
name is most audaciously attaced. lbs., icA
In tins, at ls. 10.; 1 lb., 2s.h 90.; 2 lbs., 4s. ;
12 lbs , 225.; Nibs ~10s.—Also Du BARRY'S REVALENT^.,
CHCOLATE PWDER 's acked in tin canisters; For ,04
2s. fo'r 21 cup Os
at Is. Gci..p for IS cups a., Gs., for 2SS rOPOO
for, O
576 cups a,„ 555. Bein3 about one penny per
-
and 5.55. tins are sent free carriage in Englana - so.
of Post Office Orden—BAßßY BARRY and C°.?
Relent-street, London; and all Grocers and Chemists.

Births. ritiblitit
GRGGAN—On the Ist inst., at 10, Efarcourt-street, v
off
Lady Grogan, of a daughter. til 1 0
KNOLLYS —On the 9th July, at Morar, East IndioS, -., ex
of Captain linollys, 93(1,Sutherland Ilighlaudel
daughter. ;fa, 0
v.
URQUHART —On the Ist inst., at Genova, the W--
Urquhart, Esq., of a son.

Marriages. V ' diet's
BALDEN—Pcoir—On the 2d inst. at St. Gabriel''' f.`l do,
Edward Malden, of 11, Southaptou-buildingB, 'lr..° °l°
and Wimbledon, Surrey, to Anne, eldest d aughter °
late G. Pugh, of Ludlow, Shropshire. .T., i.theicta'
MIDDLETON STEVENS—On the 3ds inst., at St. .1-tfiry, -
mew's, Sydenham, Frederick Middleton, of Fies'-- Ati-
Emily, only daughter of the late W. Stevens, .4.'
miralty, Somerset House.

Deaths. , 000
Cousixs—On the Ist inst., at 215, Camden-ITO, P;(l46*
E. Cousins, Esq., M.R C.S., and F.R.C.S., (‘''''
..,°7.° tba
CAILITIIORPE—On the 2d just., at 11, Cheshani-ylete:
ou. Frances Elizabeth Cough.i Calthorpe, a"ed eft
NAPER -On the 2d inst., at Woodcote, J. L.
rN
Ni
Dili,
Esq., of Longcrew, aged 78. ell-
Sm . ITH— On the Ist lust., at Noah L'odge, 3fusili
4t,
Henry John Smith, Esq. aged 63.
SHERSTONthe 2d inSt Sherston, at 29, "rj
Martin's-street, Leicester:square, aged 79. Ili°ll3
TOOVEY—Ou the 30th ult., at Westerhatn, Tient,
D. Toovey, Esq., aged 73. -/'-'

1..1................................•••••••••......-
------ _ ...- --------- ----.-.- _-----..-- ,
i
London : Pentad and Published by NVI.LLIAN: A--Igo 11 i
of No. 112, Strand, Printer, at Tag SON 007'',,oati e
Strand, in tho Precinct of tho Savoy, in the
v•
Illiddlesox.—Frithly, Septembor 4, ISO.