The Sun.
London, England, 1868-08-28 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, AUGUST 28, 1868.

7111; ABERGELE ACCIDEN7.

ABERGELE, Thursday.

The proceedings at the inquest in this case are
now being conducted with creditable regularity.
The relatives of the victims of the accident have
borne testimony to the fact, as their spokesman,
Lord Farnham, has stated in open court that they
now feel entire confidence in the conduct of the
inquiry, and recognise in Mr. E. Eyton an as-
sessor who thus fas has shown efficiency. Neither
yesterday nor to-day has there been any repetition
of the disorderly scenes of Monday last. There
was nothing remarkable in the evidence of yester-
day; but a touching incident occurred before the
adjournment of the Court. It appears that William
Smith,-tile guard, who was killed in the train, and
Thomas 'Tinton, another guard, had for eight
years been " working," as it is called, the
Irish mail. On Thursday last Smith and
Hinton spoke to each other as the train was about
to start from Chester. The former took his place
in the front van ; the latter in the rear van. From
the moment he was placed i❑ the witness chair yes-
terday Hinton seemed to experience the greatest
difficulty in struggling against his feelings.; but
when, against his entreaties, he was closely ques-
tioned about the fate of his fellow servant he fairly
broke down and gave way to a burst of genuine
grief. This morning the foreman expressed the
wish of the jury to see a goods train placed at the
point near Llanddulas where the goods train of
Thursday last is said to have been just before the
accident, and also to have the shunting and break
operations explained to them on the spot. They,
however, expressed their readiness to take the opi-
nion of Colonel Rich, the Government Inspector, as
to whether there would be any danger to the traffic
if effect were given to their wishes. Mr. Edwards-
Wood thought it would be very desirable to carry
out the suggestion of the jury; there was no evi-
dence so good as practical evidence. Colonel Rich
stated his opinion that there would be danger in
what had been suggested. He had not, for the
purposes of his report to the Board of Trade, re-
quired that such a practical illustration should be
given of the working of a goods train. He believed
the matter could be made clear to the jury by the
evidence of witnesses. On this expression of
opinion by Colonel Rich, the jury did not further
urge the matter. It is right to say that the London
and North-Western Company have intimated to
Lord Farnham their willingness to give the fullest
attention to any suggestion as regards evidence
which may be made by the relatives of the deceased
persons.
To-day Mr. K. Salter, solicitor, identified a gold
watch found on the line as that of Mr. Lovatt Far-
rell, of Ellesmere. He has also obtained evidence
that Mr. Farrell entered the Irish Mail Train, at
Chester, on Thursday. As this gentleman has not
since been heard of, there can no longer be any
doubt that he is among the killed.

would result from burning rather than from other

injury.
By Mr. Edwards-Wood—He had not the least
doubt that the bodies the remains of which he had
seen had been burnt.

By Mr. Little—lt was possible that a person
might have been killed by concussion and still his
remains after fire present such an appearance as the
remains examined by him presented.
When the Court had assembled this morning,
Mr. Chawcrth Ferguson was examined. He said
he was a barrister and also a magistrate. On
Thursday he was staying at Pensarn, and was
standing close to the bathing boxes on the beach
near the station, when he saw the Irish mail train
pass the Abergele station, which is at Pensarn. He
looked at his watch, and found it was exactly 19
minutes to one o'clock. He kept his watch in his
hand in order to see how long the train would take
to get out of sight, as it was going very fast. In
about three minutes the engine was disappearing in
a cutting, when he saw an immense body of black
smoke and flame rush into the air to a considerable
height. He iwmediately looked through a pair of
opera glasses, when he clearly perceived three of
the front carriages enveloped in a dense smoke and
flame. At once he rushed to the railway station,
where he met the gentleman whom he believed to
be the stationmaster. He made a communication
to him. Ile immediately stopped an approaching
train, and detached an engine from it. A 3 he
was getting on the train witness offered
to accompany him, but the stationmaster
thought it better he should not do so. The sta-
tionmaster got upon the engine and started down
the line. Witness then ascended the bridge over the
railway at Pensarn. Up to this not more than
eight or ten minutes had elapsed from the time he
first saw the smoke and flame. He perceived that
the train had been divided, and that the fore part
of it was entirely in flames. Some 20 minutes or
so after the explosion the locomotive that had gone
down the line with the stationmaster returned,
bringing with it the latter portion of the Irish mail
train. About three-quarters of an hour after the
accident occurred a train of carriages went from
Pensarn to the scene of the accident ; witness went
with it. The entire of four carriages were reduced
almost to cinders. The last of them, which he be-
lieved was the Post-office van, was still burning.
Only the flooring remained. The fire extended
along the entire space covered by the ruins of the
carriages. There was a large number of men en-
gaged. The heat and flames were so terrible that
it was impossible to approach within 20 yards of
the burning carriages. He saw one body like that
of a man on his hands and knees in the six-foot

way.
Thomas Evans, a watchman, employed in a
siding near Llanddulas, was the next witness. He
gave his evidence in the Welsh language, his answers
being interpreted by a policeman. He said he was a
labourer living in Abergele. On Thursday last be
was working at the siding close to Llanddulas
station. It was at that time about half-past 12
o'clock. The goods train from Chester was stopped
on the line. He did not know the name of the
engine-driver, stoker, or guard. The empty wag-
gons were unhooked and backed into the station.
While the men were doing that they left souse
waggons on the main :line. The empty waggons
had been in the middle of the train. There was a
van with the waggons left on the line. When they
left empty waggons on the siding the train came
from the siding and turned three full waggons on
to the waggons which had been left on the main
line. The three full waggons were detached from
the train, and went of their own accord to the wag-
gons which had been left standing on the main line.
The next thing he saw was the van at the end of
the trucks moving. Three or four waggons went
down with the truck van. These were the whole of
the waggons which were with the van. The three
full waggons which had been brought out from the
siding followed the others down the incline. No
one had coupled them with the waggons which had
previously been standing with the van on the line.
The second lot went on, he thought, about two
minutes after the first. He thought the waggons at-
tached to the van had been about 7 or 8 minutes
on the main line before they moved. He could
not see any cause why they started. He was at a
distance of about 40 yards from the trucks on the
Llanddulas side. He saw nothing touching the
a aggons attached to the van. The waggons which
had been left on the line moved as the others were
corning up to them. He went over the wall and
saw nothing afterwards. The breaksman had gone
up to the point of the siding to turn the empty wag-
gons in. He dii not know whether there was a
break on the three full waggons that were brought
from the siding. Did not know what the waggons
brought from the siding were loaded with, nor what
was upon those which had been left with the van on
the line.
B
was going to his work when
allthis ir. W
hiAso occurred. He saw the breaksman and
another man running after the waggons. He had
seen trucks left on the main line on other occasions,
waggons taken from the sid-
ingmain line. He had never
h had been left on the main
ab ne
fd
rha
een
sde hadepnl
ab ceef
do
trucksr eo si
we eht nhi
which
line begin to move down the incline. He worked
in the same place every day. He did not know
whether there was room enough on Thursday last in
the siding for the whole length of the goods train.
By the Coroner—He had to run after the trucks.
They passed the spot where he was standing. He
ran round to get over a wall in the hope of being
able to get into the trucks ; when the trucks passed
him they were not going very fast, but he had not
reached the main line, and so he could not jump
into them. The distance between the two sets of
waggons when first in motion was about ten yards.
One of the breaksmen was close to the trucks at the
time, but he did not know where the other was. He
could not see what the breaksman close to the
trucks was doing at the time they began to move.
John Pedder, a little boy, aged 12, who is stay-
ing with his parents near Llanddulas, stated that
on Thursday, at about half-past 12, he saw some
trucks, without an engine, running down the in-
cline towards Abergele. There were first a break-
van and two waggons, and then, after a space of
about 30 yards, three other waggons following in
the same direction. He had just come past the
cutting by the quarry. He watched them for about
three minutes, while they remained in sight. Just
as the last waggon disappeared from his view he
saw a dense black smoke and a flame. He heard
the mail train, but did not see it. He had been in
the habit of seeing the Irish mail train every day
for four weeks. From a place where he was stand-
ing to the line is 40 or 50 yards distance as well as
he could guess. As nearly as he could tell the wag-
gons were going at about ten miles an hour when
he first saw them, but he thought they were increas-
ing in velocity as they descended. He ran to his
father, and they went to the spot where the acci-
dent occurred. It took them from eight to ten
minutes to do so. When his father and he reached
there persons were getting bags out of the mail van.
He neither saw nor heard anything of passengers in
the front van. He saw passengers who had got out
of the carriages in the after part of the train. The
engine was on its side on the embankment, and the
tender was on the up line. He saw nothing of the
waggons then, because of the flames that were burn-
ing, nor did he see any bodies.
By Mr. Elwards-Wood—He saw a woman
named Dickens going about there, and ho saw a
lady whose eye was badly bruised.
By a Juror—He saw one of the trucks laden with
timber ; but he thought those near the trucks were
covered with tarpaulins, and he did not know what
they were laden with..
A very extraordinary statement was made by a
woman named Dickens, wife of a platelayer, who
lives close to the scene of the accident. She swore
that she entreated two ladies in two different car•
riages in the fore part of the train to get out, and
asked one to throw out her child into her dress,
which she held up for the purpose of catching it.
At this time the flames had made the handle of the
carriage so hot that witness could not keep her
hand on it, and yet the ladies were not looking at all
frightened. One said, " Don't mind me," and the
other replied that the children would be killed if she
threw them out. C 021.1124501 for the railway company

publicly expressed an opinion that all this evidence
was pure imagination. In order to meet it the
company were most desirous that any passen-
gers by the train who can give really important
evidence should come here voluntarily. All reason-
able expenses will be paid by the company. Lord
Hamilton is to be asked to give evidence. Mr
Uniacke Townsend and Mr. Fitzpratt are to be here
to- morrow.
The inquest was then adjourned.

ELECTION IN7ELLIGE?'CL.

TOWER lIAMLETS.—Last evening Mr. Edmond

Beales addressed another large audience at the

Stepney Temperance-hall, Mile-end-road. He
spoke at some length upon the disestablishment of

,he Irish Church.

He also referred to the manner

.n which a Conservative candidate coupled his

name with that of Mr. Bradlaugh. He took occa-

sion to sly that while no two men could entertain
religious views more opposed to each other than
himself and Mr. Bradlaugh, yet he was bound to
say that he always found Mr. BrAdlaugh con-
sistent in politics. His remarks were received
with much applause, and at the conclusion a re-
solution in his favour was carried. 11r. Beaks is
the only one of the shoal of candidates, except Mr.

E.'amud.a, who is making any sign of activity.
BIRNIINGIIA3L—From a return published some
weeks ago (says the Birmingham Post) it appears
that there were, 42,477 voters on the overseers'
lists. Supposing that the claims should be sub-
stantiated, there will then be 47,104 voters on the
Parliamentary register for the borough of Birming-
ham at the next election. In 1867 the number
was 13,472.

BRIDGNORTIL-Alr. Henry Whitmore, M.P., one
of the Lords of the Treasury, and Sir John Acton
(Liberal) are fighting fer the one seat which is left

to this borough. Mr. Whitmore, in his address,
states that the motion for the disestablishment of

the Irish Church is supported in the House of Com-
mons by all those who openly avow their object to
be separation of Church and State in this country,
and also by those whose great purpose is to aggran-
dise the Church of Rome, and, if possible, to re-
establish its ascendancy. Sir J. Acton, who advo-
cates Mr. Gladstone's policy, has recently addressed
meetings in the borough, and resolutions affirming
that he is a fit person to be elected have been
carried.

BUCKINGHA3I.-It seems likely that there will be
a severe contest for the one seat which the Reform
Act has left to this small borough. At present it is
represented by Sir Harry Verney (biberal) and
Mr. J. G. Hubbard (Conservative). Neither
gentleman seems disposed to give way, and attempts
which have been made to bring forward Mr. Hub-
bard for the county have failed. The present
members will, therefore, have to fight the battle
between themselves.

CHATHAM.—Mr. Otway, the sitting member,
having been charged by the Conservatives with
proposing the abolition of the lash in the military
services for merely party purposes, he rebutted the
charge at a great meeting in the Luton district on
Wednesday night. Mr. Otway gave an account of

his proceedings in relation to the abolition of mili-
tary flogging. He said he would tell them the

story of the abolition of the lash—a story never
told to any one before. lie told it now only in con-
sequence of the unjust and absurd accusations made
against him, In 1866, when a Liberal Govern-
ment was in power, he first opened his lips in con-
demnation of the lash. In the winter of that year
he was in Prussia, where he was brought to a per-
fect conviction of the inutility of the punishment.
It had been found necessary to use it in the recent
campaign. He was confirmed in his conviction by

a conversation with our military representative at
Berlin—a distinguished officer, who had commanded
a regiment in war, had seen service during the
Indian mutiny, and who was a most determined
opponent of the degrading punishment. In 1867,
following this winter visit to Berlin, he
gave notice on the opening of Parliament
that he should move a resolution for the aboli-
tion of flogging in the army. When he framed his
resolution, he took it to the Conservative Minister
for War, General Peel, and showed it to him. lie
said to General Peel if he would take this matter in
hand he had no wish to have anything to do with
it, becaus3 it would be better in the hands of a
Minister than of a private member. General Peel
said it was a matter on which he must take the
opinion of the Commander-in-Chief. Mr. Otway
then went to Mr. Disraeli, and he must say, in jus-
tice to that gentleman, that he always received all
who had any representations to make to him with
the greatest courtesy and kindness. He told Mr.
Disraeli that if he would give the support of the
Government to the abolition of the lash he was
prepared to withdraw from the conduct of the mat-
ter. General Peel and Mr. Disraeli did not feel at
liberty to adopt the proposition, and therefore he

moved the abolition of the punishment. The motion
was carried by a majority of one, but was subse-
quently upset by the Government. Mr. Otway
gave notice that he should bring forward the motion
again, and press it till carried. He did so. They
knew the result. Could it be justly said that this
was a motion for party purposes ?
COCKERMOUTII.—A large and influential meeting
of the Conservative party was held on Wednesday
evening last at the Globe Hotel, for the purpose of
choosing a candidate to represent the party in the
approaching contest. Mr. Joshua-Jenkinson, Ann-
field, presided, and among those present were the
Earl of Mayo and Colonel Green-Thompson, mem-
bers for the borough, and the Hon. P. S. Wyndham,
M.P. for West Cumberland. Colonel Thompson,
having stated his intention not to come forward at
the ensuing election, the Chairman intimated that
the Hon. Henry Bourke, brother of Lord Mayo,
had been mentioned as a probable candidate. It
having been carried by the meeting that a requisi-
tion should be forwarded to Mr. Bourke, Lord Mayo
rose and addressed the meeting, thanking his sup-
porters for the confidence they had reposed in him
during the 11 years he had represented them in
Parliament. He alluded to the high office which had
been conferred on him by the Queen, and intimated
his intention to thank the Conservative electors at
greater length and in a more fitting manner previous
to departure for India, which would be in November.
Lord Mayo then entered into a thunze of the past
Session, and stated that the excess in the expendi-
ture of £3,000,000 was caused by defective military
defences, half of that amount having been Caused
by the increase of 2d. in the soldier's pay, and the
conversion of the Enfield rifles into Sniders. The
noble lord having referred to the political views of
his brother, which were identical with his own, the
meeting broke up. The contest will.be a close one,
the chances of the Liberal candidates being some-
what improved by the retirement of Lord Mayo,
who is a favourite with all parties.
DEVON (EAST).—The Conservative candidates,
Sir Lawrence Palk and Lord Courtenay, addressed
a large meeting of electors at Newton Abbott on
Wednesday. The proceedings were very tumultuous.
The candidates were continually interrupted by ex-
pressions of disapproval, and after they had con-
cluded their speeches, both of them were severely
catechised upon the Irish Church, the Maynooth
Grant, the " levelling up" policy, &c., by some
prominent members of the Liberal party residing in
the neighbourhood. Sir Lawrence Palk declared
he was not prepared for a " competitive examina-
tion in English history," that his votes were on
record, and the hon. gentlemen could find out
how he voted. Lord Courtenay replied in the
same strain, protesting that he could not say
what he should do under circumstances which had
not yet arisen. Thes3 answers gave rise to much
uproar. A supporter of the candidates endeavoured
to propose a resolution, but one of the opposition
claimed a hearing first, and the chairman (Mr. W.
J. Watts) was at length obliged to give way in fa-
vour of the latter. When at last a motion pledg-
ing the meeting to support the candidates was pro-
posed and seconded, it was met by an amendment,
to the effect that Sir Lawrence Palk and Lord
Courtenay were unfit to represent the division in
Parliament. This was duly seconded, and, upon
being put to the meeting, three-fourths of those
present held up their hands in its favour. The
chairman, notwithstanding, declared the amend-
, went lust, Nita deciaiou was recayed with loud.