The Sun.
London, England, 1845-12-31 00:00:00

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G S U Ng DECEMBER 31, 1845.

PRICE SD.

(From the Herald.)
We have not attempted to conceal that we were under
great obligations to the French Government for the
assistance afforded to our agents in every respect ; but
it is utterly untrue to state that this express was ar-
ranged by the French Government, and that the Herald's
work began only at Marseilles. The facts are simply
these:—lmmediately upon reading the bombastic obser-
vations made by the Times in support of Mr. Waghorn's
project for conveying the India mail rid Germany—
offered, no doubt, as a compliment to Mr. Waghorn for
bringing the Times' dispatches, and with the hope of
receiving his assistance hereafter—we determined upon
proving the utter absurdity of the assertion that the
Trieste route was the shortest, by running as rapid an
express as possible from Suez viii Marseilles. The only
difficulty in our way was to obtain a steam-boat from
Alexandria to Marseilles, and to obviate this difficulty
we wrote to the French Government, stating our
intention, asking the favour that one of the usual
passenger steam-boats trading between Alexandria
and Marseilles might be placed at our disposal, and
offering to pay all expenses incurred is that service.
The French Government, having considered our propo-
sition, answered that they could not comply with our
request ; but to show their desire to afford every pos-
sible assistance in accomplishing an object of so much
importance to England as the expediting the conveyance
of the Indian mail, th-y had determined upon placing
at our disposal a French war-steamer, which could con-
vey our agent to Egypt, to arrange the express from
Suez to Alexandria, and for the use of which vessel the
French Government could not possibly receive any pe-
cuniary remuneration, but they expected that a copy of
the " Overland Bombay Times" should be delivered to
the Government in Paris as soon as our courier arrived
there. For this extremt ly generous, and we cannot help
calling it " patriotic" assistance, we shall always feel
ourselves under great obligations to the French Mi-
nistry. The vessel appointed to the service, called
the " Alexandre," accordingly was sent to Marseilles on
the day we suggested, for the purpose of conveying our
active and intelligent agent at Marseilles to Alexandria,
who undertook the entire management of the express
from Suez, and actually went to Cairo, and brought
down the dispatches himself to Alexandria. He is con-
sequently at this moment, unfortunately for him, in qua-
rantine at Marseilles ; but we have no doubt he consoles
himself for his present state of restraint, by the conside-
ration that, notwithstanding all the sneers of the Times,
the Herald has succeeded in an experiment of a magni-
tude never before undertaken by any journal. As for
the insulting observation of the Times towards M. Guizot,
all we can say is, that if the Paris correspondent of that
respectable journal did actually apply to be allowed to
participate in the result of this experiment, we are quite
certain that M. Guizot could never have stated, as the
Times asserts, " that he was determined to exclude not
only the Times, but every other journal which had ventured
to applaud Mr. Waghorn, from any participation in the
result of this experiment ;" and for this simple reason--
viz., that our express was arranged so hastily, that we
had no means of ascertaining whether we should be able
to procure even one spare copy of the Bombay Times for
the use of the French Government ; and our corre-
spondent in Paris actually stated as much to M. Guizot;
so that we really do not understand how his Excellency
could promise to give any information to the Times or
to any other journal, not knowing whether he would be
able to obtain any intelligence himself. It so happened
that we were able to procure an extra copy of the Bom-
bay Times, which was left in due course for the use of
the French Government ; but our agent at Suez had
great difficulty in obtaining it, and it certainly would
have been extremely unfair, after all our exertion and
expense, to have given that copy of tbe paper to the
Times. It is really with great reluctance that we feel
ourselves compelled to publish all these particulars; but
after the gross insult offered to the French Government,
and to M. Guizot in particular, we feel it a duty we owe
to ourselves to make known to the public the exact facts
of the case.

THE FATAL ACCIDENT ON THE

NORFOLK RAILWAY.
Nonwicti, TUESDAY NIGHT.—At ten o'clock this
evening, Mr. Robert Eagle Clark, the Coroner for the
borough of Thetford, resumed the inquiry, adjourned
from Friday last, at the Guildhall, 'I hetford, relative to
the death of William Pickering, engine-driver, and
Thomas Hedger, fireman, who perished by the recent
accident on the Norfolk Railway.
Thomas Brown, a labourer, living in Croxton parish,
near Thetford, was then called, and on being sworn said,
on Wednesday last' I was at work at Mr. Wright's farm
at Kilveston, which is near the Norfolk Railroad, on
the Croxton-road, on the right hand side from Norwich.
While I was standing near the farm-house, I saw the
train that met with the accident coming up, but I cannot
say that it was travelling at a greater rate than I have
seen trains usually run, for I did not take particular
notice of it. It passed me, and on going two or
three fathoms, it went behind a plantation, _ and it
was lost to my view for a second or so, when it
came in sight. Almost immediately afterwards I lost
sight of it again, the end of the house obstructing the
view ; and I then heard a kind of rattling which ap-
peared to me like the escape of steam. I ran round the
corner of the house and saw a dense cloud of steam.

which perfectly hid the engine and carriages and every-
thing near. I instantly made to the spot and called out
if there was any one hurt. I was answered by some
person that be did not knew; and I then got upon the
line, and discovered the deceased lying upon, or across
the rails. Pickering was on the ground, with his face
downwards, and I heard him groan. I lifted up his
head and blood was gushing from the mouth, and he died
in about ten minutes. Hedger laid with his legs on the
rails, and his body rested on the earth. The engine was
nine or ten yards from them, at the bottom of the em-
bankment, on the Croxton side. It rested on its side; two
wheels were embedded in the earth of the banking, and
the other rested in the field. The chimney was knocked
off, and I saw it on the same side as the engine, near
the edge of the line. The tender was thrown
crossways on the rails near Thetford. The car-
riages were on the other side of the line, the up side.
Three of them and a truck were down the embankment.
The deceileedwas found just behind the last carriage of
those dewn the bank. The remainder of the train was '
on the line, but I think the wheel had gone off the rails.
The bodies did not lay under the carriages. The first
carriage of the latter portion of the train e as close to ono
of the men, probably two or three yards. The men were
about three yards from each other. Pickering was
placed in a truck and taken on to Thetford, as also
Hedger. I remained with the latter until he expired.
By the CORONER—Did not see the engine go off the
line. Did not observe any particular motion of the en-
gine before it ran off. Saw no rocking of the carriages.
The deceased never said anything about the accident as
to who caused it. Pickering never spoke, he frequently
groaned. The only words Hedger made use of were,
Oh, dear me I Am sure they did not give any account
of the accident in my hearing. Took no particular no-
tice of the rail where the engine went over.
By a juror—Was positive that the first carriage of
the remainder of the train on the line was three or focr
yards from the deceased.
Isaac Rowe, a shepherd of Kilveston, was next ex-
amined—l was about sixty yards from the railroad, cn
the Croxton side, when I saw the engine_ go over ti-. 3
line. Before then, I heard the train ooming, and turned
round to see it, and thought it was going very fast—
faster than I had ever seen a train travel before. lam
in the habit of noticing the trains frequently pass up and
down the line, perhaps three or four a-day. When it
passed me, about sixty or seventy yards, I perceived the
engine jump. The fire-wheels rose up, and it reeled on
one side; it then jumped again, crossed the line, and
went over the embankment.
CORONER— Now, be careful how you explain yourself.
Did you see any men on the engine after it jumped?
Witness—No, I did not, in consequence of the immense
body of steam.
CORONER —Slate if you noticed any other unusual tie-
pearance.
Witness—After the engine jumped, the fire flew about
in all directions from the bottom and side. It appeared
as if it was forced out.
By a juror—l could not say that the engine was eft
the rails when she jumped. When it passed me I no-
ticed two men on it, but I did not see them jump off.
Mr. George Goding Johnson, the master of the sta-
tion at Thetford, was then sworn. On last Wednesday,
at about a quarter to one o'clock, I was sent for to at-
tend the deceased, the subject of inquiry. I imme-
diately went to the spot, and found the deceased lying
on the right side of the line. Pickering having died, I
had him put into a luggage box, and Hedger was placed
on a board, and were both conveyed to the Thetford
station. The latter died three or four hours afterwards.
I did not hear him give any account of the accident ;
he
was not able.
John Arwell, a farmer's bailiff, residing at Kilveston,
next deposed, on oath, I saw the accident, when about
400 yards on the Croxton side of the railway. It hap-
pened rather to the right of me. I saw the train coming
full half a mile along the cutting. I did not notice the
pace so very particularly then, but on clearing the cuttic
I thought the speed was much increased. It appeared
to be going very fast.
CORONER—Faster than usual? Witness—Yes, sir ;
faster than usual. I think it was faster than ever I saw
one go before. I may have seen an engine with a tend. r
go as quick; but I am sure never with a train.
CORONER—Was there anything about the engine that
attracted your attention more particularly than another ?
Witness—Yes. The first thing that excited my fear'
was the flying of the fire from under it. It shot rut
suddenly and rapidly, and I remarked to myself, "Deur
me, what a pace they are going at." And the words
scarcely escaped from my
lips before she went off tre
line.
CORONER —Now, did you see the engine jump? W.t-
-ness—l did. Instantly after the tire flew out it jump: d
as if it was passing over logs of wood laid on the raiei,
and then went down the embankment. There was
great quantity of steam. Before the engine went oft see
appeared " ;" in fact, there was so much of it that
did not exactly witness all that took place.
CORONER—Men I undtrstand you to say that t:.e,
moment the fire fell the engine jumped ? 'Witness --
She did, and then apparently pitched sideways down tht
line. The carriages proceeded until they were all of
a heap.
CORONER you say whether you saw any man
the engine ? Witness—As soon as the engine came.:nt
of the cutting I perceived two men upon it, and I noticed
them up to the moment prior to the engine turning over.
One of them jumped off on the Croxtou side of the lino.
I saw nothing particular of the other man.
By the jury—The fire proceeding from the engine in
the way it did induced me to watch it more particularly.
The carriages appeared to be proceeding on the rails
after the engine had jumped. I cannot judge how far it
went after the fire flew out—it might be 30 or 40 yarC.3
from w here I atood. The steam and smoke were very great;
the steam seemed to be issuing from both ends at the
same time the fire was falling; When I got up to thu
spot, several persons, who had assembled, wen pulling