The Sun.
London, England, 1845-08-15 00:00:00

4CCIDEN T ON THE LONDON :1.4

BIR MING II All RAILWAY.
till'areiseterday ADJOURNED INQUEST.
ulthient?srasnif:eean,
was resumed the inquiry into the death of Mr.
before Mr. Thomas Wakley, Esq., M.P., at
Tree Tavern, New-road, St. l'ancras, near the ter-
j of the London and Birmingham Railway.
tliss° Hulse, the railway policeman, was recalled. He stated
its tithe luggage train being three-quarters of an hour behind
len,„..ate on the morning of the accident, it of course remained
to the time
than usual the up-line. Has written instructions as
four time of starting. They were delivered to him about
tot, tot enths since. Considers Captain Bruyers, superintend-
s his master. Is subject to fines for neglect of duty.
4;7 lescttie know of any person being fined iu consequence of the
lnt, nor of any of the railway servants having received
eitot;eiotnhat they would be dismissed. Has been in his present
on the railway for a year and eight mouths, and during
tiltrolit_leriod the time appointed for the starting of the luggage
been has been altered several times. Its time of departure has
2a 42ade earlier. The Liverpool Mail should have arrived at
basin "tee past five o'clock on the morning of the accident.
tin,g the last three months the Lggage train has some-
teren started to its time, and sometimes it has not—the dif-
half ee in the time of starting varying from two minutes to
nu
ertaear hcor. Has known one luggage train to leave at a
pastf -est six o'cleck. The time ot starting was a quarter
seterear "clock. That occurred some time ago. The clerks
'tketlthe time that the train starts. The time is registered
kssio Y: It is not his duty to make any report in case of the
thst „tieing late, unless some accident had occurred. Believes
itsi.,"!tt clerks on guard make a report. The starting of the
the I, entirely under the control of Mr. Frost, the clerk.
ti„.. guard is bound to wait until he receives the invoice and the
iolu'el from the clerk. Mr. Frost holds the office called weigh-
t:, clerk. Mr. Frost is under the control of Mr. Mills, the
qniitendent of the gocds department. Did not see Mr.
attendance on the mot ping of the accident. Has seen
wootail !la in attendance on the starting of the quarter-past four
4"1„ iuggage-train. He is present, perhaps, once or twice
Cannot say under whose authority Mr. Mills acts.
ttsiss. in Bruyers does not attend at the starting of the luggage-
lie has the general control of the railway. Has seen
Bruyers at the station as early as nine o'clock in the morn-
-15. Recollects that within the last three months the train
cidarted later, but does not recollect that it has once been an
ktisard a half behind the time. The proper time for the
b'etoe, of the Liverpool train is twenty-two minutes past five
Itessh‘. Ltt the morning. The engine was driven by Hums-
the Has known the engine to arrive as early as it did on
Thereorntng of the accident, but that was some time back.
the it:" no whistle to signify the arrival of the mail-train on
ks•lng of the accident.
the AKl•ev—And is there no one on the spot to point out
i
expe,-le,u,f leaving a train on the up-line when a mail train
kidered4l7" "—The witness said that there was not. He con •
Liven, `''e accident was owing to the untimely arrival of the
'attlittti;l:r°el tnailstrain. He also said he was in error when he
was no whistle. He heard the signal whistle in the
Ils and the cutting. near the station. Saw the funnel of
Re %J.l.ine a very few seconds after the whistle, but there was
eelif;" to do anything to avoid the c.alisioti. There is no
Passenger trains, but one is wrung to show the arrival
theel mouth
or goods trains. The bell for cattle or goods is at
„ltith of the tunnel. Witness cannot always hear when it
t
hw lisatain Bruyers said, be resides at 65, in the Haymarket.
general superintendent of the London and Birmingham
driveray. Has no fixed time fur his duties. Humsvverth, the
t,so' had a book of instructions given to him. His arrival
ttru,,,,earle an hour is provided for by the fifth article of in-
net-Lens, which enjoins him to take a time table with him,
hui3Oulate his speed according to it. The fifth article men-
tioos Nuithrnent consequent upon a breach of its regula-
es,' The time-keeper
of the train is the upper guard. The
thee left Tring at 20 minutes pa-t four on the morning of
tut;lteeident. The strict time for starting is 21 minutes past
thus The engine arrived in town at three minutes past five ;
tan, Performing the distance in forty-three minutes. The dis-
fe, 'monl Tring to the spot where the accident occurred is
itti than thirty miles. The train arrived nine minutes before
kie „sra,°. The proper time allowed to run thirty miles is sixty-
thetnutes, but three minutes are allowed for stoppage, so
the distance is performed in fifty-eight minutes.
brJuror—HasHumsworth, the driver, ever been fined for
nitefore his time before this accident ? Witness—Yes,
?II
1110!: WAXLEy—Do you know this for certain ? Witness—
I 1
eve he has, but cannot say for certain that he has been
Ms sr,
Ts a xtey—Was he reported to you ? Witness—Yes ;
lila,"as ten minutes before his time at Leighton, on the 24th
tep4tand came into collision with the goods train. He was
eLto me on that occasion.
lVit" wAeLEY—And you reported the fact to the Directors ?
he 45"-Yes ; there are directions given that in foggy weather
the shall come farther than Chalk Farm-bridge, and that
iilluistle shall be kept constantly going.
airre,worth was then called into the room, upon which
4 With. WAxeey said it was his intention to have called him as
%ultra!, but in consequence of the evidence just given
.he
hes% nit do so. If he (Humsworth) wished to call any wit-
he would have an opportunity of tieing so. It would be
r him to watch the proceedings, as there was a great deal
yilr-eonsibility attached to him.
Mtees, the Deputy Coroner, then read over Captain
Itlidstoeearretienvgidence to Humsworth.
the r•
WAKLEY—It has been shown that the proper time for
of the goods train was a quarter past four o'clock.
korai' not appear that there was anything to delay it on the
g of the accident.
the ye %itueas here observed that he had already stated that
Wilk naail contributed to delay it, as did also the fog.
t' WAeLey Dyou attribute blame to any person?
Aftn:sa--ew No.. °
~AKLEy—Then what is there to he corrected? Here
40: train 48 minutes behind its time, and another 19 minutes
AN:, its time, and these facts must be attributable to some
th• , Witness—The goods train was detained by the fog,
she 71E mail by the delay of goods and the trouble of forming
Itsd-am• The length of the train was not so much as 350
the la' Allowing 15 feet iu length for each of the 47 waggons,
40- ,teu.sts
s u would be 235 yards. 'fhe guard of the train is
Tagd to remain until he is instructed to leave by Mr. Frost.
da 'igna!s at the Camden Town Station are a red board by
th;" an't a red light at night. If the weather were foggy,
'lgnal could not be seen. The policeman has no in-
wetienhteorniss
foggy.
f 0 down to the tunnel with the light when the
for rnaworin handed in a statement of the time of his arrival
thesome time
,past. It differed slightly from the one given in
ulomir last witness. He in some instances admitted a greater
rr of minutes before time than the foregoing statement
tiented.
~,V44trptain Rruyers said, in reply to a question from the Co-
hut tit that the engine-drivers generally carried watches,
knew the time by long practice, and also the speed
th were going. Humsworth was never reported
,4,•; 'or they
his premature arrivals, nor was he punished. Mr.
the superintendent of the locomotive department.
t isir„? no spec
ified amount of fine for arriving before time.
,
tiverte a discretionary power. Witness does not engage the
has „-'8; that falls within Mr. Berry's department, and witness
tbu,s-t° eontrol whatever over it. The book of instructions is
to be revised and remodelled.
to eerii Waxtxv then asked Mr. Frost if he had any witnesses
, lab:, appsared that he had the control of the train, which
el,"llid time when it was struck. if he had any statemen
tio,re it would be listened to by the jury ; but he had a
taißb.° `ay that it might be used against him afterwards. He
if he could, show that delay was unavoidable, or that it
41 Part of the system of the railway.
leis:. Prost said that great difficulties often p-esented th
IkeeiBo'ith regard to the luggage-trains, and rendered it im-
-111,. eto get up the train for the appointed time.
of h;1 n'AKLEY asked for the record of the time of starting
'uggage-train during the past month, and it was sent for.
uf t
maworth then expressed a sirendee call Wm. Finch, one
,englee-drivers of the luggagein.
tb/ist Willis-}:in Finch was accordingly ealled and sworn—He stated
wzs an engine-driver belonging to the London and
eerie Railway. Was present when the accident oc-
`i
gt
fi ' and was engaged in oiling the engine of the goods-train.
the te o'clock witness remarked that the mail was nearly due ;
b,4t!it'juld go off the line. He accordingly backed the engine ;
'ache ordered back on the line to have some waggons at-
°Nee'. The number of engines was 67. He obeyed the
q,„h", arid went down as far as Chalk Farm-bridge, and there
forerP,e,dt A delay of three or four minutes then occurred be-
es; r collision took place. Did not see the engine until it
ti,o-eelose on his own. Heard the whistle, but there was no
4,,e,st° get out of the way. Has known Humsworth six or
etusi Years, and has always known him as a good driver. Had
ss,icled the main rails about four times on the morning of the
the intro' Cannot say who should be blamed for the delay of
tki,e-sgage train. It had not more waggons than usual at-
titre.'" Has had as many as seventy or eighty waggons and
!jou; engines to the luggage train. Has received no mstruc-
-14 tw with reference to his time. The rate allowed for goods
eesta!ntY miles per hour. Has driven passengers. There are
ts4o,M times to stop at the stations, and the engine must be
j to that time.
t0R,9,1/4 neprard, a stoker, was examined—ls stoker to the
taiire which Humsworth, the driver, was on—the Liverpool
eiR4 at the time of the accident. On leaving the tunnel, the
the 11.4 of r'
all's right" was made by the policeman ; remembers
es tenet distinctly. The engine was going at the rate of eight
siton Miles an hour when it struck. Could not see the red
pals on account of the fog. When there is anything in the
Ittio:in the line, they expect a signal at the mouth of the
suelah reply to the CORONER, Capt. Bruyers said the cost of
an engine as No. 91 would be about 1,4001.
•true,targe Walker, the foreman of the locomotive department at
Ns men-town, was ten called, and said the value of the engine
mat least 1,0001.; the value of the tender 3001.
of
WAKLEY summed up. After going through the main
de urea of the evidence, he said that there had been no evi-
trumol to explain the cause of the premature arrival of the
ta b These arrivals were explained by Captain Bruyers
depe:i dangerous. The irregularity of the arrivals and
*cled urea involved serious consideration, and the only
that er
was, not that an accident had taken place, but
alt many more accidents had not occurred. The Coroner
its thYd to the difficulty which existed as respected the law
'Ale is; easeobserved that the parties most in peril in this
tltiy,',,4l Consequence of the accident, were Humsworth, the
840'4' and James Frost, whose duty it was to forward the lug-
hes, train according to the instructions which he had. At the
'lss „:191e, he could not but observe upon the want of precise-
esus,," meta existed as respected instructions to the servants of the
eitherrlq, and the want of a system of fining the men for being
hot ihr.oe estaratliyonors.too late in their arrival at, or their departure
at e jury retired at half-past three o'clock, and returned
detelluarter to five the following verdict :—" We find that the
eassseadel, Charles Dean, died from an injury to his left leg,
ttlie„h uy accidental collision of trains on the London and Bir-
I%10:'91a:ro,
o Railway, near to Camden-town ;
to the Company of that railway movedg in
toe
the de„
h lelonging
taak of the deceased, and that its value is 1,000!., and they
delis,e
adeodand of the said engine to the extent of 1,000/. In
rie„ 'mg this verdict, the jury express their opinion that the
eon, an regulations of the London and Birmingham Railway
—Pan their • d
°at vet, Y. or the guidance of Fervants have been came
eoesid Y Inefficiently for some time past ; and further, the jury
er that' the area of the Camden- town station, and the
t of h • essuy
Withrtahies
ptuebrlieclsaanifedty7, are too much cramped consist.

aoele °RCESTER REGATTA.—The inhabitants of the
regatta tit} of Worcester have been this week enlivened by a
Darts
_, the attractions of which have drawn people from all
wedet. the Country to Worcester. The sailing matches on
elvern commenced on Tuesday, and were continued on
'Port esdaY, but the continued rains materially damaged the
' cif. as the cur
-rent was stronger than desirable for the dis-
[ nautical k"1 A b
ERTISEMENT.]—DR. DE DASSEL, OF VAN
lett ENS LANs AND HOLLOWAY'S PlLLS.—Extract of a
'Mkreernn John Knight, Esq., dated " Launceston, Ist of
tiled 7 1g;5.--ProfessorHolloway,—llear Sir, I am autho-
haii, 'I pr. de Datssel, of this colony, to inform you that,
Vett! witnessed here in several instances the extraordinary
41M, ~a;°', Your pills he in consequence is induced to say that you
leaKe use of his name as attesting their efficacy. Signed,
44„-„n'ght, Carr Villa, late proprietor of the Launceston
43'st ~. These pills act upon the foundation of the
14141-: thus curing the most deep-rooted complaints, even
n,oll,:ve'Y other treatment has failed.—Sold at Professor
Vtirlth;`4l's Establishment, 2,14, Strand ; and by all respectable'
r's of medicine throughout the civilised wit/titl.