The Sun.
London, England, 1844-04-13 00:00:00

THE LATE FATAL ACCIDENT AT

THE DOVER RAILWAY.

INQUEST ON THE BODY OF EDWARD MAY..
Last evening, at six o'clock, Mr. Payne, the Coroner
for Southwark, held an inquest, at the Green Man
Tavern Old Kent-road, on the body of Edward May,
the unfortunate man who was killed by the falling in of
a portion of the works which are Lin course of construc-
tion at the Bricklayers' Arms; in the Old Kent-road;
belonging to the Dover and Croydon Railway Companies.
The jury having been sworn, they proceeded with.the
Coroner-to view the body of the deceased, which was
lying in a shed behind the World Turned-upside-Down
Tavern. The body presented a most frightful appear
ance, the head being completely flattened, and on the
right side of the forehead at least one-third of the brain
of the unfortunate man was protruding.
The- jury then proceeded to where the accident took
place, and were occupied a considerable time in inspect-
ing the various portions of the fallen works.
' On their return to the Green Man the evidence -was
immediately proceeded with.
John West was the first witness called, and having
been sworn, he said, I am a labourer, and reside in Cam-
berwell-place. I have been employed at the works of
the Dover Railway Company. I was at work there zes-
terday morning. This accident happened at seven o'clock
in the morning. I was on the roof that has fallen in,
and was standing at about the middle of it outside,
lashing a scaffold pole up. There were about six or
seven men working, on the top of the roof. I had no •
!iced that the principal was a little oat of its place. I
did not notice it until Mr. Edwards told me. Shortly
after this I suddenly found myself precipitated to the
ground. I was not hurt myself. I did not know the
deceased except by sight. I saw him immediately after
the accident happened lying about six feet from me
under an iron girder. He was got out soon afterwards,
but he appe&red to be quite dead. I cannot account at
all for the building giving way. I had been at work
upon it about three weeks. We were boarding and
slatingthe roof at the time the accident occurred. I did.
not know that it was falling till I found myself half way
down.

By a Juror—l never heard any one make any re-
marks.on the lightness of the tension rod. _

William Edwards, sworn, said—l live at No. 2, Star.
street, Paddington. I am an engineer. lam foreman
of the boarding and roofing department at the new -
station of the Dover Railway Company at the Brick-
layers' Arms. I was so acting when the accident-hap-
pened. I was on the part of the roof that fell, when the
accident occurred, and was standing about thirty yards.
from the last witness. I think the roof—that part that
fell—was about 200 feet long. The spends were 52 feet.
each. There were three spends. I did not fall with
the roof, as I ran to the end, and dropped from the top
of the coluinn. That was the end from the front
building. When on the roof I was standing in the
gutter. The first intimation I had of the accident was
hearing a great crash—it resembled the falling of a
quantity of trees. The iron beam which ran across the
roof horizontally from the tops of the principals are
bridged up a little. -
Mr. Charles Herd Wild was then examined, and said
lam an engineer, and reside near to Birmingham. I
have seen the place that has fallen in within the last few
days. I was the draftsman of the roof, and the draw-
ings were got up under my management. The contrac-
tors for these roofs live at Birmingham. lam their
manager of the drawing office. There are three spends.
each 52 feet, on these roofs. The office buildings are
shout 300 feet long. Ido not know the width of them.
These buildings are on the north side of the spands.
(The witness here drew a plan of the roof.) Each prin-
cipal consists of two rafters ; each rafter being about 27
feet. The total rise of the roof is about ten feet. There
are two exterior tie bars, and one central one. Two
suspension bars and four struts. The rafters are made.
of wrought iron. These are two and three-quarters
inches deep, by five-sixteenths. That is very little more
than a quarter of an inch thick. Between these rafters
there is " a flitch" of wood one inch and three-quarters
thick, and about three and a half inches deep. The ex-
ternal tie bars are three inches by 7-l6ths, and the
central two inches by 3-Bths. The struts are cast
iron. The section of the strut is in the form
of a cross. The struts were to support that part of the
roof between the centre and the gutters; and the struts
were supported by the two external tie bars and the
suspension bars. All the tie bars are single, and they
are riveted with two plates. This weakens it to the ex-
tent of the diameter of the rivet. Such a roof would be.:r
a load of about forty pounds to the square foot, which is
about twice the weight that ever can come upon it.
There is the weight of boarding and slating. and allow-
ance must be made for the impact of wind and also for
snow lying upon it. The roof is supported on the north
side by the wall of the offices. The shoes which are
bolted at the end of the rafters, are let into "York
landings," built into the walls. They are about three
inches thick. There is a " joggle" in the bottom of the
shoe, and that is let into the landing. The shoe is
fastened to the rafters by bolts and nuts. There are no
ties in the York landings to the party walls. It was never
thought necessary to place any. The columns which sup-
ported the roof on the other side were about 27 feet apart.
There were consequently eight columns in the 300 feet.
They are hollow columns, and are made of cast iron.
They are eight inches in diameter. The height of the
`column is 15 feet 3 inches. Where the rafters are rest-
ing'on the columns each rafter his a separate shoe ; but
where they rest on the girders, one shoe • does for two
rafters—one on each roof. The columns and girders of
the first spand have fallen with the roof. The columns
and earders of the second spand have partially fallen.
A'Juror—l think that a proper precaution was not
taken in firmly fixing the ratters into the brick wall.
• • Witness—l have no idea as to the cause of the acci-
dent. I should fancy that the rafters must have doub!ed
up under the weight. My opinion is that the doubling
was the cause of the fall of the roof..
• Mr. Charles Fox was then called and examined—l
am one of the firm of Fox, Henderson, and Co., the
contractors for this work. Messrs. Grissell and Peto are
the general contractors. • I have been on the spot every
tiny since the fixings were commenced. lam much in-
clined to think that the accident arose from the upper
portion of the rafters leading from the, boarding to the
ringhead or ridge, having swerved laterally, in conse-
quence of the skylights and cast-iron ridge not having
been fixed on that part of the roof. lam led to that
belief from the feet that the whole of the roof which fell
down had neither skylights nor ridges fixed, and the
portion of the roof which was saved had the skylights
and ridges fixed, and the injury ended just were the
ridges and skylights commenced. The columns fell in-
wards towards the office. That fact. would not lead me
to the impression that the roof broke away from the
wall. The York landings I believe to be sufficiently
strong, inasmuch as they stand unaltered now.
A Juror—=Why did you commence your slating before
fixing the skylights ?
Witness—Because two gangs of men cannot work at
the same spot at the same time. We have often com-
menced slating before fixing the skylights. The line of
demarcation between the roof that has fallen and. that
part which is standing, is just where the skylights com-
mence. This roof is similar to many other roofs in
other railways. The roof at Hunts' Bank station, in
Manchester, is on precisely the same plan.
By; a Juror—l. meant when I said the ridges, the
point at the top of the roof— the horizontal bar which
runs from one end to the other. • .

The CORONER—Do you not think a support could be
introduced in the centre? The witness—That would alter
all the arrangements of the railway. The spand of this
roof was not so large as on many other railways. We
find, upon examining the fallen roof that the columns
and the tieing-irons were not bent at all, but the prin-
cipals or rafters are all bent, and this confirms me in the
opinion that the accident was caused by the slating
being commenced before the ridges and the skylights
were fixed. We never before thought it necessary to
look to this precaution. We shall now be able to erect
the roof without any danger. I think this one accident
will certainly cost me 9001.
Daniel Smith examined—l live at Windgrove-place,
Clerkenwell. lam a labourer employed on these works.
I was on the building at the time it gave way. I was
employed putting down the boards. I cannot say which
side went first. I had no time to notice. I saw the de-
ceased picked up. He was got out in about two
minutes. The skull was fractured, and he was quite
dead.

Samuel May was then examined, and said, I live
at Swan-lane, Rotherhithe. • The deceased was my
brother, and was 38 years of age. He lived at Hanover-
street, Neckinger-road, Bermondsey. I knew nothing of
the accident.

The, CORONER then briefly addressed the jury, and
said it did not appear that any blame was to be attached
to any person. It appeared to be quite an accident. He
did not think this was a case for the jury to impose a
deodand on the building, as it was not a moveable chat-
tel. It was a similar case to that of the Royalty Theatre
in Wellclose-square, and the jury in that case imposed a
heavy deodand. The case, however, was moved into the
Court of Queen's Bench, and the verdict, so far as re-
lated to the deodand, set aside, as the Court held that a
deodand could only be imposed on a moveable chattel,
such as a horse or cart.
The Jury deliberated for a short time, and then re-
turned a verdict of " Accidental Death," at the same
tune they expressed a hope that Mr. Fox, in future,
would not allow any slating upon his rcof to be pro-
Ceeded with until the skylights and ridges had been
finished.

Mr. Fox said he would take care that the wish of the
jury was attended to. He would, however, remind the
Jury, that no terminus could be used fdr passenger
traffic until approved of by the Surveyor-General of
Railways appointed by the Government.

ON DiTs:—Rurnottrs of Sir James Graham's early
retirement from the Home-office are prevalent in well
informed circles, in which they are also credited. Such
an event is by no means improbable. As Secretary of
State for the Home Department, the Right Hon. Ba-
ronet has been singularly unfortunate. The fate of the
measures it becrme his duty to introduce to Parliament
has embarrassed the Ministry, and diminiShed the con-
fidence of the Country in its efficiency. This has 'pro-
bably induced Sir Robert Peel to determine on pacing
in that office One who may be more successful in the pre-
paration of measures, an in conducting them through
the House of Commons. The appointinent of Sir James
Graham to India, as successor to Lord Ellenborough,is
revived in connection with the report alluded to; ahem
refer the Right Hon. Baronet's reported early retirement
from the Home-office to chagrin—partly because Of the
difficulty in which the Government has -been placed b
his unfortunate Factory ; but princfpally to the re'
-
fusal of Sir R. Peel to recommend hint to her-MajeSty
for the Lord Lieutenancy of Curnberland, which -has
been conferred on Lord LonSdale, in conjunction with
that of Westmoreland. It is affirmed that- Sir James
Graham was' so confident of obtaining the Lord-Lieu-
tenancy of Cumberland, as to have spohen of his ap-
pointment as a matter all but determined on.—Evening
Paper, • -