The Sun.
London, England, 1842-01-03 00:00:00

MORNING SUN

meat, is to be attributed to water perforating from a
small seam of gravel which occurs near the top. 'lhat
seam of gravel had not previously attracted my atten-
tion, as it had only been thrown open by the slip, and
then showed itself. There was no previous appearance
in the ground to indicate the probability of a slip of this
kind taking place. it was an entirely new slip in my
opinion. Tire police are not under my directions, but
I am authorised by Mr. Brunel to put special watch-
men upon any part of the line, by day or by night, on
which the state of the works may appear to require
them. The reports made to me by the foreman under
me are made personally, and not in writing. In my
opinion, no systems of precaution can be taken by the
Company to forewarn them against accidents of this
kind, better than are now adopted.
Charles Owen teas then called in to be examined.—
Upon being sworn, he said—l am employed by Mr.
Bertram, as an assist int, to see that the repairs in dif-
ferent parts of the hoe, and the Souning cutting in par-
ticular, were properly dcnc. He gave me instructions
about three weeks ago to go to Sonnicg cutting, and
examine the slip which had then taken place, and see
that the instructions he had given to the foreman had
been carried out. I did so, and I found the drain Mr.
Bertram had ordsred to be completed had been done.
It was the duty of the foreman, Bothell, to visit those
slips when I did not, to examine them. Bottrch's duty
is to make his reports to Mr. Bertram. During the
sixteen days I was absent I frequently irquired of Bot-
trell the state of the slips, and his report was satisfactory.
The principal evilence in addition was that of Mr.
Brunel. Triis gcntle:nan was examined at considerable
ngth. He stated—With respect te the system of
watching adopted at night, I consider that any number
of watchmen will be more effectively employed when
placed specially to watch any particular place where
any change is expected than by attempting to patrol
generally over a district in the night, and for that rea-
son this system is adopted ; my assistants have po-
sitive directions, et all times, without any limitation,
to place watchmen at any point where they consider,
from any previous symptoms, cr from any peculiar cir-
cumstance, that there is anything to watch for. At
the present moment there must be about thirty, or
more, between London and Bristol each night. These
men being workmen, and in communication with the
foreman, know better what to watch for, and are more
likely to se-a any ci!enge, than the ordinary policemen.
The Senning cutting I can safely fay, has given
less trouble, end caused less anxiety, than the
majority of cuttings on the line. Near the
place where the late accident occurred, there was
one of those superficial slips. I had seen it about
three weeks before the accident. I inquired of Mr.
Bertram and learned that he had given directions to
have it drained, and I saw afterwards that it had been
drained, and in passing. very frequently I observed no
change had taken &ve. Upon examining the greater
slip a few hours after it had occurred, I found the
drain which had been cut round the old slip, and which
marked its situation. I found that the fall of earth
which had taken place was situated about 40 or 60 fact
further east, and higher up the slope. It was a totally
distinct matter ; the first was a sliding of the surface,
the result, I believe, of the quantity of rain that had
fallen; the other was a large breaking down of the
masses of slope in a particular stratum near the top of
the slope. The ordinary sliding down of the surface
below this, which is the result of the blip, and
not the slip itself, had spread over and reached the
former slide ; but they were totally distinct, and the
larger one could not have been caused by the small one.
I can speak to the fact that the passengers' carriages
are quite as strong as the luggage vans, for they were
originally constructed for luggage, and since converted
into passengers' trucks. I arrived at the spot of the
accident at about helf-past eleven o'clock. They had
not thee entirely removed the earth from off the rails.
I examined the site carefully and particularly, because
was surprised at so much mischief having been pro•
duced by the comparatively small quantity of ground
which had slipped, and I found some large stones which
had slipped down with the clay, being part of a bed of
stones which lies a considerable height up the cutting.
One of these stones, probably two feet square, ap-
peared to have been on the rail just at the point where,
I think, the engine first left the line, and I have no
doubt that these stones were the cause of the accident,
as I think the engine would have run through the clay,
and the train have been stopped much more gradually.
The engine wheels were not broken, but the guard, as
we call it, was broken.
By the Conceen—l do not think if more vigilance
bad been used the accident could have been prevented.
I am satisfied, most decidedly, that my engineers re-
ported everything which occurred, and, from reports
made to me. from my knowledge of the cutting, and
from what I have sec n so frequently passing through it,
that this fall of earth has taken place without previous
sy mptoms.__

By the Foreman—The result of all our experience
upon the line has been, that the se slips have been caused
ether by continued rains, or breaking out of some fresh
springs. if the passengers had been in the hied car-
riages they would have eicaped, of course ; but, gene-
rilly speaking, it is cot a sate position for them, as they
would be exposed to more danger than in front. [Mr.
Brunel gave the same i easons for forming this opinion
which were given by bins when asked. a similar ques-
tion at the inquest held on Monday last.] With re-
spect to the relative safety of the passenger trucks, I
have to state that i have frequently travelled by them,
and at one period I generally went by them once a week
to Bristol, as being the last train out of London at
night ; and, t, king the speed of travelling into consi-
deration, I considered them rattler a safe train than
otherwise.

By the CORoNER—The chances are greater of
luggage train being t un into behind than before.
By a Juror—There is a tail-lamp always behind the
luggage-train ; but from the frequent stoppages of this
train, the shifting of waggons, &c., there is still risk of
its being overtaken unexpectedly.

By the CORONER—If two or three empty carriages
intervened between the tender and the passengers, they
would not at all add to the safety of the passengers, io
consequence of the comparative lightness of those empty
trucks.

By the CORONEII.—An accident is more likely to
occur to the passengers by a slip at night than in the
day time. A mere patrol along the line at night
would not enable him to be an affective watch. It is
impossible in the night, and by the mere assistance of
a lamp, for a policeman, walking along the line, and
without knowing what he has particularly to watch
for, to detect any changes in the levels and rails,
or any of the numerous symptoms of danger. Such
watching could not be relied upon. It appears to me
that the most certain way of securing safety by night is
to use ail the means in our power during daylight to
remedy any evil, and, detect any fresh symptoms o
pi movement, and then acing special watchmen at those
place=, with a knov ledge of what they have to look for
and that is the system which is followed.
_ _

Mr. Russell, M.l) , wished the following question to
be asked Mr. Brunel :

With reference to the police force upon the Great
Western Railway, compared with railways in general,
is the police as large as upon other lines?
Mr. Brunel replied that it was so, and that such, he
believed, was the opinion of the Inspector-General of
Railroads. There was no railroad in the kingdom which
had a stronger body of police engaged.
The CORONER Ural proceeded to read over the whole
of the evidence, and remarked upon various portions of
the depositions as he went on.
The Jury then retired, and after being absent for
nearly an hour, returned the following verdict in
writing :—" The verdict of the Jury is, that Richard
Woolley came by his death from a fracture he received
on the skull, caused by the engine called the Hec!a,
coining into collision with a mass of earth, having fallen
from the slope of a cutting on the Great Western Rail.
way, at Sonning, in this county ; alid they are of opinion
that the accident might have been avoided bad there
been a right police or watch on the cutting. They
therefore p!ace a deodand on the engine and train of
carriages of the sum of one hundred pounds. And
further, they recommend that the passenger trucks be
in future placed further from the engine."