The Sun.
London, England, 1845-07-31 00:00:00

RAILWAY COMMITTEES.

(THIS DAY.)

HOUSE OF CO YiMONS.
GROUP X.

snErrxELD A:VD xazzcoxam7sy.g:itz LZ877.1.

This Committee met to-day at the usual hour, Viscount Courte-
nay in the chair,

_ _.......
Mr. Greenwood's evidence, connected with the traffic tables,
was resumed, and occupied their consideration some time. At
the termination of this, which was but a detailed recapitulation of
the evidence given yesterday, the engineering evidence was pro-
ceeded with.

Mr. Fowler examined by Mr. BAUM, Q.C.—ls a civil engineer,
connected with the Stockton and Hartlepool, Great Grimsby and
Sheffield, and many others, which he either solely or conjointly with
other engineers, planned and constructed. In June last was le.
quested to survey the country between Sheffield and Gainsborough,
for the purpose of selecting a line between these points, and ac-
cordingly laid out that now before the Committee.

(LEFT SITTING.)

THE LATE COLLISION ON THE

LONDON AND BIRMINGHAM RAILWAY.
The following official report from Mr. Creed, the secretary
of the London and Birmingham Railway, has been forwarded
to Mr. Laing, the secretary of the Railway Department of the
Board of Trade:—
" To S. Laing, Esq., Railway Department of the Board of
Trade.

" Euston station, July 29, 1845.
" Sir,—The Lancashire mail, which is timed to arrive at the
Luton station at 32 minutes past 5 a.m., entered the Camden
station at 5 a.m., as the first goods' train from London was
crossing the down line to proceed on its journey. The conse-
quence was a collision, which forced the engine, tender, and
Parcels' van, in front of the mail train, off the rails, injuring
some of the waggons and carriages, and causing a fracture in
the leg of one of the passengers in a second-class carriage, and
several 'evere cuts on the face and head to another passenger,
117 the breaking of the glass of the coupe of a first-class carriage
In which he was riding, with his face to the engine. It di es
not appear
earothtat ant more passengers were injured.
p r tng these occurrences for the information of the
Lordsu o f the Privy Council for Trade, I would invite their
attention to the following facts
That the :nail train arrived at the Camden station
fifteen minutes before its time.
"2. That the goods' train, on the other hand, was fifty
Minutes later than its regular time of departure (owing to the
Unusual number of trains which were to be conveyed).
" 3. That although the policeman at Chalk.farm-bridge had
turned on the red signal, when the goods' train began to move,
there was so ranch fog that the driver of a train coming out of
the tunnel could not well have seen the signal, and consequently
that in not going forward to communicate with the policeman
at the south end of the tunnel, according to orders provided
for these cases, the policeman at the bridge failed in the per-
formance of his duty."
_ General Palley was expected down in the course of yester-
detenak:teot,oinset the spot where the catastrophe occurred. The
lugagge van, and first carriages, were completely shat-
tributah,fragulents, The blame is conceived to be chiefly at-
ciaan, ie to the trains being " ill-timed." The signal-man at
1 farm-bridge has occupied that post, it appears, for the
last years.
THE

LATE COLLISION ON THE
fSOUTH-EA STERN RAILWAY.
EXANIINATION OF TIIE ENGINE DRIVER.
Yesterday afternoon, at two o'clock, Captain Charlewood, R.N.,
the e
~,mth-Eastern Railway Company, attended the Court-house,
Tunbridge, before Mr. Hare, one of the county magistrates, to
prosecute Joseph Walker, an engine driver in the employ of the
pUriPanyshurst , for negligently causing the collision on that line, at the
station, on Monday night, whereby the lives of nearly
U9O persons were endangered.
The defendant, who appears to be about 30 years of age, was
brought up in custody of the railway police, under whose surveil.
lance he had been since the night of the accident.
The first witness, William Marchant, was then examined.—He
said e wava porter at the railway station at Tunbridge. On Monday
herg last, on the arrival at that station of the half-past six o'clock
.UP train from Dover, he was asked by the guard whether the
that carriage or truck, on which a gentleman's carriage for
kat station, was unoccupied. He replied that he did not
hbut". and went to ascertain, when he found it was not, and then
rtaehed it. Scarcely had he done so, before a gentleman called
film to take his portmanteau into the waiting-room, which he did,
arid returned to the platform. He then heard so:ne one call out to
uaastd,, yes," and
" Was it all right behind ?" The reply given
es," and the whistle was immediately sounded and the
train prcceeded. Witness, knowing that the signal lights were
u.rt the carriage which he detached, ran to the last car-
riage of the train to see if they had been shifted to their
proper places, but found that they had not, and that the train was
°l4 °n without them. It was a very long train, comprising
"note than thirty carriages, and was drawn by two engines in ad.
nee.
The moment he saw that the train was without the signal
illuts he gave the alarm to the watchman, who held up his red
.11to the engine drivers to stop, but the train being considerably
advance, it was not noticed.
Mr. Hare wished to know whether there was an engine at thee_ce ?of the tr.iu propelling it, as he had heard that such was the
as
iThe witness replied that most decidedly there was not. The
on 1 engines that conveyed the train were in front.
n continuation, he said that the head porter of the station,
4•ha, ntrd Goodman, ordered imme, iately a pilot engine then stand.
.11 below the station, of which the defendant was the driver, to
to: the signal-lights and overtake the train. Witness took the
tikCiage as direeted to the defendant, who made answer that h e
th °Coke. Some was directly obtained, and, being placed
.
ett Coke the engine started.
ih
I.,,,Cal)tain Charlewood—The defendant was perfectly sober,
not ,-;`• observed no recklessness when he left the station. He did
the-d.iit't that more than tire minutes elapsed from the period of
ThePatture of the train to that of the pilot engine.
take
we defendant here asked the witness what lights he bid him
nuts I ith. the engine that the train had gone without?—The
wit-
tatl ligliiseri that he most distinctly informed him that they were the
The El
the en.• defendant denied it He was told by the witness that it was
Tha.:e 118 ht he had to take.
served witness however, persisted in his former statement, and ob-
that other witnesses were in attendance, who told the de.
fondant that they were tail signal lights.
Richard Goodman, the head porter, proved ordering the pilot
Itgine to overtake the train, which had left without the tail lights.
Was not dark, about dusk, the time being forty-nine minutes
Past eight o'clock. The order was to go as far as Penshutst station
to overtake the train.

George Smithers, another porter at the Tunbridge station, said
directly the train was gone he was directed by the last wit-
ness to desire the defendant to proceed after it with the pilot
engine, as it had gone without the lights. He was positive he
told him they were the tail lights. While the coke was being
placed in the tender, he took one of the lamps of the private
carriage truck that had been left behind, and placed it on the ten.
der. He then got up, and while placing it on one side, in order
that it should not be knocked over, another man brought the other
lamp, and on taking it from him the engine started.
Captain Charlewood asked the witness if the defendant could
not have seen by their appearance that they were the tail lights ?
The witness considered that he must have seen them, as they were
the very large ones, having red glass, very bright, and stood
in a conspicuous spot in the tender. The speed the engine
was driven at he thought was about thirty miles an hour. It might
have been faster. They left five minutes after the train, and
Rained the Penshurst station almost at the same moment as the
train did. Before, however, and on arriving at the Whitepost
tunnel. the defendant sounded the whistle and shut off the steam,
and after a short pause, remarked to witness, " The train is not
here. 'don't see it; we must go on to the station," and then turned
the steam on. The station at Penshurst adjoins the Whitepost tunnel,
and from the spot at the entrance of it, where the defendant said he
could not see the train, to the station, is about 300 yards. A few
moments had scarcely transpired before the train was seen, when
the defendant shut off the steam and reversed the engine, as well
as Put on the break ; the engine, however, never stopped, and
dashed into the train.
lMr. Benjamin Cubitt, the locomotive engineer of the South-Eas-
ern Railway, was next examined at much length. He said that
I.'Was in the traits in question, and on his stopping at Penshurst,
„hich was about nine o'clock, he was alarmed by receiving a se-
'ere shock • • into behind. The train,
•as if the train had been ran
e Should as if
had scarcely come to a stand-still, and
thn. concussion was very great. Ile immediately got out,
ins concussion
went to the after part of the train to ascer-
Zthe cause, and was surprised at finding an engine close in
atek,Lst the carriages. His first object was to seek out the driver,
cltuhoenriereahteidfao:uetn,d to be the defendant, and asked him how it oc-
th red that he had run into the train ? His reply was, that he,
had bean sent on to overtake the train, it having
blare without the lights. Ile, Mr. Cubitt, then examined the
to see if it had got the signal lights, and perceived
at it had nOne.
"1 the Hare, the Chairman—Do you consider it a judicious step
he Part of the officers at the Tunbridge station to send a Pilot
glee to „
seriheti ? -•ertake the train in the manner which has been de-
itrpMr.
uCubitt, after a pause—l do not think it was an improper
Nirb „t it lva, quite a new order ton our regulations.
soon- nare—Was it not likely,• in dispatching the pilot engine so
alter the train, to incur injury .
'ecti lett case is one orbs that character that I do not
wa. of a similar one occurring fore. Of course, if caution
hot ot
Mr u ed. there was danger.
set'rnot
e--Then what was the risk, supposing the officers had
Nte
."11 the pilot engine ?
thejo.n(nhitt—No risk at all on the Dover line; but on reaching
Meet,
tehlier" of the Brighton line at
danger. Reigate, where so many trains
1s e was considerable
ditpak• Pare--Then was it wrong for the officers at Tunbridge to
birch the pilot engine ?
have i,Cutett--.No, not exactly ; but certainly the lights would
been ceen missed at the Pensinirst station, and they would have
Tuati.ePlaeed. If the guard had done his duty before the train left
fcr h ridge he would have sen that the lights were properly fixtd,
&tau: exPeeted to examine them and the carriages at all the
mrna the trains stop at.
beide. Hare said he was glad to hear that the officer at Tun_
had d had hot acted wrongly in dispatching the engine, fur he
mrone en to prevent mischief.
driver Cuhitt, in continuation of his evidence, stated that the engine
•rsidakeruwas bound to obey the order of the officer of the station.
all the circumstances that had been adduced Into con.
look
1'W"444 he decidedly of opinion that had a proper
been- 6 been kept by the engine driver, the train in advance must
. n a
arded ce,
much greater distance than had been stated. As re.
tnit it 'Peed the engine was propelled at, be could not state,
ten
weitist have been considerable, as the collision happened within
Certain) Tutes alter leaving Tunbridge, a distance of about five miles.
moo Y the engine-driver ought to have exercised greater judg-
h "'lying so near the Penshurst station, so that he could
thaavte,,7re prrant•tly stopped the engine. It was but justice to state
of th".o defendant had been about twelve months in the service
Ps4,,eojuinPanY, during which period he had driven both pilot and
driver dri 8" trains, and they had always found him a sober, steady

1)e- 1 tain
od
Charlewo, in answer to the bench, said that the num-
it, Persons known to be injured were three; these were Mr.
,ttiet es'
131, Chcapside, compound fracture of the leg near
.tt
•e, the mother of a
4li
a nd gurd,
ro
a talented illed on the line,
7,t,tion uf the right jaw ; paintera (a banet)f,
bath i"jurY to the °pine.
0 .earti their n•There were a number of personsbole
t , 'exes bruised and otherwise injured, but he had been una
Or the
accident.
Antes, as theyhad
'
the 'are then inquired if there was any further evidence on
l
s.^, 4et of the prosecution ?
?1 Culiitt replied that there was not.
'e defendant lacing called upon for his defence, remarked that
hOne ~f
d,ifie the witnesses ever spoke to him about tie train being
ar.,.ent of the tail lights. Ile clearly understood them to say, on
thuhß with the pivot engine, that the lights in question were th)se
,tie "gines, otherwise lie should have proceeded with greater
statement,
Ile never supposed but what the train had the tail signal.
„tis, and CLnsequency was on the look out for them. In proof
oteora, he teggcd to call the fireman who was with him.
mith, train, the reman alluded to, stated that when he
eti to overtake the train, the conviction on his mind was that
I,,iii ),were taking the engine lights,
they were on a strict look out. and not the tail lamps, fur
chilne Magistra then retired wih Captai Charleood anhe
wh't clerk of the court, and, afters a shortn consultatiwon, returned,
Mr. Hare observed that, after the whole affair had had his
fro,;euntideration, he was led to believe that the accident had arisen
t the lights. nitstake respecting the order given to the defendant relative
0
lie thereto dismissed the case.