The North-Eastern Weekly Gazette. — 1893-01-14 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

THE THIRSK RAILWAY DISASTER.  THE BOARD OF TRADE ENQUIRY.  MAJOR MARINDIN'S REPORT. Major Marindin's repoii relative to the Board of Trade ene,niry on the railway disaster which occurred on the 2nd of November last at Manor House signal-box, between Otteiington and Thirsk stations on the North-Eastern RaiLvay, when nine passengers were killed and thirty-nine other were injured, was issued on Wednesday from the 01Bee of the Board of Trade. Ma;or Marindin, after explaining the nature of the accident, and stating that the preparation of the report was delayed in consequence of the in,uries to the driver of the !.,cotcli express, whose evideace he was unable to take unAl December 6th, sets forth , fully the stAtements mate by passengers and others at the ingueet, which, lie says, clearly indicate the calumet the terra le col i ision, It is perfect.y clear, he continues, that it was principally due to the non-compliance with the block telegraph rules and regulations by Signalman Holmes, who had at the time of the secident been on duty for eight hours, and who was manifestly un'',t for duty for reasons explained later.  lICLNES OIDTTED TO SEND VORWAIID ' to the Avenue Junction the "be ready' signal for the goods train after he had re: eived "on line" from Ottcrington, lie omitted to book the "line clear" received from the Avenue Junction for the first portion of the express, and the "on bee " signal received from Otterington for the goods train, and he sent the ' line clear " signal to Otterington, and accepted the " be " for the second portion of the express when the goods train was standinF with the head-light of the engine within view. Ihe signalman, however, was not the only person who acted in contradiction of the rulea, for it was clearly the duty of the gccels drier, vJcseph Barnes, Iv! en brought to a stand to sound his whist e before reuaaining for a length of time. The drier Ewart, Mk* Alariadin adds, behaved roost pluckily after the is.cident occurred. With regard to Henry Eden, the Otterington signalman, if he had. been shee to the importance of his office, knowing as he did the condition of Hoime3, hd ought to have ascertained why "line clear" was not aignallcd, but he could hardly be blamed for what had occurred, whereas the Nerthallerton signalman was quite justii:ed in allowing the goods train to pass to the Lailin line. If the driver had obeyod the rules he would have sounded his whistle and thereby probably have aroused the signaMien. The only other Ker. tants on duty at the time whose conduct could possibly be held to have contributed to the accident were the driver of the second portion of the express, the signalman at Otterington, and the signalman at Northallerton North ,Junction; and if some of the evidence regarding the weather be correct, Roland ..pwart,  THE DEJNER OF THE BVPUSAS, ought certainly to have seen the tail lights of the goods train in time to enable him to reduce his speed very much or even stop the train short of the point of collision. The evidence, however, as to the weather was so conLicting that he hesitated to discredit the driver's statement that he was keeping a good lookout. It seemed clear that Holmes was unfit for duty, and Mr Kirby, the stationmaster at Otterington, oommitted a grave error of judgment in not stating this fact to Inspector Pick. Tt mast, however, says Major fitrindin, be remembered that it is comparatively easy to say after an event what should or should not lime been done. In conclusion, Major Marindin records his opinion that ten hours duty is the outside which ought to be allowed for signalmen on main lines.  A brutal triple murder by negroes, followed by the lynching of the criminals, is reported from Cottonplant, Arkansas. Two negro.' went to the house of a farmer with the object of committing rJhbery. On entering the house the farmer was killed by one of the negroes with a poker. The mur.lerere then turned upon the housekeeper and little daughter, killing both of them. After s, thing tire Co the bowie the miscreants decamped with the money they had taken. They were captured. however, ant when the news of the outrage spread the crowd dragged the negroes from the gaol to • neighbouring tree, end riddled their bodies jili shot.