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--. THE RAILWAY ACCIDENT AT…

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THE RAILWAY ACCIDENT AT SWANSEA. T"9:B INUCB8T. On Saturday morning the inquiry was opened into the cause of the above accident, at the Town-hall, before Mr Edward Strick, coroner, and a jury selected from the principal tradesmen of the town, of which Mr Cousens, Wind-street, was foreman. It was understood that the jurv would confine themselves to the formal satisfaction of the law by viewing the body of the driver, William Cole, and then adjourn the further investigation until a future day. But will be seen however from the evidence of the only witfless who was examined that a little more than this was done, and that several very important facts in connection with the inquiry were elieited. Previous to the opening of the inquest, the signalman, John Howells, had been brought before the magistrates at the Police-court, and on the application of Mr J. R. Tripp, who is retained for the prosecution, his bail was extended until Wednesday morning next, when the ease will be proceeded with before the Justices. After the jury had been sworn at the Town-hall, Mr Strick, the coroner, addressed them, and said: Gentlemen, —You are called together to investigate the circum- stances of a most unfortunatefaccident, and one that I think is the most important in its character it has ever fallen to my lot to inquire into. It is probably not so if viewed as to the actual loss of life, but it is so if re- garded as to what the extent of the accident might have been had the train been any other than a coal train. The inquiry will, very probably, take up a very large portion of your time, but, as I have before said. it is a very important inquiry, and I am sure you will not hesitate to give all the time that will be necessary to investigate the facta of the case. The railway company will, I am glad to say, be represented by a gentleman of experience; I mean my friend Mr Tripp. I anticipate that we shall derive great assistance from Mr Tripp in the course of this inquest. The accused will be brought before you when the inquest is thoroughly commenced, because I think it will be far more satisfactory that all the evidence should be taken in his presence. He will have the opportunity of hearing what is said, and will, I understand, have the benefit also of a legal adviser. It would be idle to say that there is no blame attaching to anyone. There must be blame somewhere, and it will be our duty to try to find oat where it is. With these few remarks I shall ask you before I conclude to en- deavour to dismiss from your minds, so far as you can do so, all reports that are current in the town as to the cause of the accident. I do not think it requisite at this stage of the inquiry to take anything more than the formal evidence as to the identification of the body, and then adjourn the inquiry to a future day, on which we will agree on our retnrn, after viewing the body. The jury, with the coroner and Inspector Crockford, who has charge of the case, then proceeded to the house of the brother-in-law of the deceased, in Cawnpore- street, in the hamlet of St Thomas, where the body of Cole was lying. The body was that of a fine young man, who had died whilst in a state of perfect health. There were no marks or discolouration, and it was evident that he met his death by drowning, and not by coming in contact with any of the ruins of the falling coal train. On the return of the jury the following evidence was taken. James Cole, sworn said I reside in Cawnpore-street, in the hamlet of St Thomas. I am an engine driver in the employ of the Vale of Neath Kailway. The de- ceased was 27 years of age, and the body the jury have seen is his body. I was at the scene of the accident when the body was recovered. It has a very few bruises on the shoulder and on the right leg. It was on Friday morning when it was recovered. I first saw it when it was brought alongside the quay before it was t*ken to my house. There is a very severe blow on the right shoulder, but the skin is not broken. There is a mark too above the knee. I examined the head carefully, and there were no marks there. His clothing was very much torn, but this was owing to the coal falling down upon him. He had been in the employ of the Vale of Neath Company about thirteen years; he had been driver about seven years. He was in the habit of driving goods and coal trains, not passenger trains. Be was a married man and had three children. He resided at Neath, and lodged with me when he was in Swansea. He had often driven over the Swansea and Neath line, and over the bridges; he wa? like a spare-hand,' and sent on duty when the other men were off. The train by which he met his death he had driven from the Eastern depot. He had been engaged in that work for the last four days. He had been 4 put- back' for several matters; such as stopping, not having steam for his train. He had been a spare hand for twelve months. If he had not been put-back' he would have been on the main-line. He was put-back' tor what I believe were accidents happening to the engine of which he day charge, and which might appear i have been caused by negligence. For days previous the occurrence he must have crossed the bridge eight or t n times a day. During the four days he lodged in my Juse he was called to go to work at a quarter-past three in the morning. He got his meals at the engine shed during the day. He was engaged on duty the rughs before the accident until about a quarter-past nine at night. He had to make some repairs to his engine he was in the engine shed for about one hour before that. I relieved him on Tuesday at nine o'clock in the morning, and he did not go on duty again until a G tarter-past three on Wednesday morning; the morning of the accidaat. On Sunday morning he went to Neath and came back again on Sunday night. I relieved him at nine o'clock on Monday morning. It is our duty to examine our engines to aee if they are right to take out both night and morning. The deceased was called at a quarter-past three on Wednesday morning. I got up and made breakfast for him. He went out of my house about half-past three o'clock. About half-past four a train goes past the bridge generally, but I know that he had not taken a train across the bridge that morning until he took the train by which he lost his life. On starting from the platform at Port Tennant we can see signals on the New Cut bridge and the Lock bridge. The signals are red and white. I have been engaged on the line ever since it was opened. I had only been driver four days before this accident happened. There are two engines and three sets of men to them. We have two signals, one at the Tank office and the other at the Port Tennant platform. A policeman is stationed at the eastern depot. The policeman gives us the signal to start, and then we pay no attention to anything else ex- cept the bridge. At night the policeman gives us a white light at the fixed signal. Those are the only signals for the starting of the train. We cannot start until the police- man gives us the signal. We start if we get the all right' from the guard. It is then our duty to attend to the bridge sign iis. We can see both signals from the Port Tennant platform. When the policeman gives ua the signal to start we can see the bridge signals whether, they are before us or against us but in the dark or the fog it is impossible for us to see the signals from that point. If the weather is clear we can see the signals all the way round. The bridge signals work with the bridges. The new cut signals work with the bridge. I don't know what sort of a morning it was when the accident occurred. In a heavy train the same that he had it could not be going more than four milei an hour. If there were two guards and plenty of sand they could have pulled up in about 20 or 30 yards. Each bridge works its own signals only. If the driver saw the danger signal from the New Cut Bridge on the lock bridge he could pull up the train in time. We cannot see the signals through the copper smoke about the bridge nearly avery morning. It is the duty of the man on the New Cut bridge to give us the signal by hand lamp, and also the duty of the man on the other bridge when we passed there. They place the lamps on the girder of the bridge. It is the duty of the New Cut bridge man to give the signal 4 All "BpV and that ought to mean that both bridges are all right, because he should not give us the signal unless he had received it from the other man. The inquiry was then adjourned until Friday morn- it eleven o'clock. THE SECOND BODY FOUND. About one o'clock in the afternoon, and soon after tl; • left the Town-ball, the body of Clement I.angstat e man, waafonnd. It was raised by the tide, and t of bis COdt was seen floating against the gates neare B il bridge. It was recovered and placed in a barne, ¡>T\ i luateiy taken to the police station. It (like Coles, «■»« ;ot injured. There Wad not tbealightest scratch upon ,1¡, ace, and his clothing waa not even torn. It is ev;u«»<.T, that he jumped from the train, and endeavoured t ^t»e his life by swimming, and that, he met bis death -owning. The jury were a^nin sum- moned, and th< net at the Police Court. The father of the deceased, Mr Anthony Langstaff. identified the body, and said that his son waf <* single man, and was twenty- four years of age on the 14th of November. A't-_r a k w formal questions to this witness, the farther investiga- tion was adjourned until Friday morning. A SECOND SIGNALMAN IN CUSTODY. Charles Bartiett, signalman at the New Cut Bridge of the YaIs of Neath Railway, was on To-day brought before Mr J. Oakshot and Mr T. A. Williams, at the Swansea Police Coart. charged wita nezlect of duty on the morning of the 29th of November whereby an acci- dent oeccurreii, by which the lives of two persons were lost, and valuable property destroyed. Sufficient evidence was taken to justify a remand, and the prisoner was re- manded. EXAMINATION OF THE PRISONERS. On Wednesday morning, at the Borough Police- court, before Messrs Robert Eaton and N. P. Cameron, John Howells and Charles Bartlett. railway bridge- men in the employ of the Vale of Neath Railway Company, were brought up charged on the informa- tion of Mr W. Batcheior, railway superintendent, that they severally did on the 29th of November, in the hamlet of St Thomas, Swansea, feloniously kill and slay William Cole and Clement Langstaff.' Mr Tripp appeared for the prosecution, and Mr Simons, uf the tirra of Simons an-i Morris, for the defence. Mr Joshua Williams, general manager, Mr W. iiaieheior, superintendent, and other of the railway ulhoriiies, were present. The prisoners having been charged with the offence aD' I having piaaded not guilty, v Mr Tripp opened the case for the prosecution. He id the inquiry upon which the magistrates were ut to ent..r had relation to the recent most de- %bie accident which had occurred upon the line e Vale of Neath railway, between the Eastern dpot on the other side of the Harbour and the station ,he bottom of Wind-street. He did not know "Qat he could bettter describe the general character ifctt accident than by quoting the language of Mr j Joshua Williams contained in a report which he addressed to the Board of Trade within a very short time after the accident occurred, and before the present proceedings had been instituted. The report was to this effect:— Great Western Railway. (Vale of Neath Station Section). Neath, December 1st, 1865. SIR,—I beg to report, for the information of the Lords of the Committee of Privy Council for Trade, that an accident occurred on the 29th ult., at the Draw Bridge which carries the Vale of Neath Rail- way over the entrance to the North Dock at Swansea, under the following circumstances :— About six o'clock on the morning in question, a train of 33 broad gauge trucks (30 laden with coals) drawn by a broad gauge engine, in charge of William Cole, was ready to proceed to the South Dock. The usual precautions were taken to ascertain that the line was elear,and the bridges closed. The signal- men at both bridges gave the signal—' line clear. It appeared, however, that from some unexplained cause the signalman at the bridge over the North Lock gave the 4 all right signal by telegraph, although the bridge was not at the time closecu The 4 all right signal having been received, the train vvss signalled to start, and the driver and fireman, not knowing that the mechanical signal which is worked by the bridge itself shewed the red' light, proceeded, and the wholo of the train fell into the dock, the two men being killed. The guard, who was at the rear of the train, seeing the danger signal at the bridge, leaped off and escaped. The signalman, John Howells, is in custody, and will be brought before the magis- trates at Swansea to-morrow. The description of these bridges, and the principle of the signal arrangements, were explained in Col. Pollard's report, forwarded by you to the Secretary of the Swansea and Neath Railway Company, in your letter of the 14th July, 1863, (marginal number, 2,2u6). The body of William Cole, the driver, has beetf recovered this morning, and the result of the Coroner's inquest shall be reported to you in due course. I am, sir, your obedient servant, (Signed) JOHN CRIER. The Secretary Board of Trade. (Railway department), Whitehall, S.W. He (Mr Tripp) had the honour to appear on this occasion-on the part of the Great Western Railway Company, who had felt it to tie their duty to institute those proceedings with the view of ascertaining by evidence whether or not the parties who were now in custody were guilty of that negligence which caused the accident. The company under the belief that that were so guilty, proposed to charge them with the crime of manslaughter. They also instituted the proceedings with the earnest desire that there should be that full and strict investigation which the public had undoubtedly a right to require. Now with regard to the crime which was charged against these two persons, he was happy to say that no question of law could arise between his friend Mr Simons and himself; because the prosecution would rest upon this simple and well known proposition—that if a party, by culpable neglect of a duty imposed upon him, whether it were by an act of omission or of commission, causes or conduces to the death of another, he is guilty of manslaughter. With regard to the facts of the case, he should trouble the bench very briefly indeed, because he thought it would be much better as regarded the minute details for them to come from the witnesses themselves rather than they should rest upon any statement of his which from misapprehension might turn ont not to be correct. It might, however, be desirable, he should explain in a general way, the mode in which the signals between the eastern depot and the Wind- street station were worked because he might say at once, that he whofe question of negligence would torn upon the conduct of the parties charged, with relation to the working of these signals and the closing of the bridge. The bench were of course aware that these bridges were worked by hydraulic presses upon Sir Wm. Armstrong's principle, and he thought it would appear beyond all doubt in the course of the inquiry that the utmost precaution possible had been taken by the company acting under the advice of the most eminent engineers, to secure the safety of the public, and to guard almost against the possibility of accident. He would now very generally explain, with the help of the plan before them, the mode in which the signals were worked. There were between the eastern depot & the Wind-street station altogether four signals—he spoke now of telegraphic signals- the first at the tank immediately opposite the engine house the second at the eastern side of the New Cut bridge the third on the other side of the bridge and the fourth at the Wind-street station. In addi- tion to these telegraphic signals there were two me- chanical signals, both of which were worked by the bridges themselves—one being situated at the eastern side of the New Cut, and the other on the western side of the North Dock Bridge. In the course of the inquiry it would be very important to bear in mind that these signals were worked, as he had said, by the bridges themselves in other words, that when the bridge was open the danger signal was visible, and could not be otherwise and, on the other hand, when the bridge was closed then the white signal signifying all right' was visible. He did not know that he need not say any more with respect to the signals generally, but would pass on to speak of the way in which the two prisoners were connected with the working of the line on the day when the accident occurred. They were both em- ployed by the company, as bridgemen—and it was their duty to attend to the bridges and the signals therewith. It might be right that he should state at once that they had been employed by the company in this description of work for a period of more than a year and although he did not himself think it was at all relevant, yet as it would probably be referred to with the object of creating a prejudice, he might further express the terms upon which they were en- gaged. The wages of both men were at the rate of 35s a week- This was for an ordinary day's work, each day being considered to last from half-past four in the morning till half-past six in the evening. During the greater portion of the day the work was of the slightest possible description, and during no part of the day was it at all particularly laborious. Now there was this regulation in existence and acted upon, that at half-past six another person was pro- duced to relieve them, but if they chose not to avail themselves of this relief, but to work of their own accord beyond the stipulated time, they would re- ceive over wages in proportion. Practically they preferred to work over hours and to receive extra wages, and it appeared that instead of 35s a week they had actually been in the habit of receiving from £2 3s to £2 5s per week. This however was en- tirely on their own discretion. On the morning in question it was Howell's duty to be at the North Dock bridge station signal at half-past four in the morning, and it would appear that he was there at that time. The accident occurred at about half-past six in the course of the inquiry the Bench would e.,r e7\fetlce of a statement made by Howells him- SL W ^me at which he arrived and the Pen '1. between his arrival and the acci e 1 he (Mr Tripp) was rightly in- structed wou Rartl°t»ke ^mewhat important. The other prisoner bartiett 8tationedFon the morning in question at the signal on the wegt gide of the New Cut bridge. I be duty of of those men was at the proper time o c ose theae bridges, and it was an undoubted fact that up to the time of the accident the bridge over the or Lock had not been closed at all that morning- e other bridge had of course been closed, as the train passed i over it safely. The train was formed as usua at the eastern depot. Upon its being formed it became in I the first place the duty of the man who was sta- tioned at the Tank office to telegraph to the man at the New Cut bridge to know whether the line was all clear. It then became the duty of that man to j acknowledge the receipt of the question, and then j to communicate to the person in charge of the sig- j nal at the North Dock bridge, and the last named J person communicated m like manner with the man at the station. The instruments which the prisoners worked had only two signals, the one indicating I 1 line clear," the other Mine blocked.' Supposing the I answer to the messages sent from one man to the other to be that the line was clear, that would reach the man at the tank signal, and he would then give the signal to start. But it was the duty— the undoubted duty—of those who were stationed at the signals of each of the bridges to ascertain before the signals were forwarded liiat those bridges were closed. There was a further duty on the part of the man who was stationed at the New Cut bridge, and that was, when the train was parsing, I to exhibit his hand lamp, which would mriicate! according to the colour which was presented to the engine, whether the line was all right or not. If the white light was presented, it would indicate that ali was right if the red light, it would show danger. On the morning in question the train started at a little alter six o'clock; the man at the tank having given the guard and driver the proper signal. The train proceeded, and on its passing the New Cut bridge the prisoner Bartlett exhibited the white light. All that time, beyond all doubt, the red light at the North Lock bridge was visible, con- sequently the bridge was open. The train passed on from the New Cut bridge to the scene of the fatal accident, 1 he chargp against Bartlett, therefore, was that he, being outside of his guaid-fcoase for the t purpose of giving the signal to the train as it passed, and knowing-or it being his duty to know-that the red light was visible, did nevertheless culpably neglect to give the danger signal, and gave the signal indicating safety instead, thereby causing and con- ducing to the death of these two persons. For it would be shown that if the danger light had been ex- hibited at the time, instead of the white light, the driver would have been able to bring up the train in time, and the accident in all human probability would not have happened. The charge against the other prisoner Howells, was of a still more serious character. It was a two-fold charge—he was chargeable in the first place with having neglected to close the bridge, and in the second place, with having, while the bridge was still open, telegraphed to the man at the New Cut bridge that the line was clear. He (Mr Tripp) ought perhaps to mention that for a portion of the time during which he had been on duty, he was not able to close the bridge, there not being sufficient pressure, but beyond all doubt, from about five o'clock to the hour of the accident, a period of an hoar and a half, the' pressure was amply sufficient, and he could and ovgitt to have closed it without delay. If these things were proved, he confessed he did not see how it would be possible to exculpate the prisoner from such a degree of cul- pable neglect, as it would make him amenable to the charge of manslaughter. There was one other fact bearing on Bartiett which he ought perhaps to men- tion, and that waa when the train passed him, the guard who was on the last of the thirty trucks, seeing the danger light on the bridge, asked Bartlett what it meant, upon which Bartlett madte-use of this remark- able expression, 'Oh Lord it's too- late f It would be for the magistrates to place what eonstpuctiion they thought right upon that exclamation. Several witnesses were examined, after whieb the case was adjourned.

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