The Brecon County Times Neath Gazette and General Advertiser for the Counties of Brecon Carmarthen Radnor Monmouth Glamorgan Cardigan Montgomery Hereford

Holy Willie's Latest Prayer. Mr Kenneth Jepson, son of Mr N, Jepson, forwards from British Columbia the following*^ poem, which he calls from a British Columbian newspaper. The poem will be read with interest by all Scotch readers :— 0 Lord, wha in the Heaveae does dwell I fear that things are no gann well, Hoo this can be I canna tell Baitb '-cultured" courses And ''frightful" methods fail to quel Tbe Allied forces. The Allied forces. Lord, I set oot to slay a Bear And bant lion to its lair, And thraw the neck o Cbanticlair The Cock was game, < Aud a' I've got's a Belgium Hare I canna tame. K0 Lord, I hope Ye understand It was at Thy express command My people took the sword in hand, Their foes to chasten. If Thou would at help the Germen Band 0 do Thou hasten. Ye sbairly canna realise My army's dwinjn' doon in size, An sausages are one the riie It's maist distressing Some miracle, 0 Lord, devise, And reap my blessin'. 0 Lord, my faith is sairly tried I looked to Thee to turn the tide, I thocht Tbou ever would'st abide A friend to Willie < But noo wi foes on ilka side I'm nearly driven silly. 'The day" 0 Lord hast Thou forgotten ? I Thy blessing I was shair I'd gotten Yet here wi grief an rage I'm stottin, Ahint the trenches, Wbiie Joffre nibbles like a rottan At my defences. I Lord, I beseech Thee, bear my prayer Bless me on land, an* sea, an' air, Preserve me frae the Russian Bear Clip Thou its claws, Or set it daacin' at a fair Wi' muzzled jaws. Iv'e ca'd doon kirks, 0 Lord, but those Were filled wi' French and ither fose, Wha live on haggises an' brose An' worship Burns, An' wearl.elxtraordinary clo'es, iftat gie folk turns. 0 Lord, destroy thae Scottish chiels, That dress like lasses, fecbt like deils, They're slippery as conger-eels, I carma match them, 0 lay Thou saut upon their heels, I That I may catch them. O Lord what made my spies a' think That Britain was at ruin's brink, Wi' Ireland seething like a sink wt civil strife. And Scotland's giory drooned in drink, Devoid ù' life. Sink Thou, 0 Lord, the British Fleet,, For puir auld Tirpie's fairly beat Stop this infernal rain and sleet That fills the trenches. And grant me something to defeat, E'en wanes an; wenches. 0 Lord, excuse this hurried prayer, My armies need me everywhere, And I maun travel here and there, Frae east to west, And so bae Dae mair time to spare- Excuse the rest. —ST. ANDREW'S CITIZEN.

WEDDING CARDS BY POST.—We have prepared a special book of samples of wedding cards for oar growing postal trade. This book givea the widest possible variety of choice and the cost of posting is redaoed'to'a minimum. —" County Times," Brecon, I

TORPANTAU RAlEWAY SMASH. I, tT --0-- Coroner's Inquiry at Brecon. I o Remarkable Evidence. The adjourned inquest on the bodies of Thomas Lloyd, engine driver, and James Morgan, fireman, who were killed in a collision between goods trains on the night of Thursday, the 3rd inst., at Torpantau, a high point on the Brecon & Merthyr Railway, was held at the Shire Hall, Brecon, on Saturday last, before Mr W. Jones-Williams (deputy coroner) and a jury of which Mr Edwin Da vies was foreman. Mr Lyndon Moore, solicitor, Newport, appeared for the Brecon & Merthyr Railway Co., and Mr H. R. Price, general manager of the company, was also present. Mr A. J. Williams, district secretary, represented the National Railway Union and some relatives of the deceased men, and Mr J. P. Jones- Powell (Messrs Jeffreys & Powell, solicitors, Brecon) appeared for the family of James Morgan. Mr Pitt Lewis, solicitor, Newport, held a watching brief. It will be remembered that a goods train drawn by an engine in ckarge of the deceased men, running from Talyll/n Junction for) Merthyr, dropped a "banker" engine at Torpantau Station, and then (through a misunderstanding) started on the next section of the single line, on which another goods train was approaching from Merthyr. The trains met three-quarters of a mile beyond Torpantau Station, and there was a terrible smash. The deceased men were buried under the wreckage William Morgan, the driver of the other train, was rather badly injured, and his fireman, Bert Jones, who leapt from the footplate into a field below the line, was severely shaken. In opening the proceedings the Coroner appealed to the jury to dismiss from their minds any rumours they might have heard, and to consider only the evidence that would be put before them. THE COMPANY'S SYMPATHY- A FORTUNATE RAILWAY. Mr H. R. Price, on behalf of the directors and officials of the company, expressed to the relatives of the deceased their sincere sym- pathy. He added that he was glad to see that the driver and fireman of the other train were present, and hoped they would be eedily restored to their usual health. The Brecon and Merthyr Railway had enjoyed a remarkable immunity from serious accidents. They had to go back nearly forty years, to 1878, to the occasion of any such an accident as this. That in itself was the strongest testimony to the skill and care exercised by the trainmen under very great difficulties, having regard to the severe gradients on the Brecon & Merthyr Railway, and to the fact that it was a single line. He would also like to take that opportunity of thanking the farmers and their wives in the neighbourhood who came to the Company's assistance when this accident occurred, and to offer to Dr Shingieton Smith his great thanks for his help. The Coroner remarked that the Board of ade had been notified of the adjourned jnquest, but were not represented. The jury &d visited the spot, and with the assistance of Inspector Sparkes had derived great benefit from their visit. Mr James Dunbar, engineer to the Brecon and Merthyr Railway Co., produced plans and diagrams. lJr bhingleton, Smith, who went to the scene of the accident with the breakdown gang from Brecon, stated that he saw the bodies of the deceased men when they were extricated on Friday morning. The fireman Morgan had a lot of blood-stained froth about the mouth and was still warm. There were no fractures or mutilations apparent in his case, and witness considered he was knocked senseless, but continued to breathe and live for some considerable time. Proba- bly he was unconscious most if not all the time, but the indications pointed to death by asphyxia. In the, case of Lloyd, the driver, the skull was badly fractured, and he doubtless died instantaneously. Replying to Mr Jones-Powell, the doctor said he had not made a post mortem examin- ation, and the asphyxia might have been caused in one of several ways. It might have been caused by the chest not having room to move, or by the ribs being stove in, or through concussion. THE ALTERATION OF THE POINTS. Inspector Sparkes, Brecon and Merthyr Railway, explained the electric tablet block system used on the line, in addition to the ordinary fixed signals, which so long as it is carried out prevents trains meeting on the same line. He said that if a "banker" engine was used at the rear of a train the tablet was shown to the driver of the front engine, but handed to and carried by the driver of the rear engine. The ordinary fixed signals, he also explained, were inter- locked with the points and could not be lowered to the u off" position until the line had been set for the train to proceed. A train leaving Torpantau for Pon&ticill should have the tablet, and the starting signal in front of it should be lowered. j Mr Clifford (a juror): Was the signalman at Torpantau justified in altering the points after setting them -right for the other train coming from Pontsticill, knowing that that traila was on the line?—Witness: Yes, he could not stop the train that had started from Torpantau,. and the only object was to prevent damage to the points. If those points had been left as first set would it not have caused a jar t the engine? —It might or might not haW been felt, it was a rough and dark night. He was justified in altering those points to save damage ?-Yes. Knowing there was a train coming in the opposite direction ?-If they had been facing points he would not have been justified, but. as they were trailing points and he could not stop the train he did it to save them, and I thibk any practical signal- man would tell you he would do the same thing. Replying to Mr Jones-Powell, Inspector Sparkes said in this case it was mechanically impossible for the signalman to release a tablet until he received the one from the train coming from Pontsticill. Mr Jones-Powell It has been suggested to me that it was the duty of the signalman to leave the points when he found the train had started, because there was a possibility of the train being derailed ?—Witness A light vehicle might have been derailed, but there was no possibility of derailing the train. The weight of the engine would have forced the points. A little jar might have been felt by the engine. Replying to further questions, Inspector Sparkes said the driver was the responsible man on the engine, but if signals were given on the fireman's side he was expected to report them to the driver, who was justified in taking them from him. A WONDERFUL SYSTEM. Examined by Mr Lyndon Moore, the Inspector said that in order to prevent the mechanism of the tablet system getting out of order, the electric signal box was kept locked, so that it could not be interfered with by the signalman or anyone else. The railway company did not even keep the key, that was kept by an inspector in the employ of another company, and if the Brecon and Merthyr Railway Co&pany ever wanted to open one of the machines they had to send: specially for this inspector. Every humau precaution was taken to keep the machine intact and in working order. The electric tablet system was in use on a number of single lines, and he had never known or heard of the possibility of accident when it was in working order. Unless a driver was negligent, ill, or forgetful, or left without his tablet or knowledge of it, there could not be an accident. The deceased driver and fireman had been a considerable time in the employ of the company and were reliable men. The night was exceptionally rough, wet and dark. Mr A J Wallace (a juror) If the points had been left as first set, would it not have been a warning to the driver ?—Witness If he had heard it, but he might go through such points several times without hearing anything. There might have been a possibility ?— There is just a possibility, but if you selected 20 experienced signalmen and placed them in the same position, 18 out of the 20 would do the same thing. Mr R Evans (a juror): If the lock between the signal and these points had been broken it would have been distinct proof that the signal was against the driver?-That is so. And now there is no proof of that ?-Notl beyond the man's statement. Mr Jones Powell I am instructed that there is a regulation that once points are opened for an incoming train, they are not to be altered until that train has passed them ?— That is in the ordinary course, but in the case of an emergency a signalman has to use his discretion. And is that a regulation, too ?—Yes. THE STORY OF THE DRIVER OF THE "BANKER." William Vaughan, of 12,tarket Street Brecon, engine driver on the Brecon and Merthyr Railway, stated that on the 3rd inst. he received orders to assist No. 7 down night goods, and attached his engine to the rear of the train at Talyllyn.. He had done similar duty on many occasions. No. 7 had a mixed load of 22 waggons, some of which were empty. Between the last waggon and witness's engine was the guard's van. They left Talyllyn at 7-25 p.m. and at that time witness had no definite instructions as to how far he would have to assist the train; He knew he might have to go as far as Pontsticill. As a rule he received the instruction on this point at Torpantau: it was a regular thing to assist as far as Torpantau, and the instruction whether the banker was to go on to Pontsticill or not came from the signal box at Torpantau. Thomas Lloyd and James Morgan were the driver and fireman respectively of the front engine of the train. Witness received a tablet from the signalman at Pentrerhiw. It was very rough when they arrived at Torpantau at 8-45 p.m. They did not then know for — i- ..1.+ h, Trrno nn im nl'r\rla AM +:1,0 certain that there was an up gooas on tne way, but it was usual for an up goods to cross the down either at Torpantau or Pontsticill. At Torpantau witness gave the Pentrerhiw tablet to the signalman on the landing of his box. He had no conversation with the driver of the front engine and there was no understanding between them as to how far witness was going that night. When the train pulle4 up at Torpantau the guard went along it and put, the brakes down. When he came back witness asked him whether he had to go through to Pontsticill and he said No," and uncoupled witness's engine. The Coroner: If you were on the tront engine, how would you know that the banker was uncoupled ?—Witness I should have been told by the guard. You say the driver of the front engine should have been told by the guard that you were uncoupled ?-Yes. Did you see the train start in front of you?-Yes, about 8-50. Did you see the signalman wave a red light ?-No. How long was it after you had been un- coupled that the train started off ?-About four or five minutes. Continuing, witness said that when the guard encoupled his engine he told him to whistle the front man up. Witness asked his mate if the starting signal for Pontsticill was off," but he replied that he could not see it. Witness crossed the footplate to look for it, but could not see it owing to the waiting room, and then he carried out the guard's instruction and gave a crow." The Coroner What does a crow mean ? —It means an indication from the guard that it is right away "—an indication that the guard is "right behind." And this indication to the driver of the front engine was given this night Y ElS. At this point, at the request of the jury, the other witnesses were requested to leave the Court. Resuming his evidence, witness explained that it depended upon the position of his engine (it being at the rear) as to whether he could see the starting signal when the train was stopped at Torpantau, and the position of his engine depended upon the length of the train. The driver of the front engine would be close to the signal and would have no difficulty in seeing whether it was up or down. It was after the train started that witness moved his engine up the signal box and handed his tablet to the signalman on the platform of the signal box. A TIME OF TERRIBLE SUSPENSE. Yaughan went on to say The signalman asked me Where was that man, going to (meaning Lloyd). I said He's going right C5 away." The signalman said But he has not got the tablet and the goods are coming up." I then rushed back and put my brake whistle on. The Coroner: Was it possible for the front engine to hear ? Witness: It was not likely; he might have. The night was windy and the wind was coming from that direction and would take the sound away. I kept the whistle going till the train was out of sight. The Coroner Could you now see whether the starting signal was up or down? Witness It was at danger and of course the train had over run it. We fetched the stationmaster, who accompanied me down the line to the distant signal, where we met Guard Griffiths, who reported the accident. He said It's no use your going there, you can't do anything. Lloyd and his mate are penned in and Morgan (the driver of the Merthyr train) is unconscious." We went back to the signal box and 'phoned for the doctor and break-down." By Mr R Evans It is the practice of the driver of the banking engine to give a crow if he is not going further. The Coroner: Did you have an acknow- ledgment from the front engineman of your crow "?—Yes. So he must have heard it ?—Yes. .Mr Clifford: Is thete any difference between the crow to start away and to let the front engine driver know you are detached ?-No, the same thing. Then he would not really know whether he was to have the tablet or not?-No. If you are going on to Pontsticill you get the tablet ?■•—Yes. Is there any different whistle ?-No difference at all. Mr R Evans Have you ever run through a point of this kind ?—No. Mr A J Corbett (juror): Lloyd would have no knowledge of when you were stopping ?-No. And his only knowledge would be the intimation he should receive from the guard ?—Yes. Mr Wallace: Lloyd did not know whether you were going on or not ?-No. When be heard your crow he might think you had the tablet and he could go on ?- Very likely. Mr Jones Powell: But you were not part of the train, you were uncoupled. Surely it is only your duty to give a crow to proceecLif you are part of the train ?—We give it by the guard's instructions. Is it not the practice that when you are uncoupled you don't give the signal to proceed ?—It might be. The whistle you gave to the front man that night was a whistle he could proceed ? —Yes. And not that you were uncoupled ?—We wwe uncoupled. A NEGATIVE POINT. Does the whistle indicate in any way that you are uncoupled?—No. Is it the fact under these circumstances that the front engine relies more or less on the banking engine for instructions to start? —Sometimes it is the crow." He relies more or less on the crow ?— Yes, he relies upon the crow from our engine to know that the guard is right. Are you sure he h&d not passed the starting signal when the train was stationary at Torpantau ?-]Ele was at this' end of the signal. The guard uncoupled you where would he get his orders from ?—From the signal box. When you came up to the signalman was he in any way agitated ?-He was a bit startled. Did he make any attempt to stop the train in front?—He might have held a red light in that direction. Did he run to the front of the train to stop it ?-I did not see him. Mr Williams: After you had given the crow to the driver was it his duty to look out for the signal?—Yes. And he would not go on your crow ?- No, not with the signal at danger. 0 I In further reply to Mr Williams, witness said Driver Lloyd bad driven a banking engine himself, and when instructed by the I guard would have given a "crow," and would know quite well that this sometimes indicated only that the guard was "all right Witness gave the crow for the guard because the latter could not see the front driver owing to the bend in the road. There was no definite rule that it was the duty of the guard to tell the front driver that the banker was not coming through. The Coroner: If you were in the position of the guard and could not see the driver, what would you have done?-I would have walked down to the driver to see if he had the tablet. ,TT. By Mr Lyndon Moore: Witness acquainted with the regulations, which he bad signed, and he admitted that as long as those regulations were adhered to by the men no accident could happen. When witness handed up the tablet to the signal- man the whole of the train had passed the signal except the guard's van, and if the guard had been looking ot at the moment heWight have seen it; but if he was relying on the engine driver being satisfied that would account for his not looking for it. Witness agreed that the electric tablet system was an invaluable safeguard for officials and passengers. s IMPORTANT ANSWERS. Mr Williams The responsibility of seeing who has the tablet falls primarily upon the driver in front ?—Witness Yes. It is his duty to see that he has the tablet or has some intimation that the engine at the rear has it ?—Yes. And he has a double safeguard because he has to see the signal before he begins to move ?- Yes Irrespective of what crows you might give, the responsibility falls upon his shoulders to see that someone has a tablet- himself or the rear man-and that the signal is off ?-Yes. Mr Lyndon Moore: Did the signalman tell you that he bad reversed the points ?- That was later on when I was in the box. He did not know then that an accident had taken place ?-No. And if he were telling an untruth he must have known five men would he able to prove it ?—Yes. The Coroner But he must have known that an accident was bound to happen ?— Yes. Mr Lyndon Moore: He would not know that any of those five men were going to be killed. Trevor Price, fireman to the last witness, generally corroborated his evidence. SIGNALMAN'S EVIDENCE SHOWS POINTS OF DIFFERENCE. Edward Thomas, the signalman at Tor- pantau, said the train from Talyllyn arrived- about 8-50. He generally went to fetch the tablet from the banking engine, and when there was no banking engine he hadfit from the front engine. He received the tablet op I this occasion on the landing iron from the banking engine, after the train bad started out. He had a coniversation with Vaughan, l and told him the Merlhyr train was on the way; aud Vaughan then blew the brake I whistle. Witness heard the front engine blow the crow" for right away," but he did not hear any reply. He heard a second crow right away," but this also came from the front engine. He then heard another crow," and this again came from the front engine. Then he heard one short whistle from the back engine, and the train started. Witness then weut to the signal box and reversed the road. The Coroner: Why did you do that ?- Witness To save the points and the lock bar. What did you ,'0 next?—I then went on the 'phone with the signalman to Pontsticill and asked him how long the Merthyr train had left and he said that it had left about eight minutes. Did you see the signal when the train < passed the points to go out to Pontsticill ?- No. Your only object in reversing the points was to save them ?—Yes. Did you run along with your red light ?- Yes, as far as I could. As I saw the first man did not take it, I turned it on to the driver of the banking engine. And what did it do then ?-It came to a stand by the box. The Foreman: You say that the front engine blew three times before there was an answer from anybody else ?—Yes. You are quite sure about that ?-I am not quite sure. There were three definite whistles and afterwards you thought there was a short whistle from the rear engine ?—Yes. Is that what you call the "crow" whistle ? -No, that is another whistle altogether. Inspector Sparkes explained that in all probability the witness bad made a mistake. He was standing between the two engines, and in all probability the short whistle he heard came from the front engine to say that it was starting. Mr Morgan (juror): Were you out of the box that evening?—Yes. Mr Clifford If the points had been left, do"t you think it would have had some I effect on the train ?—That I cannot say. It would have been no loss to you if these points had been broken. (Laughter.) Mr R. Evans You say you ran with the red lamp ?—Yes. Was that before you received the tablet or after ?—Before. How near would the engine be to you when you were running ?—About 25 or 30 yards. Mr Evans was questioning the witness as to his action with the levers, when the tjoroner suggested that the juryman was only trying to make out to the man that it was easier to do wrong. Mr Evans said his object was to show that it was necessary to pull the points before the signal could be put down. Z5 Witness admitted that this was the case. Mr Jones-Powell: What was the position of the starting signal for Pontsticill ? Wit- ness At danger then. Mr Williams I take it that you need not pull off the signal if you turn the points ? That is quite right. You can turn the points without interfering with the signal. I Mr Lyndon Moore: Can you tell how far t from the station the guard's van was when you first noticed that the train was going out ?-I cannot say exactly, but the engine was about to approach the signal. A juror Was the signal ever put down ? —Not at all. Mr Lyndon Moore: How many trains passed during the time you were on duty?- Six or seven. THE GUARD'S VERSION. I' William Griffiths, Rose Cottage, Talyllyn, I guard in charge of the train from Talyllyn to Mertiyr, said that when they arrived at Torpantau he went out of the van and put] down the brakes. He then walked back opposite the signal box and asked the signal- man if the banker was going through, and he rdplied No." ( The Coroner What did you do then ?— I got down and booked the engine off. What then ?-I told the engine driver to give the "crow." Did you get an answer?-Yes, in a short time. How many times did you hear the whistles go ?—Twice, the banker first and then the front whistle. The banker was a crow," and then there was a long whistle. What did that mean?—That he under- stood at the other end. Did you have further conversation with the driver ?-No, the train started off then. Did you know that the driver of the front engine had not got the tablet ?-No. ) Did you give a signal to start to the front engine ?-No, I gave it to the driver of the I banker. I Then as a guard you are entirely dependent upon the" crow" to start ?-That would indicate to the front engine that I was ready for the train to go. And then he does not expect a further signal from your lamp ?-No. Did you see the signalman that night ?— No, > 4 Do you generally see him ?-As a rule we I see him. What is he doing as a rule when you see I him ?--Re sometimes comes out to receive the tablet, and sometimes he is standing on the landing. Have you seen him giving tne uaoiet co the front engine ?—Yes. When were you aware that the signal for the train to go from Torpantau to

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I I Ponsticill was agAinst you ?-l was not aware of it at all. The Forenian: \Vith regard to this I whistle You say there was one crow given ? —Yes, by the banker. Then a long whistle ?—Yes, from the front engine. What does that mean ?-That he under- stood that we were ready to go on the main line. A juror The crow was given to say that he was to go ?—No, that we were ready to go. It was his place to see that the signal was down for him to go ?- Y es. Another juror The driver was given no notification to start from anybody, neither was he given any notice that the banking engine was not following him?—No. The Coroner You knew the banking engine was not following you ?—Yes. Did you tell the front driver that the banker was not following ?-No. A juror What are your orders as to whether the bankers are to stop at Torpantau or not ?-The order is passed by telephone and given to the signalman. Inspector Sparkes explained that this was controlled by the traffic foreman at Talyllyn. The order for the engine varied according to the load jjprought up from Merthyr. The signalman Thomas was re-called, and asked whether he Lad an order to the effect 1 that the engine was not required at Pont- sticill, and he replied in the affirmative. Questioned by Mr Jones-Powell, Griffiths said that when a banking engine was employed it carried the tablet, and if the banker had been going through to Pont- sticill that night everything would have been all right for the front driver to go on with the exception of the signal being against him. Questioned by Mr Williams, witness said it was the duty of the driver of the front engine, when there was a banker, to see the tablet before it was given to the driver of the latter. Mr Lyndon Moore The signalman did the right thing in telling you that the banking engine was not going through ?— Yes. When the signalman had done this par- ticular piece of work he had discharged his duty ?-Yes. And it was for you afterwards to exercise your discretion as to uncoupling and com- municating with the driver?- Yes. THE INJURED DRIVER'S EVIDENCE. Wm. Morgan. 1, Avenue Court, Brecon, the driver of the train from Merthyr, said he received the tablet from Signalman King at Pontsticill to proceed to Torpantau. Just before the accident, he remembered Jones his mate was fifing, and he recollected nothing more than that be was knocked unconscious. He did not see the other train approaching. Mr R Evans You are an experienced driver, having been driving for years ?— Witness Yes. Have you ever run through locked points?—Not to my knowledge. If you went through the points would it rake the points and would you feel the switch against the wheels ?—Yes. Mr Jones-Powell If there is a banking engine on the train/ who is responsible for the tablet ?-The banking engine carries the tablet. Is there anybody responsible for the tablet besides?- The front driver is to see it previously. According to the rules it is necessary for the tablet to be shdwn to the

front driver previous to its being given to the rear engine. Mr Lyndon Moore here expressed the hope that the witness would make a satis- factory and speedy recovery. THE FIREMAN'S LEAP. Hubert Jones, fireman to the last witness, said his attention was drawn to a flash of light through the eye glass. He looked up and saw the head light of an engine and shouted to his mate to jump and jumped himself. They were going at the rate of about 10 or 12 miles an hour. The Coroner: Could you judge the distance ?-It was not far because the accident occurred before I reached the ground. The Coroner: Did you know where yo* were going ?—No, not until I arrived in the field. (Laughter). This concluded the evidence, and the jury after a short retirement brought in the fol- lowing verdict:—" That Thomas Lloyd and James Morgan died from injuries accident- ally received in a collision on the Brecon and Merthyr Railway ou the night of February 3rd between Torpantau and Dolygaer; and the jury are of opinion that the accident happened in consequence of a misunderstand- ing as to the whistling between the banking and the front engine." The jury also ex- pressed sympathy with the relatives of the deceased men.. The inquiry lasted about five hours.