Nicholas, Samuel & Eyles, William – Salisbury Railway Disaster

The Salisbury Railway Disaster

Nicholas, Samuel & Eyles, William 1856 October 11^th Salisbury

It is barely a month since we reported a fatal accident on the Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth line at Wilton, and it is now our painful duty to record another, which was attended with far more serious consequences, whereby two men (an engine driver and stoker, named Nicholas and Eyles) were killed, upwards of 100 sheep destroyed, and a part of the station beaten down.

It appears that every Monday previous to our fortnightly cattle market there is a special cattle train from Bristol, or some other part of the line, bringing cattle for the market, and on this occasion the train, consisting of 33 carriages and a guard’s van, left Bristol at 1.35, and arrived in Salisbury at 12 minutes to 8. It will be seen that the jury consider that the accident would not have occurred had there been a signal at a greater distance from the station; and as the declivity to Salisbury is severe, we fully concur with their opinion.

The train, it seems, passed Wilton at a rapid pace, and increased in speed after it had passed that station, and came with such violence into the terminus at Salisbury, as to carry everything before it. The four sunken posts against which the buffers of the engine came in contact were broken off, and the floors and joists of the platform, as well as the walls of the ladies’ waiting room, were as cleanly cut through as though it was the work of carpenters and masons. The outer wall was thrown down, and the first engine was parallel with the wall of the street. The hinder part of the first engine was resting on the front of the second, which, from its great weight, was embedded in the ground. The concussion threw the tender of the second engine on one end, and the first carriage being coupled thereto, was likewise forced up, and both were in a perpendicular position; the second carriage was almost in a similar position, and the third was entirely thrown over on to the fourth.

The stoker of the first engine, on entering the station, jumped off on the platform, and struck his head, but otherwise was uninjured; the driver, Mays, however, kept his post, and was carried through to the street unhurt. It is almost impossible to describe the scene which ensued.

The gas was extinguished, fearing that some accident might occur there-from, and the only lights available were a few candles and dark lanterns; and the crowds of people which had assembled on the platform were tumbling over each other. The foremost engine emitted large volumes of steam, which filled the station, and thus rendered the little light less visible. Flames of fire were then discovered, which were caused by the timber of the floorings becoming ignited by the fire from the engine. The hose was immediately appended to the hydrants, and the plentiful supply of water there-from, and that likewise thrown from buckets, soon extinguished the fire; had it been otherwise, in all probability the station would have been burnt to the ground.

Every one seemed panic-stricken; and all was dismay, confusion, perplexity, and darkness. Up to this time nothing had been done to remove the cattle, and the bodies of the unfortunate deceased had not been discovered. About half-past ten o’clock, steps were taken to extricate the sheep, and a very shocking spectacle they presented. Some few were alive, but many others were sadly torn and mangled; the majority were crushed to death, whilst some had their legs cut off or broken, and other’s entrails were protruding. As soon as they were thrown out of the waggons, Messrs. Judd and Dowding, butchers of this city, at the request of the officials, slaughtered the injured, and despatched them to be dressed.

Whilst those operation were going on, the bodies of the engineer and stoker were found crushed between the tender and the firebox of the engine, the hand of the former only being visible; The latter was standing upright, and his face was all that could be observed. Every effort was immediately made to extricate them; but as it was evident that this could not be accomplished without lowering the tender from its position, the carriages at the hinder part of the train were drawn out from the station, and two engines were attached with ropes to the remaining broken carriages, and succeeded in removing two of them; and as great fears were entertained that some of the heavy pieces of the carriages and machinery might fall against the pillars which supported the roof of the station, the platform was cleared, but fortunately nothing else occurred.

The power of the engines, however, proved inadequate to move the tender sufficiently to extricate the bodies; but a powerful engine, which during the night had brought up Mr Tarr, the superintendent of the line, having been attached to the tender, it was removed, and the bodies were taken out and placed in one of the rooms of the station to await the Coroner’s inquiry. Shortly after the arrival of Mr Tarr, Mays, the driver, who had escaped without injury, was given into custody to await the result of the inquest. On the following day a great number of people thronged the station to witness the scene of devastation.

THE INQUEST

The inquest on the bodies of Samuel Nicholas and William Eyles took place at the Railway Station before R M Wilson, Esq., coroner, on Tuesday afternoon; the following gentlemen were sworn on the jury – Mr Robert Stokes (foreman), Messrs. W Atkins, James Alexander, William Beven, J Davis, S Eldridge, J W Farnell, J Knight, J Moody, W Pickford, Joseph Keith, E Simper, G Sydenham, and Walter Tucker. Mr Lambert appeared on behalf of John Mays, one of the engine drivers, who was present during the inquiry. The jury having viewed the bodies, the following evidence was offered-

Charles Hale, of Bristol, porter in the employ of the Great Western Railway Company, deposed that he was in the special cattle train which left Bristol at 1.30 on Monday. Two engines were attached to the train, which consisted of 35 loaded wagons and a guard’s van. The first stoppage was at Bath, where the train arrived at 2.5; it left five minutes afterwards. The next stoppage was at Chippenham, where the train arrived 2.30, and left at 3.15. It next stopped at Westbury, which was reached at six o’clock. The train was there divided, and 16 carriages taken on to Warminster with the same engines, which returned and brought up the remaining 15 carriages. It was necessary to divide the train, in consequence of a sharp incline between Westbury and Warminster.

The train left Warminster at 7.30, having the whole of the carriages attached, with the two engines in front. It made a stoppage at Wylye, which place it reached at 8.10, and remained until 8.20, and then proceeded. The first engine was driven by John Mays, who was accompanied by a fireman whose name he did not know; he had, however, seen him today. The second engine was driven by Samuel Nicholas; he didn’t know the name of the fireman, but he was now dead. Witness acted as one of the guards; Charles Burgess was another. They were both in a car at the tail of the train. This was the fourth time witness had come this road.

It was generally night before arriving at Salisbury. It was dark when they came in on Monday evening, as it was on a former occasion. The train came faster than usual from Wilton, and as he found they were travelling with great speed, he applied the break, and his mate did the same. There was a man on the second engine who had travelled the road before, and he sounded his —– whistle soon after leaving Wilton. The speed was not increased until after they left Wilton. They applied the break about a mile and a half from the Salisbury station. The guards had no means of communicating with the drivers. As he passed the signals, he saw the policeman with the red light in his hand, and shortly after he felt the concussion. A red light is the signal to stop.

Immediately after the accident, Burgess and witness got out. No break whistle was sounded when he first applied the break, but there was afterwards. It would be the duty of the driver to sound the break whistle. He heard the whistle before he saw the red light, but only a short time before. Mays was quite sober. He had no opportunity after leaving Bristol of getting anything to drink. Nicholas was sober also. The train divided at Westbury, and much time was lost in consequence. Witness recognised the Wilton station as the train passed. He could only account for the accident from their going as fast as to render it difficult to stop. There is a sharp incline between Wilton and Salisbury station. He saw no signal but a green one, which showed there was no obstruction. Seeing that they were coming at such a rate, the policeman showed his red light. This was his fourth journey with Mays. He believed Nicholas had not been here before. The night was windy and wet. The cattle train was extra duty. He told Nicholas before leaving Bristol that he must be careful how he ran into Salisbury, as it was very much on an incline. The train arrived about twenty minutes to nine. Nicholas’ watch had stopped at that time; it accorded with witness’s watch at Westbury.

Benjamin Lewis, policeman, on duty at the station, said he did not observe any extra speed until he turned round to signal the train, when he put on a danger signal; he did not observe whether the steam was shut off or not; but he thought the driver of the first engine could see the signal he gave. It was a windy and wet night, rather dark, but not foggy. The train was at the usual distance from the station when he heard the signal whistle. He did not observe whether the breaks were on. He did not observe any sparks on the ——- arising from their use.

William H—– deposed as follows – I reside at Fisherton, and am a switchman on the Great Western Railway. My duty is to attend to the points. Last night I was in the station yard, waiting for this special cattle train, from 8.40 to 8.50. At 8.50 I heard the break whistle put on just above the upper signal. In less than a minute I saw the train approaching inside the signal. I turned the red light in my hand lamp towards the approaching train. At that time it was at a distance of between 200 and 300 yards. I then turned round and ran to the road signal, and turned on the red light there; had hardly done so before the train was in the station. The first engine had the steam shut off; the other had not. The other engine had steam on, but was reversed, and — was flying in all directions from the funnel. She was also sounding the —–s whistle.

I did not hear the breaks on either engine. I am certain I should have heard them if they had been on. I should think, at the time the train came in, it was going from 30 to 40 miles an hour. To reverse an engine is better than applying —- —— breaks. I feel convinced that the driver of the second engine was doing all in his power to stop the train. I consider if the first engine had been reversed, the ———– would not have been so great. I couldn’t see that the driver of the first engine was doing anything to prevent the accident. The steam is shut off temporarily when an engine is reversed. I have examined the first engine since the accident; it is much more injured than the other. I could not say where the driver of the first engine was standing when it passed me. The driver of the second engine was standing in his place. If the first driver had been in his place, I think I must have seen him. I think the accident was occasioned by bad mismanagement on the part of the driver of the first engine.

William Charles Symonds, the fireman of the first engine, who appeared much injured, his hand being bandaged, underwent a long examination, the substance of his evidence being as follows – I can’t say I know the Wilton station. It was very dark and rainy, and I just saw a house as I passed, and that was all. When I saw the signal, I knew where we were, and I applied my break. I found we were going too rapidly down the incline. I applied the break as light/tight as I could, when I saw a green and a white signal. Mays was on the engine at the time, and about a yard from me. He didn’t ask me to put on the break. I said, “There’s Salisbury,” and Mays put the engine in back gear. We were then half a mile or a mile from Salisbury. I didn’t take much notice until we got into the station, and then, seeing I could do no further good, I jumped off. The steam was shut off from our ——, and the engine was also put in back gear; but I can’t say if the steam was put on again. I heard Mays say to Nicholas at Bristol, that it was a bad place going into Salisbury.

Wednesday

Charles Hale, on being recalled, stated that deceased was jammed between the tender and the second engine; and both were killed at the spot where they would naturally be in the discharge of their duty. He could only see the hands of Nicholas and the face of Eyles. At the time of the accident there were six passengers in the guard’s van.

Charles Burgess, of the Bristol goods’ shed, stated that he went as second guard, but had never been to Salisbury before. When about a mile and half from Salisbury, Hale said, “Good God, where are they going to?” He applied the break about a minute before the signal whistle sounded; witness assisted him, they kept the break on till they got into the station.

Mr Richard Tarr, superintendent of the line, said he knew the gradients of the line. From Wylye to Wilton it commenced with an ascent of about three eighths of a mile; then a level of about the same; a descent of 1 in 194 for a little more than a mile; and ascent of 1 in 180 for half a mile; level one eighth of a mile; descent of 1 in 133 for half a mile; level one eighth of a mile; incline of 1 in 122 for nearly quarter of a mile; level three eighths of a mile; descent of a quarter of a mile in 1 in -7; further descent of 1 in 187 for quarter of a mile; level a half a mile; descent of three-eighths of a mile at 1 in 147; level nearly half a mile; then an ascent of nearly half a mile at 1 in 132 to Wilton – a steep ascent. On leaving the Wilton station, a level of quarter of a mile; ascent for quarter of a mile of 1 in 42-; ascent of three quarters of a mile at 1 in 276; a level of one eighth of a mile; a —- more than half a mile descent 1 in 90; further descent for five eights of a mile 1 in 192; level of a quarter of a mile to extreme end of station.

He then proceeded to say – The driver of the first engine had the control of the train, and to whom the second driver was subservient, and had to attend any signals the former might give. It was Mays’ duty to sign the signal whistle on his approach to every station so soon as it may be expected to be heard. The steam should have been shut off both engines before arriving at the bridge, where the steep descent begins. It is possible for an engine driver to tell where he is by an incline or decline. There are several curves between Wilton and Salisbury, passing over which requires extra attention on the part of the driver. It is usual for Mr Appleby to accompany the driver on extraordinary occasions – such as a driver’s first journey over any portion of the line; but he did not do so on this occasion.

The signals are only visible after passing the bridge – the distance from the bridge to the first signal is about five-eighths of a mile, and can be seen at one-sixteenth of a mile after passing the bridge. He (Mr Tarr) had nothing to do with the appointment of the driver; had no knowledge of Mays’ competency, and could not tell how long Mays had been in the employ of the Company. A pilot man going through from Westbury to Salisbury on the occasion referred to by Hale, would not be —ing as in discharge of his duty. When a pilot man is employed on a single line his limits are fixed; there were three between Westbury and Salisbury – the first from Westbury to Warminster, the second from Warminster to Wylye, and the third from Wylye to Salisbury – the services of which are now entirely superseded by use of the electric telegraph. The duty of pilots was not to assist in propelling a train, but merely to assist it in starting and to accompany it, and to keep the line clear; they were not supposed to be necessarily cognizant of engine driving.

The two men were crushed between the tender and the firebox of the engine. The fingers and a part of the hand were all that could be seen of Nicholas; and Eyles was jammed in, in an erect position, the —- and forehead being only visible; they were both quite dead, and at their posts. He (Mr Tarr) found it was impossible to extricate them without lowering the tender, which was in a perpendicular position; to effect which he employed a powerful engine, with which he had come up to Salisbury, and at about four o’clock this was accomplished, and the bodies were taken into a room adjoining. He did not see Mays till after the men were extricated, and in answer to a question as to how he escaped, Mays replied that he “went through with his engine.” He then gave Mays into custody. Mr Tarr said that in justice to Mays, he felt himself bound to say that from inquiries which he had made at all points of the line, he had no reason to suppose but that he was perfectly sober. The name of the first engine was “Virgo,” and the second, “Bergion.”

Mr Henry Appleby deposed – I reside at Salisbury and act as foreman of the locomotive department of the Great Western Railway there. I arrived here yesterday about 12.40. The engine did not appear to have been moved. They were inseparable, owing to the violence with which they had been propelled into the station. The Bergion is the more powerful; the difference between them is about 30 horse-power. The Bergion is not quite double the power of the first. The Virgo was standing out of gear, with her steam shut off. The Bergion had been reversed and the steam put on the reverse way. The first engine was in the usual state for entering a station; the second appeared as if the driver had apprehended and used every exertion to guard against danger. The break was hard on the tender of the second engine. The first engine is so disabled that I cannot speak positively, but it is my belief that the break had been applied to that. If the first engine had been reversed at a distance of 130 yards, it would have done little good, if the break was so used the steam shut off. The Virgo has no separate tender, but she has a more powerful break than the Bergion which had a tender. The application of the break was decidedly the best mode of stopping the engine. The cylinder of the first engine is an inch less in diameter than the second, and four inches less in stroke. There was sand in the beam of the engines, and some had been used – when I can’t say.

The steam gauges were all right. The Virgo in——– at 79; the Bergion 170/370. These figures indicate a proper force for working the engines. The Bergion is a new engine with a stronger boiler than the other. The rule on the Great Western Railway is that the first engine is an assistant engine; the driver of the second engine has generally the control of the train. That rule should not be applied when the driver of the second engine knows nothing of the road. The control of the train should be vested in the man who knows the road best. If two engines left a station together, I should consider the first as the assistant. Of course the first —- would be most likely to see danger; the man —- the train has presently to blow the whistle. The first man would see the signals first, but the interval would be but momentary. If a driver was a stranger to the line, the fireman ought to know it. The first engine could not have stopped the train by shutting off the steam and applying the break. If the second kept the steam on and was not re——. The second engine is now reversed, but that might have been done when it came into the station. This train would be more than 100 tons. The Bergion had been about four years in use, and the other 13 or 15. From my own knowledge I can say that the Virgo was in perfect order; I sent her from Swindon on Sunday. If I had been driving the train I should have shut off the steam at the top of the first incline. If a man made a mistake of half a mile, and if the steam were not shut off, and the break applied at the proper moment, it would be more than he could do, on a greasy night, to prevent the train from running in here. Assuming the man on the second engine to have made a mistake, it would have been the duty of the driver of the first and smaller engine to sound the guard’s whistle.

William Robinson deposed – I am an engine fitter at Westbury, and have the control of the locomotive department there under Mr Appleby. This special cattle train left Westbury on Monday evening about 7 o’clock. Mays drove the first engine and Nicholas the second. Nicholas had not been on this line before; I think Mays had been up here three times before. Before the second half of the train left Westbury, Nicholas asked me what sort of a road it was into Salisbury, and I told him there was a heavy incline for a mile and a half, and that he was to be cautious. Mays was there and he said he knew the road. I can’t say who had charge of the train; generally speaking the man who has the engine next to the train has charge of it. As a general rule, where a driver does not know the road a foreman is sent with him who does. Eyles did not know the road. I don’t think Mays had travelled the road by day. I believe he has always returned the same night. The engine drivers could communicate with each other by means of the whistle; there would be danger in passing from one engine to the other.

Mr ——- Mark, superintendent of the locomotive department, at Bristol, deposed – I despatched this cattle train from Bristol on Monday. It started about 1.30 I think. There were two engines, two drivers, two firemen, and two guards. Mays and Nicholas were the engine drivers; the latter had not been in the line before. A similar remark would apply to Eyles. They were both on the same engine – the Bergion – the more powerful engine of the two. Mays had the control of the Virgo; his fireman’s name was Symonds. They had both been on the line before, three times, with the same train. I gave the charge of the train to John Mays, because he knew the road. His engine was to be the first. It is not an inviolable custom to place the train under the control of the driver of the engine immediately attached to the carriages; it is, however, a very frequent practice. The driver of the first engine has a better opportunity of seeing signals, and that was my reason for placing Mays in the first engine. I did not specify any particular speed at which they were to go; if a medium train, from 23 to 30 miles an hour would be a proper rate; if a heavy train, slower. On the main line this train would have been considered a light one; for a branch it was heavy. I told Mays to signal back to Nicholas at the inclines, when requisite. I could not help putting Eyles and Nicholas together, as I had nobody to send who had been here. I might have transferred the fireman, but did not think it necessary. I hardly think the adoption of such a course would have rendered danger less probable. Eyles had been in the employ of the company for several years, but had only acted as fireman for six months – Symonds for a longer period. Nicholas had been in the employ of the company for about five years; he was less experienced than Mays. They were both steady, sober, and trustworthy men. Both men had the engines they were accustomed to work. The heaviest engine is invariably placed nearest the train. I have not had reason to attribute any previous accident to an omission on the part of either of these men. The train should have arrived at Salisbury about five o’clock. Some time ago Mays asked me for a printed time table of this train, but I had none. He had a written table given him on the first occasion. If the rules are kept a passenger train would not be allowed to leave Wilton until the receipt of a telegraphic dispatch informing the station-master that the goods’ train had reached Salisbury.

David Cole deposed – I am foreman porter at the Salisbury station. I was on the platform awaiting the arrival of the cattle train on Monday night. I heard a break whistle before the train reached the station; I cannot say whether one or both were sounded, it was making such a noise. There was a continual whistling until the smash. It was about half a minute or a minute before the arrival of the train that I heard the break whistle – it was but a very short time. I didn’t see the train until afterwards. The train can’t be seen from the station, when at the upper signal post. That is owing to a curve in the line. When I saw the train running at such a rapid pace, I ran out of the station, and saw the outer wall fall. I ran in again directly; and I believe the first man I saw was Mays. I went up and felt the hand of one of the men who was crushed, and said, “Poor fellow, he is dead.” “Yes,” Mays replied, “he is, poor fellow; it’s a bad job.” Mays was on the platform, but I can’t say where he came from. He was quite sober. I did not see Symonds. The whistle by some means got —– after the accident. Mays was close to the engine; he might have gone through the aperture, and returned by the time I saw him. I can’t say whether the gas was out before I returned.

Mr Fitzroy Darke, House Surgeon at the Salisbury Infirmary, deposed – I was called to the Salisbury Station yesterday morning, about half-past ten, to see the bodies of two men who had been killed. I did not know either of them. There were severe fractures of the skull, in each case, and the brain protruded. They were also extensively injured besides. They were described by some persons present, as Samuel Nicholas and William Eyles.

William Charles Symonds, the stoker who had been injured, was recalled, when the Coroner read over to him his former statement. He added that on former occasions the train did stop at Wylye to take up and set down pilot men. He meant last night that they did not stop to take in water. Pilot men were now discontinued, and the telegraph used instead. Pilot-t— were used to show that the line was clear. Mays sounded the break whistle before the train reached the signal light. He was not exactly sure whether Mays sounded the break whistle before he applied the break; it was done about the same time. He didn’t hear the signal whistle after leaving Wylye.

Mr Lambert observed that Mays was present, and was prepared to make a statement.

The Coroner said that he thought it would be best to read over the evidence, in order that the jury might see whether they thought it involved a charge of criminal negligence against Mays. If they considered there was no charge against him, there could be no objection to hear his statement, but it was unfair to call upon him to make a statement which might tell against him.

The evidence having been read over by the Coroner, and duly signed by the witnesses, the inquest was adjourned until the next day at one o’clock.

Thursday

The following additional evidence was given this day.

Henry Bond, the station master at Wilton, did not hear the small whistle sound as the train passed. The gas was lit at the Wilton station, both inside and outside. There is one lamp inside and one outside. There were two engines to the train. The drivers were both at their posts. He saw them looking at the clock outside the platform, but they could not have distinguished the time at the pace the train was going. There is a lamp on the signal post lit with oil; it is a white light. There is a light right opposite the —–. The train appeared to be travelling rather more rapidly than usual – at not quite 30 miles an hour. There is an incline on the Wishford side of the station. The name of the station is written up competently, but could not be distinguished from the train that night. The speed did not strike him as being normal. The Wishford station is the opposite side of the line to the Wilton station.

Benjamin Lewis, recalled, stated that he did not turn any green light on the —– signal. He turned on his hand light green, and then turned it to white. The green indicates ——; the red danger. Witness was on the left-hand side of the line when the train passed.

Samuel Garland deposed that he is the foreman goods’ porter; On Monday night he was in the engine office before the cattle train came in. He heard the engine, or signal whistle, nearly a minute before the train came in sight. He could see well up the line about a quarter of a mile, at all events as far as the station signal just through the bridge, at the level crossing. After that he heard the break whistle. He could not say from which engine he heard it. He saw men on each of the engines; each of the engines must have been ——- from their action, and from the sparks which flew from the funnels.

Mr Lambert said that as the whole of the evidence was now before the jury, he wished to ask the Coroner to allow him to make a few observations.

The Coroner said that he could see no objection to this course, and stated that before Mr Lambert addressed the jury, he would make a few remarks upon the evidence of Symonds, Hale, Harrison, Lewis, and Broad, upon whose testimony the whole case hinged. He said that it was pretty clear the accident occurred from the persons in charge of the train not knowing where they were until after they had passed the bridge at Fisherton, when it was quite impossible to stop the train.

Mr Lambert then addressed the jury in a very able manner on behalf of Mays. He said the only question for them to consider was whether his client was guilty of culpable negligence, or whether he possessed sufficient knowledge to have guarded against the accident. He thought that he should be able to show to the jury that Mays had not that requisite knowledge of the line which would justify them in saying that he was guilty of culpable negligence. The first touched on the nature of the line, remarking on the number and the difficulties connected with the gradients. He then alluded to the time and character of the train, observing that Mays had only been over the line four times, and these were of a fortnight’s interval. It was really marvellous that an accident had not occurred before. He then touched on the capacity of the men who worked the train, remarking that Nicholas and his fireman knew nothing of the line, and commenting on the arrangement by which these men were placed on an engine which had the entire control of the train. After many other observations he concluded by observing that it was impossible to say whether Nicholas adopted every precaution, and it appeared to him quite certain that the accident was not occasioned by the culpable negligence of his client.

Mr Appleby was then recalled, and stated – If the train had been going about 20 miles an hour, and the red light left on, it could have been stopped. If the red light was turned off, and the drivers did not know where they were, they might have been sadly deceived. If the train came the usual speed along the level, there would have been a great acceleration of speed upon the incline. In his judgement as an engineer the train could not have been going more than eight miles an hour when it entered the station. He did not think the engines were overpowered by the train. An engineer, seeing a white light, would conclude that all was right.

The Coroner then summed up, observing that the first question was to consider how the men met with their death, and of this there could be no doubt; the second question was whether any persons were to blame for the accident which had occurred, and whether it had taken place through the culpable negligence of any of the persons who were driving the train.

The room was then cleared, and the jury having consulted together for rather more than an hour, the public were re-admitted, where the foreman stated that the jury had returned a verdict of, “Accidental Death,” in the case of the two deceased, and they appended to the verdict the following remark, “The jury are of opinion that the directors of the Great Western Railway Company are censurable in sending men in night as engine drivers in charge of a train who have not an accurate knowledge of the line which they travel. The jury are also of opinion that the accident would not have occurred had a signal been visible at a greater distance from the Fisherton station, and they recommend that one should be erected accordingly. The jury also regret that the arrangements rendered it impossible for the fortnightly special cattle train to arrive at the several stations at the time stated in the published time-table.”

The officials of the company present promised that the recommendations of the jury should be carried out, and that instructions should be given to the policemen engaged to keep red lights on at all times until there was no fear of danger.

The inquest then terminated, and the engine driver Mays was released from custody by order of the Coroner.

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