From the Kentish Chronicle and General Advertiser, 1 February, 1862. Price 1 1/2d.

ANNUAL DINNER AT OSPRINGE.

The annual dinner of Messrs. Saxby, Brothers, iron merchants, of Canterbury, look place at the “Anchor Inn,” Ospringe, on Wednesday Inst, when between twenty and thirty of their customers - tradesmen of Faversham, and the Neighbourhood - partook of an excellent repast served up in first-rate style by the host and hostess. The chair
was taken by Mr. Edmund Saxby, and the vice-chair was occupied by Mr. P. B. Saxby. Some very social and convivial hours were passed.

From the Kentish Chronicle, 10 May, 1862.

FATAL ACCIDENT ON THE LONDON, CHATHAM, AND DOVER RAILWAY.

On Friday morning last a most awful and fatal accident occurred on the London, Chatham, and Dover Railway, at Ospringe, about half a mile from the Faversham Railway Station. It appears that the mail train left the Victoria Station at 7.10 a.m. and arrived at Sittingbourne at 8.20, where happily one of the officials of the line had business, and thus his life, no doubt was saved. The train was telegraphed to Faversham from Teynham, “all right;” but on its reaching Ospringe, by some unaccountable means the train ran off the line, throwing the carriages down an embankment upwards of 18 feet high. It appears that where the accident occurred, there is a slight curve, about 200 feet from the bridge leading to Faversham, and it is supposed that the coupling irons attached to the first carriage adjoining the engine were broken, thus precipitating the whole of the carriages over the embankment, leaving the engine on the rails. The engine driver immediately blew the whistle for assistance from Faversham, and the station master, Mr. Breeze, was at the scene of the accident in a very short space of time, and fortunately met with Mr. Spong, Surgeon, of Faversham, who rendered every assistance to the dying and wounded. Fortunately there were but few passengers in the train.

The first thing that drew their attention, was poor Mr. Plumb a commercial traveller in the cloth line, who is well known in this city. He was found on the embankment and shortly after expired in the arms of those rendering assistance.

The next who was seen was Mr. Crockford, the chairman of the Board of Guardians, at Rochester, who had a severe compound fracture of the ankle, which will necessitate the amputation of the leg, which operation was to be performed at the time of our reporter leaving Faversham. This gentleman lies at the “Anchor Inn,” Ospringe.

Close to a second class carriage, which with the top entirely crushed in, the lower port, with the wheels completely embedded in the earth, lay William Harris, one of the Company’s servants. This unfortunate man was ordered to come by the ordinary passengers’ train, and if he had followed the advice tendered, would have saved his life. His ankles were dislocated, and the thigh was broken, with several other concussions death was nearly instantaneous.

Mr. Mapleston, the accountant to the Company, received severe internal injuries. The last of the sufferers was a Mr. Thompson, a solicitor, (we believe,) of Belfast. His wife had written to him to attend his son, now on the continent, who lays dangerously ill. This gentleman, of small stature, is dreadfully injured, his face being swollen double the size. his left eye entirely knocked out, with a severe scalp wound, and other injuries. This is the only passenger that has not been identified by friends, at the time of our reporter leaving he seemed to be sinking fast.

The break van, with two Guards, was not much injured, and the two occupants escaped unhurt.

About 50 men were sent from London to clear away the debris and to repair the line, which was completed in time for the 6.30 p.m. express train to pass on the down line. One of the carriages rolled down the embankment and broke through a wall 14 inches thick, into a garden in the occupation of Mr. Clarke, of Ospringe, a distance of 20 feet from the line. Too much praise cannot be given to Mr. Breeze, the station master of Faversham, who rendered to the sufferers every attention and accommodation that laid in his power.
An inquest was held last evening by Mr. Delasaux and adjourned.

From the Kentish Chronicle, 17 May, 1862.

THE FATAL ACCIDENT ON THE LONDON, CHATHAM, AND DOVER RAILWAY.

THE INQUEST ON THE BODIES.

On Wednesday morning, shortly before eleven o'clock, the county coroner, Mr. Thomas Thorpe Delasaux, resumed his inquiry as to the cause of death of James Stratton Plumb (commercial traveller) and William Harris (storekeeper in the service of the company), whose deaths had resulted from injuries received at the accident at Ospringe, on the London, Chatham, and Dover line, on the previous Friday. The inquest-room at the “Anchor Inn,” Faversham, was crowded throughout the inquiry, and the greatest possible interest was manifested in the proceedings.

Mr. E. Round, of the Inner Temple, instructed by Messrs. Freshfield and Newman, in conjunction with Mr. S. G. Johnson, of Faversham, appeared for the London, Chatham, and Dover Railway Company. There were also present Messrs. Cobb and Hilton (directors). Mr. J. Cubitt (consulting engineer). Mr. Mills (resident engineer), Mr. Forbes (general manager). Mr. Markey (locomotive engineer), Mr. T. Hull (on behalf of the contractors), Mr. Bishop, and other officials of the company.

Mr. Marsden (of Friday-Street; appeared for the relatives of the deceased Plumb, with Messrs. Bathurst and Phillips; and Mr. Arnold (of Rochester) for the family of Mr. Crockford (deceased).

Mr. W. Noah Spong, surgeon, of Faversham, said:— On Friday morning last I attended the deceased about nine o'clock, The deceased Plum was lying on the embankment of the London, Chatham, and Dover Railway. I examined him and found injuries on the head, face, and neck, and a fractured left thigh. He was dead when I first saw him. These injuries were the cause of his death.

Matthew Simpson, of London, engine-driver, in the service of the company, deposed:— At ten minutes past seven on Friday morning last I left the Victoria station in charge of the express mail train, which consisted of the engine and tender, two first and two second class carriages, and a break-van, belonging to the London, Chatham, and Dover Railway Company, in whose employ I am, and have been so nearly eleven months. I do not know the number of passengers. Nothing unusual occurred until the accident happened on reaching Ospringe. I observed that the rails were in a bad state on the off side. The rails were out of order, that is they were not in their proper position. I cannot say what caused the rails to be in that state. The engine and tender left the rails, and the next thing I saw was the carriages going down the embankment on the near side of the line. The cause of the engine leaving the line was the crooked state of the rails. I could do nothing to prevent the accident. I rendered all the assistance in my power to the injured persons. I found the deceased Mr. Plumb on the embankment, and also the other deceased, Mr. Harris, who was sitting on the bank. I cannot throw any more light on the occurrence .The average rate of the mail train is about 40 miles an hour. At the time of the accident we were travelling at the rate of 30 miles an hour, having slackened the speed for the gates on that part of the line. The rails were in a slippery state, and therefore the train was slackened.

I was about 30 yards from where the accident happened, when I observed the defective state of the rails. I had no time to try to stop the train then. I have been an engine driver 17 years.

By Colonel Yolland:— I was riding on the left side of the engine when I observed the defective state of the rails. The line curves to the left. The rails were bulged on the right side—they were curved outwards. I think I was somewhere about the points leading to the gravel pit when I first noticed the defects in the rails. Cannot say for what distance the off rail was out of its right proper curve, but it was sufficient to cause danger. I cannot say whether the engine dropped on the left or right side. All the wheels of the engine had been off, but I cannot say that they were all off at the same time. The auxiliary distance signal can be seen shortly after leaving the cutting, not quite half a mile.

Robert Crumby, stoker, confirmed this evidence.

Charles Henry Benham, head guard of the train in question, deposed:— The train left London at its right time. The first thing that attracted my attention was the shutting off of the steam of the engine just previous to the accident, about one minute before the occurrence, That would be about half a mile from where the carriages went over. I was in the break at the end of the train. We had travelled from London at our usual rate of about 40 miles an hour. The speed had been lessened to about 30 or 35 miles an hour just before reaching that spot. I cannot state the cause of the accident. The usual care and caution were used all the way down the line. To my knowledge the train has never run off the line at this spot before. The train started a minute late from Sittingbourne. It left that station at 8.27. I cannot say whether we had fetched up that minute. I inspected the carriages immediately after the accident. I found a second-class turned on its side on the near side of the four foot; the two next carriages, a first and a second class, were broken to atoms, and turned upside down, on the side of the embankment. The next were a first-class carriage and my break van. They were lying against a brick wall, half turned over. I sent my mate to protect the line. The deceased Plumb was lying on the embankment, the other deceased was sitting up, the one apparently dead and Harris much injured. After the bodies had been removed I examined the lines and found that both rails of the down line had been torn up to the extent of about 20 yards.

By the Jury:— It is about miles from London to Dover, and the average rate is 40 miles an hour. There are three stoppages. We may lose three minutes at each station. The journey is performed in about two hours and twenty minutes from Victoria Station to Dover harbour. I cannot say whether it is possible to lessen the speed to the extent of ten miles at the spot where the accident occurred. The day previous to the accident I travelled up and down the line, but did not see any men repairing the line at the spot, or near it, where the accident occurred, nor did I observe a red flag there. That would have indicated danger. I passed up and down the line at the same time the previous day.

Mr. Joseph Cubitt, of Great George-street, Westminster, said:- I am a civil engineer. I constructed the London, Chatham, and Dover line as far as it open — a distance of about 65 miles. In that distance the spot where the accident is included. In every department and part it has been constructed to my entire satisfaction, and in the very best style of construction. I know the spot where the carriages run off the line. It is on a curve of 71 chains radius, and on a gradient of 1 in 132, both of which are quite unobjectionable. For the last three years I have not seen anything of the line. After the accident I did not find anything wrong in the permanent way. The line has been opened about four years—a little more.

By Mr. Round.— On Saturday last I examined the materials left by the accident I found the broken trenail perfectly sound, and the sleepers also. I constructed the Great Northern line. Up to a recent period, wooden trenails were in universal use, and on four fifths of the Great Northern line they are still in use. I prefer the wooden trenails as a fastening to the iron spokes. They are being very largely used by the leading engineers of the country. The South-Eastern was laid upon the same system.

By Colonel Yolland:— Iron spikes are now being introduced into the wooden trenails on this line. This has been done in consequence of similar mishaps on other lines. Fishing of the joints of the rails is now going on.

Mr. William Mills, civil engineer, resident engineer on the London, Chatham, and Dover Railway:— I came on the London, Chatham, and Dover Railway.— I came on the line and inspected it about an hour and a half after the occurrence. I found the right-hand rail of the down line had bulged out to the extent of two rails adjoining. It appeared to me to have been caused by the chains moving from their beds and slipping along the sleepers, in all probability from some great pressure from the mode of the curve. The line was very much torn up towards Faversham, which I had restored as quickly as possible. I walked over the spot four days before, and found it in good order and perfectly safe, I believe the weight of the engine is about 23 tons, and not too heavy to travel on the line with safety.

By Colonel Yolland.— I have had reports from inspectors and plate-layers that the engines shake the road out of line. I do not think we have had an unusual number of chains broken. The original intermediate chairs were light. There were 11 unbroken chairs in the two lengths, one being broken, but the trenails were all broken. The rails weigh 761b. to the yard, the usual weight. It is very common to use engines weighing 25 tons on that weight of rails. Witness produced the trenails out of the first rail that was bulged out. They were all pronounced to be perfectly sound.

The Engine-driver was recalled, and stated that he slackened the train on approaching the spot where the accident happened, in consequence of the slippery state of the rails.

Mr. Martley, locomotive superintendent of the line, said he filled the same position for 20 years on the Great Western. Engines weighing 25 tons are in common use every day on other lines laid with 70lb. rails.

By Mr. Marsden.— The weight of the engine with the goods train that preceded the mail train was 32 tons. that is the heaviest class of engine we have on the line.

By the Jury.— I should not have the slightest hesitation in running the engines at 60 miles an hour, if everything were in proper order.

Colonel Wm Yolland, of the City of London.— I am one of the inspectors of the Board of Trade. I have been directed to inquire into the circumstances connected with the accident of Friday last on the London, Chatham, and Dover Railway, and report thereon to the Board of Trade. In 1858 I inspected this portion of the London, Chatham, and Dover line, before the Board the London, Chatham, and Dover line, before the Board of Trade gave authority for its being opened. I then considered it a good permanent way. On Saturday last I visited the scene of the accident, and received information from the officers and servants of the company; and yesterday I saw other servants of the company, mainly for the purport and general effect of that given in evidence before the jury this day. From such information or inspection I have arrived at the conclusion that the occurrence took place from the fracturing or breaking of the trenails on the off or south rail of the down line. Such fracturing was decidedly produced by the pressure from the inside of the south rail, caused by the passage of engines and trains. The line being on a curve, the centrifugal force produced by trains travelling at considerable speed round this curve would have a tendency to push the south rail outwards. This is partly counteracted in the construction of the line by giving the rail a cant or super-elevation of the outside rail. I tried the cant at the spot on Saturday last, and found it to be about two inches. The gauge between the two rails was 4 feet 8½ inches—the usual gauge on the line—no difference being made apparently between a straight line and a curve. From the trenail produced to-day and the evidence of the engine-driver I think it almost certain that some of the trenails were broken before the 7.10 train reached the spot. That train burst the line, and thus allowed the carriages to get off. If the rails were very much bulged out before the goods train passed down, the plate-layer should have seen them. Some of the trenails may have been broken, and yet not seen by the plate-layer inspecting the rails. It is quite possible that the goods train passing over the line that morning caused a portion of the mischief, yet not having been seen by the plate-layer the mail train finished the mischief. The entrance to the ballast-hole, spoken of by the engine-driver, is 60 yards from where the accident occurred. That would occupy about four seconds. Many accidents have been attributed to the breaking of the trenails; but this is the only instance where the trenails had been so recently put down. The result is, that my colleagues and myself have determined not to pass any lines where wooden trenails are used exclusively. That determination has been forced upon us by various accidents on different lines. Before this accident occurred I should have passed a line with wooden trenails.

By Mr. Round.— The combination of wood and iron in trenails is the latest result of modern improvement. It is an easy curve and gradient at the spot where the accident occurred.

By the Jury.— My opinion is, that no railway should be restored until it has been seen by some responsible officer of the company. It is the practice to begin the restoration of lines immediately after the accidents occurring.

By Mr. Round.— I understand that the improvements I have mentioned have been commenced on this line, and were in progress at the time of the accident.

Mr Round did not deem it necessary to address any observations to the jury further then to stale that the company had produced all the evidence in their power, calculated to throw any light upon the melancholy occurrence which they all deplored.

The Coroner very briefly addressed the jury, and directed them that, according to the evidence given, and the opinion of the government inspector, they could not reasonably come to any other conclusion then that it was purely an accident, and that there was no blame attachable to any one.

THE VERDICT.

After about an hour’s consultation the Jury returned the following special verdict:— “We find that the deceased, William Stratton Plumb and William Harris, were killed by the falling of the train over the embankment. And we further find that the accident was caused by the improper state of the permanent way at that particular spot; and that it was possible when the plate-layer went that way that it was not perceived by him.

We believe also that the engine driver was correct in his statement that he perceived, as he was travelling along, the bulging of the rails, but not in sufficient time to stop the train, consequently we attach no blame to him; and we would recommend that at any future accident nothing on the railway should be replaced, if the government inspector can be on the spot within 24 hours of its happening.”

The Coroner said that verdict amounted to one of "Accidental Death," and he recorded it as such, but declined to receive the recommendation as part of the verdict, but merely as a suggestion.