South Eastern Gazette, 25 October 1853.

Hadlow.

Melancholy Accident at Heart Lake Bridge. 32 persons drowned.

One of the most melancholy accidents that has ever happened in this part of the country occurred at Heart Lake, near Hadlow, on the night of Tuesday Thursday last. Mr. Cox, who is a large farmer there, had a number of hoppers in his employ, principally strangers. Mr. Cox has farms both in Hadlow and Tudely, and the accommodation for lodging his hoppers appears to be in the latter place. When they have been picking in Hadlow, Mr. Cox has been in the habit of causing them to be conveyed in wagons too the place in which the hopper-houses are situate, and it was on the occasion of their being so conveyed that the lamentable accident which we are about to describe occurred.

On the nights of Thursday the pickers left the work that work about six o'clock, and two wagons were employed to convey them to Tudely. The way lay over Hart Lake Bridge which, crosses the River Medway, and at which spot the current was, owing to the light heavy rains, remarkably strong. The bridge is guarded on both sides by a wooden fence, which appears to have been in a very insecure and dangerous state. The danger was not so apparent, however until after the accident, when the wood in some places was observed to be quite rotten. The water was on Thursday so high in the road leading to and from the bridge, as to oblige the persons entrusting with their care of the wagons to ride on the horses whilst crossing. The first wagon, which was filled with home dwellers, principally living at Tudely, had passed over in safety, and the second, which contained about 40 persons, was in the act of doing so, and had nearly crossed it, when one of the horses stumbled, which caused the wagon to be drawn against the fencing of the bridge - the fence immediately gave way, and nearly all the unfortunate creatures were precipitated into the water. About 32 met with a watery grave, the survivors being in a most frantic state of excitement and terror. The persons in charge of the horses escaped, as did the horses also, the harness having broken before the wagon went into the water. The bodies of six of the poor creatures have been found, and an inquest was on Saturday last held at the "Bell Inn," Golden Green, Hadlow, before J. N. Dudlow, Esq., and a respectable jury, of whom Mr. Thomas Kibble, of Green-trees was foreman, when the following evidence was given.

The names of the person's found were Charlotte Leatherland, age 55; Nora Donovan, 31; Comfort Leatherland, 23; James Mancer, 18; Selena Herne, 4; and Kitty Roach, 22.

Dennis Collins deposed:- I live in Rosemary Lane, London, and am a labourer. I knew Nora Donovan and Kitty Roche, two of the persons who were drowned on Thursday. I also knew Nora Donovan; she was about 30 years old. On Thursday last I was picking hops in the ground belonging to Mr. Cox, in Hadlow. There was a wagon drawn by two horses, in which I rode. There were from 28 to 30 persons in the wagon with me, as near as I can say, but I am not certain as to the exact number; Nora Donovan was one of them. We went down towards the river. The water was out in the road; I expect it was from a foot and a half or two feet. I was sitting sideways, and could not see what happened. When we were more than half over the bridge, I heard a cracking, and as soon as I heard it I was thrown into the water. I heard a good many persons Halloing in the water. I cannot swim, but was saved by laying hold of a piece of the bridge. I think one of Mr. Cox's men helped to save me. I did not see any of them in the water, but heard them Hallowing under the bridge. I saw a part of the bridge broken; it was on the left-hand side going down. I did not see anything more of the wagon. It was about half past six at night, and getting dark.

Fanny Leatherhead deposed:- I live at Notting-hill, London. Charlotte Leatherhead and Samuel Leatherhead, who were drowned, where my mother and father; Comfort Leatherhead was my sister; she is also drowned; she was 24 years old. There were nine of us, six have been found. I dare say there were 40 persons in the wagon, which was as full as it could be. The driver was sober and riding on the first horse; he might have walked over the bridge if he liked; there was no water on the bridge; it was out on this side of the road. We went from the Hadlow side of the bridge. The water was up to the horses knees at the foot of the bridge. The driver could not walk on this side for the water. When we got nearly over, the hind shoes slipped, and the driver tried to pull his head round to the other side of the road, but before he could do so or get down to turn it, one wheel came against the side of the bridge and broke it, and we were tipped over into the water. It was no fault of the driver; he tried all he could to prevent it. He saved my life by telling a person to take hold of my hand and pull me out of the water. The horses seemed to be quiet enough. There was a great quantity of water coming down the river. When I was in the water the people came tumbling upon me like hailstones. I caught hold of the harness of the hind horse, which was the means of me my being saved. I was sitting in front of the wagon, and could see perfectly well how the accident happened. James Mancer was my cousin's brother-in-law. I knew Selena Herne, she was my sister's daughter, and was four years old.

By the Foreman:- I have ridden that way before, when the same man was a driver. It was not the same morning as the accident happened. He drove very carefully; I believe they were the same horses.

William Clearey deposed:- I live in Woolwich, and I am a native of Cork. I knew the several persons who were lying in the shed, having been with them at hopping. I was sitting in the four part of the wagon when the accident happened. There were about 40 persons in the wagon; about 32 have been drowned. On Thursday night, at about 6 o'clock, we left the hop ground where we had been picking, to go home. Our way lay over the bridge. For about 6 or 7 yards on this side there was no water out. Before we came to the bridge the water was up to the horses knees. The man who was driving was obliged to ride; the wagoner rode on the hind horse. When we got close to the bridge someone gave one of the horses a touch, which made it jump a little, but it did not slip. The hind horse held back; as we were crossing the bridge the horse kept too close to the corner, and the wagon went against the bridge which gave way. I heard the fence crack first. I think it was the hind wheel that struck the fence; the wagon went over immediately. The wagon and the people were tipped into the water. I was sitting on the off side of the wagon and could not see the wheels on the other side. I had been over the bridge several times before in the same wagon. The drive was sober on the night of the accident. The water was running very strong at the time, and we could not see the banks.

John Lawrence deposed:- I live in Capel parish, under Mr. Cox, to whom I am bailiff, on Thursday last I was employed as a measurer to the hop pickers. They left the ground at about a quarter past six in the wagon drawn by two horses. John Waghorne was the driver. He had no mate with him; he had taken one lot of hoppers home before. I went to the latter wagon, in the hind part on the off side. From this side of the bridge the water was out in the road to a depth of two or three feet. There were so much out that the driver could not walk. The Wagoner rode on the fore horse, and Benjamin Hearne rode on the hind one. The horses went very steadily indeed. As I sat on the hind part of the wagon I could see the wheels. The water extended to about half a rod of this side of the bridge. It was out also on the Tudely side. If the driver had got off at the foot of the bridge he would have got into deep water when he got over, so that he would not have command of the horses. On the crown of the bridge the hind horse made a stumble, and one of the wheels began to lower. It is usual to skid the wheel in going over the bridge with a heavy load. The wagon gathered on the near side and appeared to overpower the horses. The driver endeavoured to get the horses on the offside as much as he could. The near hind wheel appeared to go between the slab on which the posts were fixed and the earth. This was, I think, before the side of the bridge was struck. The near hind wheel struck the bridge; I did not hear a crack at any time, and as the wheel was sinking I saw the fence giving why. The persons in the front of the wagon were thrown over the heads of those behind. The wagoner was quite sober, and is a steady man; he drove as carefully as he could.

By the Coroner:- I do not know that any representation has been made as to the state of the bridge. The timber appeared to be in a rotten state. The side fence did not appear to the eye to be firm. I was not thrown into the water, for seeing the wagon going I jumped out. All those who were thrown into the water was soon carried away by the force of the current. There was an attempt made to save those in the water, but none were got out whilst I was there.

Henry Knight deposed:- I live at Peckham, in Camberwell, Surrey. On the night of the accident I was riding on the wagon. When the accident happened I was talking to my child about the water, and my attention was directed away from the horses. I think the horses got two near two the side, which caused the wagon to run against the fence and broke it away. The bridge has been greatly out of repair for three or four years. The timber was decayed, and the fence too slight; it was not safe to go over. I think there were about 32 persons lost altogether; 16 of the Leatherlands' party, 10 who lived in the Irish shed, 5 in the hovel, where I sleep, and 1 in a stable.

Benjamin Hearne (a perfect personification of Dickens's "Poor Joe,") deposed:- I have no regular place of residence but I am at present living at Tudely. I was riding on the hind horse when the accident occurred. When we had got to the top of the bridge and were going down on the other side, the hind horse tripped against one of the irons, and before it recovered itself the ground gave way and the wagon went over, and shot the people into the river. I was thrown into deep water. All the fault that I could see was in the road.
John Waghorne deposed:- I live in Hadlow, and am wagoner to Mr. Cox. On Thursday night I was employed to drive the hoppers home. I had been once and had come for the second lot. I don't know how many people there were in the wagon. I rode on the front horse, the water was so high that I could not walk. We have got nearly over when one of the horses stumbled, by kicking against one of the irons across the bridge; it could not recover itself. I tried, as did also the man who was on it, to help it, but we could not succeed. The wheel sank before the fore wheel struck the fence. When the hind wheel sunk the wagon fell against the fence and drove it right through. My horses are very steady, I did not put on a skid pan. I have been over with a heavier load, and have not used one. The bridge has looked bad for a long time. I have never complained myself about it, but have heard other people complain. The weight in the wagon when the accident happened was about two tons. Have driven it over the bridge with four tons on it.

Mr John Bowles, of Tudeley in the room, on being asked his opinion of the state of the bridge, said it had been out of repair for 8 or 10 years. It was dangerous; the rails for all loose. He knew that Mr. Johnston, of Mereworth Castle, had gone round by Tunbridge rather than cross the bridge.

Mr. William Goreham, who attended to watch the proceedings on behalf of the Medway Company (to whom the bridge belongs,) stated that no complaint had ever been made to the company of the want of repair of the bridge; had any such been made, it would have been entered on the minutes and received immediate attention.

Mr. Halloews, manager of the Medway Company, gave similar testimony.

The Coroner remarked, that when an accident occurred it was very easy to say that it might have been prevented, but it was not always possible to foresee such events. He would not pretend to give an opinion whether the bridge was faulty or dangerous, but it was quite clear that the side of the bridge was not strong enough to resist the weight which had been pressed against it. In the present condition of the force it was perceptible that it was decayed, but a casual observer might not have been able to detect the fact before it came down. The result, however, shewed that the bridge was not in a proper state, and that it was requisite to take some steps to repair it. In his opinion, instead of a fence, it was requisite to have a good stout wall with a parapet.

The room was then cleared, and after a deliberation of about half an hour the jury returned the following verdict:- "That the deceased were accidentally drowned; and the jury are of opinion that the accident arose entirely from the defective state of the road and the wooden bridge, and the dangerous state of its construction, although the defects ought to have been before remedied. And they recommend that it be forthwith replaced by substantial construction of brick or stone. It was stated in the room that a similar accident occurred on the bridge about 26 years ago, on which occasion a light cart which was being driven over the bridge by a man named Gower was precipitated into the river. Gower was returning from Chapel with his wife, child, and a servant girl, and all were drowned except the girl, who managed to escape.

It is supposed that there will be a subscription in the neighbourhood on behalf of the relatives of the sufferers on the present occasion.

The body of the girl named Lorna Herne was found during the sitting of the inquest, and up to Sunday the total number of bodies found amounted to 18. The whole of those these were buried yesterday (Monday) morning at Hadlow church. On Sunday a concourse of persons, computed at upwards of 2000 visited the scene of the fearful calamity. One more body was discovered yesterday morning.

Kentish Gazette, 14 March 1854.

Hadlow.

An inquest was held on Tuesday last at the "Bell Inn," Golden Green, Hadlow, before the coroner for that division, and a highly respectable jury, of which Mr. Joseph Osborne was foreman, touching the death of Ann Homewood, the wife of Stephen Homewood.

Stephen Homewood deposed:— The deceased was my wife; we were drinking together at the "Bell Inn," on Saturday night last. My wife left about ten o’clock, and I went home about half-past eleven. I found my wife lying on the bed with her clothes on; her frock was undone. I asked her if she was ill; she said her head was bad. I got into bed with my clothes on, and fell asleep; on awaking in the morning I found she was dead. Deceased had complained of her head for some time past, and had a fit five weeks ago. A sister of the deceased (Mrs. Beech) deposed, that her sister came to her house about ten o’clock on Saturday night. She complained of her head. Witness left her in her house, went out for about 20 minutes, and met the deceased going into her own house. On her return, deceased asked her if her husband was coming home. She told her she thought he was. She bid her good night, and saw her no more alive. She found that the deceased had been sick in her house during her absence.

George John Vine, Esq., surgeon, of Hadlow, deposed, that he was called in about six o’clock on Sunday morning. He found the deceased quite dead, but not cold. From the appearance of the face it was quite evident the deceased had died from suffocation, by lying on her face in the bed, without power of moving. There were no marks of bruises on her body, and it was his opinion that congestion of the brain ensued from the before-mentioned cause.

Verdict:- "Died from natural causes.”