From the Kentish Gazette, 7 July 1857.

APPALLING CATASTROPHE ON THE NORTH KENT RAILWAY.

In our last impression we gave an account of the terrific collision which occurred on Sunday night week on the North Kent Railway, causing so great a loss of life as that of eleven persons, and inflicting injuries more or less serious on upwards of thirty others. It occurred a few minutes before eleven o’clock at night, between the Blackheath and Lewisham stations.

The Sunday traffic on the North Kent Railway is very heavy, and for the necessary accommodation of persons returning from Gravesend, and other places of holiday resort, it is usual to run two late trains at short intervals — at 9.15 and 9.30 p.m. — from Strood to London. This line of railway is worked on Tyer’s electric signal system, the simple explanation of which is, that the station master at one station must not allow a coming train to pass before the last departed train has been telegraphed clear of the next station. This system properly carried out, would prevent the possibility of accident.

The scene at St. Thomas’s Hospital, the railway terminus and at the "Plough Inn," Lewisham, where the dead bodies were lying, was heartrending — parents seeking for their children, wives for their husbands, and persons of all classes for relatives or friends.

It is computed that at least forty persons must have been in the open third-class carriage upon which the break van was driven with such dreadful consequences. Several of the passengers had first-class tickets, but preferred to ride in the open carriage in consequence of the oppressive heat of the evening.

DEAD BODIES IDENTIFIED.

Eight were identified, lying at the "Plough Inn," Lewisham, by Monday night; four wounded, were lying also at the "Plough Inn," all dangerously injured; seven were brought on to London, and are lying in St. Thomas’s Hospital, one of whom, Mrs. Boycott of Lambetb, expired on Saturday; thirteen, who had been brought on to St. Thomas’s Hospital, after having their wounds dressed, were, by their own wish, conveyed home in cabs.

Many persons in other carriages, besides that struck, were much bruised and shaken, but all the fatal and serious eases occurred in the last carriage, of which, after the collision, merely the floor framework remained entire. Comparatively few of the carriages were broken, and not more than four left the rails.

The directors of the South Eastern Railway Company immediately instituted an inquiry into the circumstances. The pointsman and railway officials, whose duty was to attend the signals, were at once suspended.

MAGISTERIAL INVESTIGATION.

EXAMINATION OF THE DRIVER AND STOKER.

At the Greenwich police court, on Tuesday, Thomas Perry, 29, and Edward Whiffen, 24, the former an engine driver and the latter a fireman in the service of the South Eastern Railway Company, who stand charged with "neglect of their duty in driving an engine and train of passengers past the danger signal at the Lewisham station on the North Kent Railway, whereby eleven persons were killed, and several others seriously injured, in the parish of Lewisham," were placed at the bar for examination.

Mr. Knight, the superintendent of the South Eastern Railway, was first examined. After explaining the signal system on which the North Kent Railway is worked, he said he was satisfied there must have been something wrong in the telegraph communication between Lewisham and Blackheath. The train run into had been brought up at the Lewisham station, although it was not a station where the train ought to have stopped. In the Blackheath station book there was an entry of the 9.15 train having been signalled back from Lewisham to Blackheath as "all clear" at 10.48. If that signal had been sent, the Lewisham book ought to contain a record that it had been sent. On referring to the Lewisham book there was no such entry.

Mr. Traill said that on leaving Blackheath the prisoners were all correct. The question was as to their conduct after leaving the station.

Mr. Traill adjourned the further hearing until the next day.

He declined to accept bail for the prisoners.

On Thursday the case was renewed. On Mr. Traill having ordered the witnesses on both sides to leave the court, George Abbott, the head guard of the 9.30 train, deposed that when he saw the red light, he put his head out of the window, and then saw a strange light near the ground, which he took to be a light at the end of the train in advance. The engine-driver and fireman could see these lights if they kept a good look out, soon after leaving Blackheath, and there would have been time to apply the break.

E. D. Chapman, the Blackheath station master, said he was on the platform when the 9.30 train arrived, but he left between the two arrivals. The 9.30 train remained two or three minutes at the station. He signalled to the guard to start, having first called to the signal-box to see whether "all was clear up." Griffiths, the porter at the signal, put his head out of the box and said, "All clear up, sir," and the train left. Witness was telling Jupp, who was standing on the platform, that he was glad his day’s work was over, being much wearied and fatigued, and was bidding him good night when he heard the collision. He rushed back and said to Griffiths, "For God’s sake was the signal correct you gave me for the last train?" Griffiths replied, "Yes, yes, it’s entered in my book;" this was in a minute and a half after the train had left. Witness looked at the book and saw that the column for "return signals" was tilled, and the figures were 10.48. Witness always relies entirely on the signal man. Witness then went to the signal-box, and the indicator applying to Lewisham was at "stop all up," indicating that a train was between Blackheath and Lewisham; that implied that Lewisham had acknowledged the approaching departure of an up train. If Lewisham had not acknowledged that the needle would have indicated "All clear up." So that if Lewisham had not acknowledged the departures the indicator would show the departure of the 9.15 train. The state of the telegraph at the Blackheath station immediately after the accident showed that either the signal "All clear up" from Lewisham — without which the 9.30 train ought not to have started from Blackheath — had not been received at Blackheath, or that Lewisham had acknowledged the departure of the 9.30.

Mr. Traill:- Abbott, the guard, said he did not see you on the platform?

Witness:- I was standing only a few yards from him.

John Nelson, station-master at Lewisham, said the 9.15 train from Strood arrived at 10.40. He stopped it, obeying the telegraphic communicator, which showed "Stop all up." The semaphore and distance signals were up. The 9.15 train on coming in did not pass the distant signal, but stopped, and afterwards came within it. It did not come up to the platform. Passengers were waiting on the platform for London. The semaphore and distant signal were at "Hanger" the whole time that the train was stopping. The train remained 18 minutes before the collision occurred. The collision was at 10.55. Witness first saw the 9.30 train when it darted under the bridge. The engine had two white lights in front. Witness does not know of any signal being received from Blackheath between the stopping of the 9.15 train and the collision. David Wilde, the signal man was in his box. Witness knows that White was aware of the train having stopped near the station. The Mid-Kent train had passed five minutes previously, but the red lights were still kept up.

Orders were here given to detain John Griffiths and David Wild, and to bring them up on Saturday next.

Mr. Burgon then asked to have the fireman admitted to bail, but Mr. Traill refused, and the case was adjourned to next day.

THE CORONER’S INQUEST.

On Tuesday Mr. Carttar opened an inquest, at the "Plough," near Lewisham. The evidence of identity having been completed, the coroner issued his warrant for the interment of the bodies. He then suggested that officers of the railway should be first examined. The case was adjourned to Friday.

On Friday the witnesses examined were Mr. John Nelson, the station-master of Lewisham; W. C. Edmonds, of the signal department; Samuel Laxby, office porter; G. Hughes, an extra guard; and Thomas Hill, driver of the 9.15 train. The testimony was the same as that given before the magistrates, which will be found in our report this day.

Mr. Eborall, manager of the Eastern Counties Railway, was then examined as to the want of screw-jacks and other tools at the station. He admitted that a good supply of these articles was necessary, but they did not expect to have these accidents upon every portion of their line. He could not give an opinion as to whether more lives might have been saved if there had been more screw-jacks. It would have been a very difficult and very hazardous thing to have I used them.

A Juror:- It is a general complaint that your up trains are behind time, and that the cause is that you have too few hands to work the trains.

Mr. Eborall:- I defy you to find any station in the kingdom where there are more hands than at Lewisham and on the North Kent line generally; and the trains on the North Kent line keep better time than any out of London (a laugh). There was not much damage done to the engine. Both the 9.15 and the 9.30 trains were heavy trains, on account of the number of passengers.

The Coroner then adjourned the inquest to Friday next.

All the persons lying wounded at St. Thomas’s Hospital, and the "Plough Tavern," Lewisham, are progressing favourably, with the exception of Mr. Poland, whose case is precarious.

EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE-DRIVER, SIGNAL MEN, DAN FIREMAN.

Greenwich Police Court, Saturday, July 4.

Thomas Perry, engine driver; Edward Whitten, fireman; David Wild, signal man at Lewisham; and John Griffiths, signal man of Blackheath station, were brought up before Mr. Traill, on remand from Thursday, charged with neglecting their duty while driving a train, whereby several persons were killed on Sunday evening last.

Mr. Rees appeared for the South Eastern Railway; Mr. Burgon for Perry and Whiffen, driver and fireman of the 9.30 train; Mr. Everest for Wild, the signalman at the Lewisham station; Mr. Smith, of the firm of Whiteside and Smith, appeared for Griffith, signal man.

After some discussion, it was arranged that the evidence should first be given affecting the engine driver and the fireman, and that the case as against the signal men of the Blackheath and Lewisham stations, should be postponed to a later period of the day, Wild and Griffith were accordingly removed from the bar.

The first witness called was George Hughes, the under-guard of the 9.15 train, he stated that he first saw the distance signal about half-way between the two bridges; it was a red light, and was at danger. The train drew up within a very few yards of the semaphore signal, and passed the danger signal at a very slow rate; the wheels were scarcely moving. There was a tail lamp on the train; witness saw it on the train at Strood. There was one red light, which was the proper number, he could not see the light of the danger signal at the point where he was standing when the accident occurred.

Cross-examined by Mr. Burgon:- Was looking for the signal as the train was coming up from Blackheath, and the first place he saw it was between the two bridges. Passed the distance signal at about three miles an hour.

Re-examined by Mr. Rees:- The light was quite clear when witness saw it — as clear as usual.

The witness having signed his deposition, Charles Wiley was called, and the evidence given at his previous examination was read over to him. The witness being further examined by Mr. Rees, said he was head guard of the 9.10 train. After the accident the station-master put some of the fog signals on the line, and the "obstruction code" of signals were applied, he had seen the Lewisham distance signal from the up-platform at Blackheath. The curve did not interfere with the views of the distance signal from Blackheath.

John Nelson, station-master, was re-called, and examined by Mr. Rees. He stated that after the collision had taken place one of the guards started off towards Blackwall to stop anything that might be coming. Witness called him back, and asked him to examine, in company with him, the state of the distance-signal. Abbott, the guard, said, "That is all correct, sir; I have seen it." Witness said, "Never mind; look now at it," and he pronounced it, with witness, to be excellent, in a good position, and everything perfectly right. The signal was full danger on, and nothing whatever wrong with it. It would have been impossible for anyone to have interfered with, tampered with, or in any way have changed its position, between the time of the accident and when he saw it. He saw Parry, the driver, on the engine, and he said to him, "How is this? How came you to pass the red light?" He replied, "Bad job, Mr. Nelson. I did not see it in time to pull up." He made no complaint of the light being bad, or of not being put on.

This having closed the evidence, Wild and Griffiths, the signal porters of Blackheath and Lewisham stations, were placed at the bar, and remanded until Monday, at one o’clock; Perry and Wiffen, the driver and fireman, being remanded until ten o’clock on Thursday.