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Folkestone Express 10 February 1877.
Inquest.
Nothing has transpired during the last week to disturb the usual
briskness of the ordinary work in the Warren, except the finding of the
body of the unfortunate man Marsh, who was killed by the fall near the
Eagle's Nest. The poor man's body was found on Monday evening by a
platelayer named Underdown, who was engaged in clearing away the chalk
and earth. The remains were so dreadfully mutilated as to be scarcely
recognisable, the lower jaw being completely knocked up over the nose,
and the legs and body so compressed as to leave hardly a whole bone in
the body. Strange to say, those who expected to find the remains of the
unfortunate man near the spot where he was last seen, were greatly
surprised to find that they were discovered about two chains away, on
the top of the chalk, and not, as some thought they would be found lying
close to the metals. This was accounted for by the fact that the poor
man was walking along the line, and the first fall of the chalk knocked
him down, but instead of burying him, threw his body on the top, the
remainder of the chalk then burying him.
Last Wednesday, one of the most interesting operations that have taken
place since the first slip was commenced, in the shape of blasting away
the loose portions of the cliff, which were thought to be dangerous, and
likely, if they fell, to again stop the line. During the latter part of
last week and the beginning of this, men were engaged in picking away
the outer face of the cliff previous to blasting. To enable them to do
this they were suspended over the cliff by ropes, which were passed
through a ring to a leather belt which they wore round their waists, and
which were fastened to stakes driven some distance into the ground. The
face of the cliff is very much altered, indeed, from about 300 yards on
the Dover side of the Eagle's Nest, for a good distance the cliff is
hardly recognisable.
An addition of 400 men has been made to those now working on the tunnel
and slips, and it is now almost certain that the tunnel will be clear in
about 28 days. So nearly have they got through that the sound of the men
working on the outside is plainly heard by those clearing on the inside
of the tunnel. It is proposed to make an open cutting of part of the
Martello Tunnel, from the Dover end, for about 150 to 200 yards.
The men do not have to travel very far for their beer, Messrs. Langton
and Co., of the Imperial Brewery, Tontine Street, having erected a shed
near the works and taken out a license to sell intoxicating liquors
there. Those who have charge of the beershop are very often placed in a
very awkward predicament. For instance, on one occasion, just as they
had “turned in” for a little rest, some of the excavators called for
beer, and upon being refused, threatened to burn the “shanty” down, and
actually kindled a large fir on the outside with the intention of so
doing, but the inmates having become alarmed, they supplied them with
beer.
On Sunday evening, as the South Eastern Railway Company's bus was
proceeding to Dover a number of navvies waylaid it, and having thrashed
the conductor and driver, jumped on the top and drove off to Dover.
“It's an ill wind that blows nobody any good” is thoroughly verified by
the fact that although the stoppage of the line is a great loss to the
South Eastern Railway Company it has proved a lucky windfall to the
keepers of the toll gates on the Dover Road, the traffic along the road
being enormous.
An inquest was held at the Valiant Sailor, on the Dover Road, on
Wednesday last, before the County Coroner, Thos. Thorpe Delasaux Esq.,
on the body of the unfortunate man Marsh, who was killed by the fall of
chalk from the Eagle's Nest in the Warren on the 15th January last.
The unfortunate man, who has been in the employ of the South Eastern
Railway Company for upwards of twenty five years, leaves a wife and
family, and we are pleased to notice that several benevolent persons are
endeavouring to raise a subscription for them.
Henry Underdown, a Folkestone man, who is a platelayer in the employ of
the South Eastern Railway Company, said he hed been employed with many
others in clearing away the chalk which had fallen on the line in the
slip from the Eagle's Nest. He was present when the body of the deceased
was found on Monday last about five o'clock. He was quite dead, and
appeared to have been so for some days. He believed deceased came by his
death by being suffocated by the chalk that had fallen upon him. He had
been working near the spot where the deceased was killed. He believed
the slip was caused by the great quantity of rain which had lately
fallen, and thought that the deceased was accidentally killed.
Charles Peters, living at Folkestone, a platelayer, who has been
employed on the South Eastern Railway for the last twenty years,
identified the body as that of William Marsh, who was in the same employ
as himself. He said that on the day in question he was at dinner with
the deceased, when his wife called him (deceased) to put a plaster on
his side, as he had had one of his ribs broken some time back. While the
deceased was having the plaster put on witness was sent for by Mr.
Brady. Shortly after he saw deceased walking down the line towards Dover
with a signal flag in his hand, and a few seconds after an immense
quantity of chalk fell in the direction in which the deceased had gone,
and on the spot where his body has since been found. He agreed with the
last witness; in his opinion the fall of chalk was occasioned by the
late heavy rains. Not a moment's warning was given of the probability of
the chalk falling.
Edward Scott, another platelayer, also identified the body and
corroborated the evidence of the last witness.
The Coroner, in summing up, said there were only two questions for the
jury to consider, and they were what caused the deceased's death, and
whether he was suffocated by the chalk falling upon him. There was no
blame attached to anyone, and he had no doubt the falling of the earth
was caused by the late heavy rains.
After a short deliberation the jury returned a unanimous verdict of
“Accidental Death” caused by a great quantity of earth falling upon him.
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