From the Kentish Chronicle, 12 January, 1861.

THE FATAL ACCIDENT on the LONDON, CHATHAM, and DOVER RAILWAY.

The enquiry into the circumstances attending the deaths of Edward Ogden and James Plaisted (stokers), and John Maddison (engine driver), in the service of the above railway, who lost their lives by the frightful accident which occurred near this station on Saturday night last, was proceeded with before Mr. Thomas Hills, one of the coroners for this division of the county of Kent, at the "Railway Inn." Amongst those present were Mr. Hilton, Mr. Cobb, and Mr. Lake, directors; Mr Finnigan, the traffic manager; Mr. Martley, locomotive superintendent; Mr. L Cubitt, C.E., the consulting engineer of the line; and other officials of the company.

Prior to holding the inquest the coroner and jury inspected the engine and tender and the carriages forming the train to which the accident occurred. It will be seen from the evidence that the engine left the rails and ran into a field by the side of the line, and the fore wheels were in advance of the engine some ten feet, they having left the engine in consequence of a fracture of one of the horn plates, which caused the accident. The fore wheels had been replaced, and, with the exception of a serious injury near the foot plate, little appeared to show the frightful damage which had been done to the machine. The most remarkable fact in connection with the accident was the condition of a first class carriage, the whole of the sides of the carriage, and the roof, being entirely swept away, one of the upright ends only remaining. The only passenger in this carriage was a Mr. Taylor, one of the clerks of the company, who states that he felt the shock consequent upon the fracture of the horn plate, and that his only recollection was that he crept from under the roof of the carriage, which had been thrown some feet in advance.

John Goodyear, the first witness examined, deposed that he was a guard, and had been a guard on the line since the extension was opened. The deceased Ogden was a stoker. The train that met with the accident was the 7.45 out of London, on Saturday. It consisted of one first-class carriage, two second-class, one third-class carriage, and a break. They proceeded all right until approaching the distance signal at Teynham. It was then about ten p.m. The break van was in the hinder part of the train. The first thing he felt was the carriage jumping on the line. He put the break on, and he recollected nothing further. When he came to himself he was lying in the six-feet space. He could tell them nothing further. He did not see Ogden after they left Chatham. The name of the engine-driver was John Maddison. James Plaisted was the fireman. He saw them both safe at Sittingbourne.

George Birch, of Faversham, deposed that he was a porter on the line. He was a passenger in the train on Saturday night. He was not in the carriage next the break, but the next one to it. The accident happened somewhere about the distance signal. As they were approaching the station the carriage gave a jerk and turned partly over. He got out pretty quick, and saw the engine on its side near the break. The carriages were all turned over except the one he was in. He also saw one of the bodies on the ground. He went away immediately for the medical men. The accident occurred instantly, and gave no previous notice.

The next witness examined was Patrick May:— He said he was a practical engineer. He was in the train on Saturday night in a third-class carriage, next to the break. As they approached the station he perceived that the carriages were oscillating. He was alone in the carriage, and after running a short distance it partly turned over. He got out and could not find anybody. He went round the field, looked into the carriages, called out for the guard, but could not find him. He at length found a little man, a porter, and asked him if he had seen any one. The man replied no; and witness then exclaimed, "Then everybody is killed except me and you." Shortly after the guard and the station-master came, and after a search they found the bodies of the unfortunate sufferers.

The Rev. Mr. Kiddle deposed that he was a second-class passenger by the train from London. As they approached Teynham he heard a sound as if the engine was scraping up ballast, the carriage shook violently, and he was thrown from his hold of the window. The carriage was all smashed up.

Mr. Williams, the station-master at Teynham, deposed that three minutes after ten on Saturday night he was watching for the train. He saw the train coming when he suddenly missed the head light of the engine, and he saw a cloud of steam. He went down to the spot and found that the tender had left the line; the engine was in an adjoining field; a third-class carriage was crushed on the up line, one of the first-class carriages was lying in a ditch, and another was across both the lines, both very much damaged. The guard, having the break well applied, held the van and the second-class carriages up. He found the engine driver (since dead) alive. The driver did not think that he was much hurt. On further search found the other bodies, and took the necessary precautions to prevent further accident. He examined the scene of the accident. A piece of iron, called the horn plate, of one of the fore wheels of the engine was put into his hands, which he produced in court. The effect of the breaking of the horn plate would be to deprive the fore wheels of all support. The rails were not turned up, and the road stood very well, none of them displaced. The driver, before his death, said "He felt a sudden jerk, and he remembered no more."

By a juror:— How far was the horn plate from the engine when it was found?

Witness:— About 40 or 50 yards.

James Grant, a plate layer, deposed to the finding of the horn plate.

Dr. Church examined, deposed to finding the deceased men; two of them were dead, and the third, the engine-driver, Maddison, lingered until three o'clock on Monday morning.

Mr. Martley, the locomotive superintendent of the line, said he had seen and examined the engine and carriages forming the train in question. The piece of iron in court had been brought under his notice; it formed the leading horn of the left hand frame of the engine. It kept the wheels in their place, and the effect of it being broken would be to let the wheels come under the engine. The breaking and absence of the horn plate caused the accident. The greater portion of the fracture on the horn plate was in good condition, but the chuck of it was defective. The iron showed faults, and faults no doubt had existed in the iron before the breakage. The faults might be old, or they might be new, but they would not materially effect the accident. The iron was not of first-class quality, but still it must have taken a sharp blow to have caused the fracture. He could not conceive how the accident happened. He could not find any reason that caused the plate to break, but any obstruction on the line would be likely to cause it. The guard-irons of the engine were about an inch and a quarter from the top of the rails.

By the Coroner:— You have raised a difficulty which is not likely to be got over, as it must be a very slight article that could escape the guard irons of the engine.

Examination continued:— He had examined the line and found the condition of the road was good. No doubt the frost would have a greater effect upon the iron of the horn plate than upon iron of a tougher description.

Mr. Cubitt, the consulting engineer of the company, said the iron of the horn plate was by no means of a satisfactory description. It mast have taken a sharp blow to cause the fracture; but he had no evidence to prove that such a blow had been given. There were several other fractures in the iron of old date.

Mr. Aveling, engineer, said the iron was not good, but he had seen worse. The old fractures in the iron no doubt caused the accident.

Mr. Martley said he had omitted to mention that he had visited the engine-driver on Sunday. The deceased stated that before leaving London he had examined all the wheels and axles, and that he found them all right and no flaw in them.

No more witnesses were examined.

The Coroner then summed up, and the Jury retired; and after a short absence returned a verdict of Accidental Death, caused by the breaking of the horn plate, but the cause of which is not proved.

The inquiry then terminated.

From the Kentish Chronicle, 3 January, 1863.

TEYNHAM. FATAL RAILWAY ACCIDENT.

On Tuesday Mr. T. Hills, coroner, held an inquest at the “Railway Inn,” Teynham, on the body of a man supposed to be named Samuel Bailey, a labourer, and a native of Luton, Bedfordshire, who was killed by an engine on the London, Chatham, and Dover Railway, at about forty-five minutes past six on the morning of the 22nd ultimo, as he was walking along the line near Teynham. The poor fellow's body was dreadfully mutilated, one of his arms having been actually carried, hanging to the engine, as far as the Swale Bridge, the engine having to proceed to Sheerness. As it appeared that the engine driver was not at all to blame in the matter, the jury returned a verdict of “Accidental Death.”