Gosport, Saturday, May 6, 1871

THE ACCIDENT ON THE SOUTH-WESTERN RAILWAY

An inquest was held by Edward HOSKINS, Esq., at the Windmill Tavern, on Wednesday evening last, on the body of Joseph DAVIS, a pointsman in the London and South-Western Railway, who received injuries by the 8.55 train on Sunday morning from the effects of which he died on Tuesday last.

From the evidence of his son it appeared that the deceased was in his usual health at the time he went to his duties on Sunday morning, and that he attended the points at the junction of the Stokes Bay line with the main rails as usual, holding the lever handle in one hand and the signal flag in the other. Witness was in the look-out box at the time, and saw no door open nor other projection from the train. When the train had partly passed witness heard a noise as if the point handles had been moved, and looking out saw the deceased lying on the ground, with his feet close to the lever, and his head near the metals. He went to his father and found him insensible, and there were injuries to the back of the head. He was taken to his home, where he died on Tuesday morning.

- The engine driver, Walter TILBURY, gave evidence, in the course of which he said that deceased was, as far as he knew, a careful man. At the time of the accident the train was proceeding at about 15 miles an hour, and deceased was standing by the side of his points, with the point lever in one hand and the signal flag in the other. There was nothing in the train which could have struck deceased; but if deceased had been setting the points and had leaned over as the train was passing, the lever would have been jerked back and the attendant would have fallen forward. The train was stopped, but nothing was discovered to account for the accident.

- The fireman, Richard HEATH, who was on the left side of the engine, said he saw deceased at his post, and the points were right for the train to pass. After the engine, a second class carriage, and a goods van had passed, witness saw deceased in the act of falling forward. It was not, he said, the jerk of the train passing that caused the deceased to fall.

The evidence of the guard in charge of the train, William LEGG, and Dr. BUTCHER, having been taken, the jury returned a verdict of "Accidental death." The deceased was about 60 years of age, and had been in the employ of the South Western Company about 22 years.

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Wednesday, October 11, 1871

FATAL RAILWAY ACCIDENT AT BROCKHURST

On Saturday evening last an inquest was held at the "Queen's Head," Forton, by Edward HOSKINS, Esq., on the body of Jethro CHANDLER, aged 55 years, who was accidentally killed on the previous Thursday evening by a railway engine running over his legs. The Coroner briefly described the nature of the accident, and the jury, of which Mr. Samuel BEZLEY was foreman, having viewed the body, James Richard CHANDLER, 16 years of age, deposed that he was the son of the deceased, and a signalman at Brockhurst station, in the service of the London and South-Western Railway Company. His father was also in that service as station agent at Brockhurst. He had been in the employ of the Company for 30 years, and had held his last appointment for five years. On the evening of the 5th instant (Thursday), about twenty minutes past six o'clock, he (witness) last saw his father alive. The witness was in his box, and the deceased came out of the office with a lamp in his hand to go round to the other side of a train which had just come in, for the purpose of collecting tickets. It was an up train from Gosport, due at Brockhurst at forty-six minutes past six, and was just stopping. His father was able to collect the tickets without assistance.

- The CORONER: Did there appear to be anything the matter with him during the day?

- WITNESS: No.

- The CORONER: Had the train arrived and come to a standstill before he crossed the lines?

- WITNESS: No. It was going at very slow speed. The driver's name was Walter TILBURY, and the guard's Randall ROBINSON. He (witness) next saw his father under the engine, but did not see how he came there. This was about two minutes after the train came in sight.

- The CORONER: Was there anything unusual on the line which would cause your father to stumble in any way?

- WITNESS: I did not see any unusual obstruction. The witness further stated that he afterwards saw his father alive and sensible, but he did not tell him how the accident had happened to him.

- By the Jury: It was dark at the time. My father was crossing the line before the train had stopped. I cannot tell whether the engine-driver could see the position my father was in when he was crossing the line. There was not sufficient light on the platforms to reveal any person crossing the rails.

Walter TILBURY stated that he was an engine-driver in the service of the London and South-Western Railway Company, and was engaged on the evening of Thursday in driving the 6.35 passenger train from Stokes Bay. There were only four carriages and two trucks in the train, which was appointed to stop at Brockhurst station.

- The CORONER: As you approached that station did you see the usual lights that are accustomed to be there?

- WITNESS: Yes, sir. There were the usual signals.

- The CORONER: Did you see the deceased walking about on either side of the platform?

- WITNESS: I only saw him cross over in front of the engine just as e came to a stand.

- The CORONER: Did you see any obstruction in the way which might have led him to make a mistake in his footfall?

- WITNESS: I saw nothing of the kind.

- The CORONER: Did your engine go over him?

- WITNESS: The left leading wheel went over his legs. He might have fallen, or the buffer of the engine might have struck him.

- Randall ROBINSON stated that he was a porter at Gosport station, and was in charge of the train which left Stokes Bay at 6.35. It consisted of four carriages and two trucks, and was not heavily laden. They stopped at Brockhurst station.

- The CORONER: Did you overshoot the station?

- WITNESS: No, sir.

- The CORONER: Were the usual lights exhibited at that station?

- WITNESS: Yes, they were perfectly discernible. When the train had stopped about half a minute, he (witness) was told that the deceased was under the train; and on proceeding to the front, he saw him lying on his back between the metals. Both legs were broken, but he was alive and sensible. He did not answer when spoken to by the witness.

- The CORONER: Was there any act of neglect on the part of TILBURY that contributed to the accident?

- WITNESS: There was not.

- George Carson GRIBBON stated that he was an assistant-surgeon of the 25th Regiment, quartered at Fort Rowner. On the evening of the 5th he was called, and found the deceased in a shed near the railway station lying on his back. He was cold and pulselss, but sensible. The witness found his legs doubled up under him. The injuries he had received were recent, and in consequence of them the witness considered it necessary to amputate both legs. He was assisted in the operation by Dr. BUTCHER. The deceased only survived about half-an-hour. While the witness was bending over him he heard him say in a very feeble voice, "To think I have been 30 years on the line, and to meet with a death like this at last."

- The CORONER: He did not attribute blame to anyone?

- WITNESS: Oh! no.

- Mr. John BUTCHER, a registered medical practitioner, residing at Alverstoke, said that he knew the deceased in life, and had attended him for diarrhoea.

- The CORONER: Did he appear to be a vigorous man?

- WITNESS: No, he appeared enfeebled. Dr. BUTCHER then corroborated the statement of the previous witness.

- This was the whole of the evidence, and the CORONER, in summing up, said there were other witnesses, but he thought that with the facts they had before them, there could be no difficulty in coming to a conclusion. There was no doubt death was the result of injuries sustained, and he was sure none of them would be so uncharitable as to think that the deceased would intentionally place himself on the lines; and the evidence they had before them would show, he thought, that the occurrence was purely accidental.

- The jury immediately returned a verdict of "Accidental death."

- A juryman said that he was of opinion that a light should be placed at the spot where the accident occurred and a second said that the deceased should have gone round the rear of the train, instead of the front.

- The CORONER said that the deceased engaged to do a certain work for the Company, and as long as he performed taht work it did not matter in what way it was done. The Company could not dictate to him whether he should go to the front or the rear of the train, and he (the Coroner) thought it would be a presumption on the part of the jury to tell them how they should conduct their business. He hoped that, considering the servitude that the unfortunate deceased had performed, would induce the Company to render some assistance to those who were bereaved by his loss. He not only hoped, but felt certain, that such would be the case.

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