body of Mr. Floyd. A great many of the superior
servants of the North-Western Company were present,
and they formed the principal witnesses. The tendency
of their evidence was to show that the falling of the ash-
pan had caused the accident. The engine-driver was of
opinion that something hard had struck the pan; but
nothing was found, neither did he feel the engine jerk
at any point. And as the company's servants, to whom
the duty of inspecting the engines is delegated, were all
of opinion that the engine was sound when she started,
the matter remained in complete mystery. But, after
some discussion, it was agreed that a Mr. Moredale, a
machinist independent of the company, should examine
the engine. He reported, that "the thing was altogether
in a bad state;" that the "iron-work belonging to the
pan was decayed;" that the "snugs and nibs" were
decayed; and that he should think the ash-pan "had
fallen off from the decayed parts of iron;" but as the fire
was in the engine, he could not closely examine it: he
also complained that all the parts of the work were not
there. The jury concurred in the main part of his
opinion; and at length it was agreed that another
inspection should take place when the engine was cool.
The investigation was resumed on the 9th. Meanwhile
Captain Laffan, Mr. Moredale, Mr. Fairbairn of
Manchester, Mr. Kennedy of Liverpool, and Mr. Marshall
of Birmingham, had examined the engine. Mr. Moredale
adhered to his original statement, that the stays
were decayed—one broken through, and two out of
four faulty; and that the engine started in that condition;
then the stay on the same side with the broken one
gave way, and the ash-pan fell to the ground. Mr.
Fairbairn described the construction of the ash-pan,
and the method of fixing it on to the fire-box; and gave
it as his opinion, that the ash-pan must have been
broken away by coming in contact with some obstruction
on the line—something weighing sixty-seven tons at
least, dead weight; but he could not say what it could
have been. Mr. Marshall and Mr. Kennedy agreed
with him. Captain Laffan, the government inspector,
deposed as follows: "I have seen the ash-pan, and have
heard the evidence which has been adduced up to this
time; I saw the ash-pan on Friday last, and again
today; the ash-pan fell in consequence of the failure of
the supports; such is my opinion. I see no appearance
whatever to lead me to suppose that the failure of the
ash-pan was owing to any accidental obstruction in the
way; but I see every reason to believe the contrary.
I see no reason to believe that there was any blow,
but that the ash-pan fell in consequence of the
failure of the supports, one giving way after another.
There was some defect in the engine, I think, at the
time of starting." Some further evidence was taken;
and the jury returned the following verdict: "We are
of opinion that the immediate cause of the accident was
the defective state of the straps of the ash-box, thereby
causing the death of William Floyd; and the jury
cannot separate without expressing their decided opinion
that the inspection of those constructed engines should
be made more minutely and more frequently, so as to
insure the safety of the public." Another inquest was
held on the body of Mr. Beddington, the other sufferer,
and was brought to a close on the 25th. The coroner
addressed the jury, carefully analysing the conflicting
evidence. He concluded by observing, that passengers
were entirely at the mercy of the company; they had
no means of signalling the engine-driver or the guard;
they were obliged to place confidence in the company,
it was therefore reasonable that the company should
do all they could to carry their passengers as safely as
was possible. He for one denied that there should be
any distinction made as regarded the safety of first,
second, or third-class passengers; the company was
bound to provide carriages of sufficient strength for the
safety of all, though there might be differences in the
matter of comfort. If they were of opinion that any
particular servant had not performed his duty, they
would have to return a verdict of manslaughter. The
jury returned the following verdict:—"We are
unanimously of opinion, that the death of John Thomas
Beddington was caused in consequence of the ash-pan
having been severed from the engine, but the cause of
such severance is not in evidence before the jury."
Coroner—"Gentlemen, the country is much indebted to
you for the services you have rendered in this case;
the verdict leaves the case where it stood at the outset."
Such has been the termination of this protracted
inquiry; the verdict on the first inquest was a decisive
expression of opinion; the above verdict at Docker's-gate,
is unmeaning. But the most remarkable fact in
connexion with the inquiry was the refusal of the coroner
to call Captain Laffan, though requested to do so by the
relatives of the deceased.

At the half yearly meeting of the London, Brighton
and South-Coast Railway Company on the 2nd instant,
Mr. Samuel Laing, the Chairman, made some remarks
respecting Railway Accidents which have attracted
much attention: He said: "The Directors thought it a
great hardship that railway companies should be called
upon to pay large sums for accidents over which they
had no control, and which did not result from any false
economy on the part of the company, but purely from
accidental causes, over which they could have no more
control than they could over the tire of a wheel flying
off, or a flash of lightning striking the train. Railway
companies are made insurers for all casualties which
happen on their lines; while steam-packet companies
are not. An accident happened a long time ago at New
Cross, on a foggy day, in consequence of the man who
went down the line showing a green instead of a red
flag. A slight collision followed—'so slight' that no
one seemed hurt; yet, twelve months afterwards,
compensation was obtained by some persons, 'whose
nerves, it was stated, had received a shock.'
Compelling a company to pay compensation for accidents
over which the directors really had no control, does not
prevent the recurrence of these accidents. What he
complained of was, that the principle of the Carriers
Act was not carried out with regard to passengers. In
that act it was provided that a carrier was not held
responsible for damage to or loss of, valuable goods,
gold, silver, silk, &c, unless paid for accordingly. For
instance, if an accident were to occur to one of their
express-trains conveying half-a-dozen Bishops and the
Lord Chancellor, through one of their men making a
mistake, it seemed inconsistent .that the company should
have to pay £20,000 for the Lord Chancellor, although
he should pay no more than any other passenger (about
2½d. per mile)."

At Mr. Tomkins's saw-mills, Old Gravel Lane,
Wapping, the Boiler Exploded on the 2nd inst.
Fortunately, most of the workmen had left the place to take
their dinners. Charles Varrall, a bricklayer, was at
work on a roof near the boiler-house, and he suffered
dreadfully; he was alive when got out of the ruins, but
died in two hours.—The Jury impanelled to inquire
into the cause of the explosion and death returned the
following verdict—"Accidental death, by the explosion
of an engine-boiler, situated at Green Bank Saw Mills,
Wapping; and the jury wish to add, they consider
great neglect is attributable to Mr. Mark J. Tomkins,
for allowing the boiler to be used after being repeatedly
informed by the engine-driver of its unsound state; and
they also exonerate the engine-driver from all blame."

A dreadful Accident on the Midland Railway occurred
between Draycott and Borowash, on the evening of the
5th instant. While a train was proceeding to Derby at
its usual rate of speed, the tire of the driving-wheel of
the engine broke, and a portion of disengaged tire
striking against the body of the engine, knocked off
what is technically denominated the "clack-box" and
the escape-tap; thereby causing two considerable
openings into the boiler, through which the pent-up
steam rushed out, filling the carriages with steam, and
occasioning the greatest consternation among the
passengers. In this dilemma, Job Kirk, the engine-
driver, being apprehensive that the engine would run
off the rails, and being at the same time unable instantly
to bring the train to a halt, got upon the step opposite
to the broken wheel, intending to leap off in case of
necessity. While so standing, a sudden jerk, caused by
the revolution of the imperfect tire against the engine,
threw him from the step down upon the rails, and the
train passed over him, fearfully crushing both his feet
and ankles, and breaking both the bones of each of his
legs. The stoker also leaped or was thrown off; but