Sheffield Daily Telegraph – Friday 17 September 1880
The Fatal Accident in Conisborough Tunnel.
An inquest was held yesterday at the Montagu Arms, Mexborough, by the Coroner, D. Wightman, Esq., on the body of Dennis Greaves, 17 years of age, who was a watchmaker, employed by Mr. Dyson, Bow Street, Sheffield, and who lived with his father at Mexborough.
Mr. H. H. Hickmott, solicitor, of Rotherham, appeared on behalf of the wife and relatives of the deceased, and there were present for the railway company Messrs. J. Halmshaw, district superintendent; A. Lough, district engineer and James Hibbert, engineer.
After the body had been identified by the Father of the deceased, the first witness called was Charles Wilson, signalman at Denaby crossing tor the Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire Rail way, who said that on Monday night last, ten minutes past eleven, he was in the box, when he heard a moaning noise as the train passed. He looked out of the box and saw two women, who said there was a man hanging out of the carriage window. He ran after the train, which had stopped at the station, and saw deceased hanging out a third-class carriage, on the left side ot the train, which was going towards Sheffield. Witness assisted to help him into the carriage, and he was taken forward to Mexborough. He died almost as soon as he rived there, without having recovered consciousness. He was in compartment alone. There was great deal blood on the outside of the carriage, but none inside.
Police-constable Cade, stationed at Mexborough said about ten minutes to twelve he heard that there was a man injured at the railway station. He went and found him lying on a form dead. There was a large wound on the back of his head, and the skull was broken. The wound was three or four inches long. There were two cuts on the forehead, but no other marks of violence the body. The following morning witness went up the line, tracing the blood to Cadeby tunnel, just beyond Conisborough Station. He went to the other end the tunnel and examined one the girders, on which human hair was sticking. There was no blood visible on the girder. This was on the left hand side coming from Doncaster. The hind side window was broken, and the glass was strewn the line. This would tend to prove that the man was looking out of the carriage window when the girder caught the back of his head, throwing his forehead against the window, and so accounting for the cuts.
In answer to Mr. Hickmott, witness stated that the first girder the tunnel was 85 yards from the entrance. Up to that point there was a considerable distance between the outer line and the stonework- about 3 ft 10 in. The width from the bottom of the girder and the outer rail was two feet, but it became wider higher up. The girder was the shape of a semicircle, and was ten inches wide. The carriage in which the deceased travelled had been travelling was examined and measured. The side projected beyond the rail about 15 inches, and that would leave the distance between the carriage and the bottom the girder only 9 inches. From where the man’s head had been however, the width would be 1ft. 7in, as the girder was not straight. This was the greatest width between the carriage and the window.
Mr. Alfred Davis, draughtsman, Sheffield, produced a plan of the tunnel made by him from accurate measurements taken that morning. The girders were solid iron, but the space between them and the stonework was filled up with brick. The girder itself was 13 inches thick, and together with the brickwork the projection from the stone was 1 ft 10 in.
Mr. A. Lough, district engineer, said that he had been informed that the girders were placed in the tunnel about 14 years ago. He could only speak to 12 from personal knowledge. They were put in, he believed, on account of some actual or supposed tendency to weakness at that part of the tunnel. There had never been a similar action before.
By Mr. Hickmott: The girders are not in the original plans had submitted to the Board of Trade. Witness did not know that any funds were shown to the Board when the alterations were made.
Mr. Hickmott said that he understood from the Acts of Parliament that such alteration should be submitted to the Board when it was decided to carry them out.
Mr. Wightman said so that was only when the original plans were departed from before they were carried out, and did not refer to subsequent alterations.
Mr loaf said that he believed that that was the case. He had never heard of an Act specified the distance which must be between the wall of the tunnel the side of the carriage. He did not know that any carriage door had been pulled off in a tunnel – he had never heard of such an occurrence.
Thomas Hammond, shunter, of Hexthorpe said about 11:05 on Monday night he was at Hexthorpe new junction, about 2 miles from the tunnel, and he saw the train coming from Doncaster towards Conisborough. A man was leaning out of a carriage window looking into next compartment towards the brake van. Witness could not see whether there was anyone else in the carriage with him. He had quite half of his body out of the window.
Mr Wightman said that that was all the evidence. He should not in any way direct the jury as the finding of the verdict, as he did not wish to influence them, and they were quite as capable as he was of forming an opinion as to whether the railway company were culpable in the matter or not The cause of death was clear, so he need say nothing about that.
Alter some little deliberation, the jury returned verdict of ” Accidentally killed by being struck the head by an iron girder in the Cadeby tunnel, on the M. S. and L. Railway line, he being leaning the time out of the carriage in which he was travelling ; and the jury further say that the railway company should take some steps to show to the public the capacity of the tunnel each end on entering.”