Saturday 23 Aug 1845 (p. 3, col. 4) INQUESTS. ----- (Before Mr. THOMPSON, Coroner for Westmoreland.) FATAL RAILWAY ACCIDENT.-At Roundthwaite, in the parish of Orton, on Tuesday, the 19th inst., on the body of John TODD, labourer on the Lancaster and Carlisle Railway line, and a native of Gilling, near Richmond, aged 28, whose death had been caused by injuries received in falling from the top of a viaduct the Thursday previous. The viaduct under construction crosses the river Barrow, and its height is about 60 feet. At the distance of 32 feet from the ground a machine called a Crab was placed for the purpose of drawing up stones. This crab rested upon two horizontal beams nearly six yards apart, which were supported by other beams or balks of wood standing perpendicularly; and the crab was constructed to run on a temporary rail to enable the workmen to convey stones by it to any part of the bridge. The beams upon which it moved were also supported, each, by two tension rods. The deceased and three other persons were working the crab and travelling frame, and whilst in the act of raising a stone about three tons weight, the tension rods at the end of the travelling frame suddenly gave way, and the beams breaking at the same moment the four workmen were precipitated to the ground, along with the stone, timber beams, and other articles, which fell with a tremendous crash. Three of the men, including deceased, who had fallen, and another workman who had the misfortune to be immediately underneath at the time, were taken up in, apparently, a lifeless state; but the other who had partially evaded the crab, &c. falling upon him, by leaping off on finding the beams give way, was not much injured. Four medical gentlemen were sent for without delay, and on examining the sufferers gave but slight hopes of the recovery of four of them. The deceased had his left arm and left thigh broken, and an ancle so much bruised that mortification took place; and he died on Monday last; another was found with a leg so shattered as to render amputation of the limb necessary; and a third was deprived of his senses from fractures received on the head, in which state he still continues. These two are not expected to survive. The principal witness examined by the coroner was Mr. John TORKINGTON, the contractor of that part of the line, and who had witnessed the accident. After deposing to the facts given above he stated that he had been employed amongst machinery for the last 20 years, and that the tension rods which had broken were an inch in diameter, and qualified to bear 10 tons each. He had seen the frame tried on the Monday previous to the accident with a stone about the same size as that which was being drawn up when the accident took place. He had never seen stronger works for the purpose, and could not account for the accident. The jury returned a verdict of "accidental death," and at the same time exonerated the Railway Company from any blame with regard to the sufficient strength of their machinery.