Saturday 14 Dec 1844 (p. 3, col. 3-4) FATAL ACCIDENT ON THE NEWCASTLE AND CARLISLE RAILWAY. ----- A fatal accident occurred on Saturday morning last on the line of the Newcastle and Carlisle Railway, near Ryton station, about seven miles from Newcastle. As the luggage-train, which left Newcastle at half-past six o'clock for Carlisle, was proceeding at the usual rate, it ran upon a cow which was straying on the line, and the force of the concussion was so great as to throw the engine and tender over a low embankment, the engine falling on its side, and the tender being crushed up beside it. The stoker was fortunate enough to leap off just before the collision took place, and escaped with only a few slight bruises. The engineer did not leap off, and he was crushed to death between the engine and the tender. Had the accident occurred twenty yards further along the line, where the railway runs close to the river Tyne, the whole train would have gone into the water. The trucks suffered no injury, and but little displacement, and another engine having been brought, they were forwarded to their destination, and the subsequent trains experienced no delay. The engineer's name was Thomas GRAHAM; he was a steady experienced driver, but the morning was very dark, and the animal was not discovered until the engine was close upon it, too late to prevent the accident. CORONER'S INQUEST. An inquest was held at Blaydon on Monday, before J. M. FAVELL, Esq., on the body of Thomas GRAHAM, an engineer on the Newcastle and Carlisle Railway, who was killed on that line on Saturday morning last. The following witnesses were examined:- POTTS COCHRANE said-I am a fireman on the "Newcastle" engine, on the Newcastle and Carlisle Railway. On Saturday about six o'clock, we were proceeding on the line near Ryton Station with a goods train: it was quite dark. There was a cow on the line; we ran over it, and the concussion threw the engine and tender, and part of the train, off the line. I was cast from the footboard to the south side of the line, and was not much injured. The engine and tender parted, the two irons by which they were joined, having broken. Thomas GRAHAM was hurled to the north side, and the tender fell over on the top of him: he had been standing on his proper place. Thomas JOHNSTON, the engineer of the "Matthew Plummer;" George WILKINSON, the fireman of the same engine; and John MURRAY, Clerk at Ryton Station, raised the deceased, but he was quite dead. The tender was lying on his chest. We were going at the rate of ten miles an hour; we had a light on the fore end of the engine, and the ploughs were on it. I cannot say whether the cow was standing on the line. We expected Benjamin WILLOUGHBY had gone over the line before, as it was his duty to do. The accident happened on the west side of Ryton Station. STEPHEN THOMPSON, hind to Mr. LAMB, of Ryton, whose land adjoins the Railway, and to whom the cow belongs, was the next witness. He stated that the railway-company had to keep up the fence. It is a young fence, and the rails are broken down in several places. It was a grass field, out of which the cow had strayed. Witness had, during the summer, complained to Robert MURRAY, station-keeper at Ryton, that the fence adjoining the railway was not good, and he had promised to repair it, but had not done so. The cow had gone over some broken rails, or through them, straight up to the railway. He also told Matthias OVINGTON, overlooker on the line, of the bad state of the fence which he had promised to put in a state of repair. WM. PATTISON, a ferryman, stated that about six on Saturday morning he shouted to some boys that were on the line. BENJAMIN WILLOUGHBY, a railway-servant, living at Ryton, stated, that it was his duty to go down the line every morning between Ryton and Crawcrook before the train started. He was on the line on Saturday morning last, before the accident happened by which GRAHAM lost his life, and saw nothing. He met the "Newcastle" engine two hundred yards east of the Ryton station. Did not show his light for fear the train should stop. The line was quite clear when he passed along. He saw no person on the line, but heard the ferryman calling. THOMAS MORTON said, that he lived at Winlaton, and had charge of the fences on the Carlisle line. He mended the rails on Mr. LAMB's land three weeks ago, and made them perfect by OVINGTON's direction. The rails were frequently stolen. MATTHIAS OVINGTON stated, that he was an over-looker on the line between Newcastle and Willow-wood. Stephen THOMPSON had told him about the fence on Mr. LAMB's ground being out of order, and he had caused it to be repaired three weeks back. Saw, on Saturday morning, the place where the cow had got through. The rails had been taken away-they had been frequently stolen. There being no more witnesses to examine, the coroner recapitulated the evidence, and the Jury immediately found a verdict of "Accidental Death," attaching no blame to the servants of the Company. They, however, recommended that the inspectors on the line should, at the time they made their surveys, to see that all was right, report themselves, a suggestion which the Clerk of the Company said should be complied with. On Tuesday, the remains of the unfortunate man were deposited in Ovingham church-yard.