Saturday 24 Aug 1844 (p. 3, col. 2-4) INQUESTS. ----- (Before Mr. CARRICK, Coroner.) MELANCHOLY AND FATAL ACCIDENT. It is this week our painful duty to record an accident which has proved fatal in its results to a gentleman who was a stranger to our city, but whose deplorable fate, under circumstances peculiarly calculated to awaken sympathy, has thrown a gloom over the inhabitants which could scarcely have arisen from more sincere regret had the stranger been the best known and best loved among themselves. The circumstances under which the melancholy occurrence took place are as follow:— Mr. John BORRER, junior, who practised as a surgeon in Brighton, was an outside passenger on the Whitehaven and Carlisle mail on Saturday last. It arrived in this town a few minutes after its usual time—shortly before two o'clock, and when passing the narrow portion of English-street between the Wool Pack inn and the Fish Market, or Old Guard House, the driver, in order to avoid a cart belonging to Mr. SALKELD of Monkhill Mill, which was coming from an opposite direction, was obliged to drive the horses, three in number, near the wall of the Fish Market. Mr. BORRER was sitting at the extremity of the seat behind the driver, and his left leg was brought into violent contact with the brick work of a flue which projects about ten inches from the wall, near its extremity. He was thrown from his seat, and dashed to the ground upon his back. He was immediately lifted and conveyed to the Royal Hotel, and Mr. ELLIOT, surgeon, was speedily in attendance. He examined the limb and finding it so much fractured as to render amputation necessary, and Mr. BORRER sinking from loss of blood, he compressed the arteries from which the blood was flowing and sent for other medical assistance. Dr. JACKSON and some others were soon upon the spot, and with their assistance, and at the urgent request of Mr. BORRER, who was collected and sensible, Mr. ELLIOT took off the limb. Stimulants were then administered, and there seemed for a time a possibility of the patient's recovery. Dr. PRICE, a physician of eminence from Brighton, who was acquainted with him, passing through this city on Sunday and hearing of the accident, visited him, and held a consultation with Mr. ELLIOT and Dr. JACKSON. Mr. BORRER then appeared to be progressing favourably, though much exhausted by the loss of blood, and every attention was paid to him that the skill of the medical gentlemen could suggest, and the unwearying solicitude of an anxious and devoted wife could administer. But all proved in vain. On Sunday the symptoms grew alarming; the patient rapidly lost strength; and continued to sink until Monday night about eight o'clock when he expired in the arms of his distressed wife. Her parents, and Mr. BORRER's partner, Mr. LAWRENCE, had arrived from Brighton in the course of the day. Mr. BORRER was twenty-nine years of age, and had been married little more than a week—on Thursday se'nnight. He was returning from his wedding jaunt when he met with the unfortunate accident which has plunged his bride, who was inside the coach at the time, into the afflictions of a premature widowhood. The following slight sketch will enable the reader to understand the locality where this most unfortunate accident occurred:— __C__ __D__ | | | | East _______| |____________| |____________E______ |___| ENGLISH STREET. *Cart. West __ ___________________ ____________________ |__| |_____| A B A. St. Cuthbert's Lane. B. The Wool Pack Inn. C. Entrance to the News Room. D. Entrance to Fish Market. E. Projecting flue, 10 inches. >From the wall of the Fish Market, beneath the flue to the kerb stone on the opposite side, is 16½ feet—so that the coach and cart had barely room to pass each other. THE INQEST. An inquest was held upon the body of the deceased, before Mr. CARRICK, coroner, on Tuesday morning, before the following jury: JURY. John CARRICK, foreman. Edward CASTLE. William WILSON. Wm. RICHARDSON. William WRIGHT. George FORSTER. John SOWERBY. William CARRUTHERS. John BROWN. Wm. NANSON. Christopher TAYLOR. John WELSH. Jacob MILBURN. Joseph HARRISON—I live at the Wool Pack inn, in this city. It is immediately opposite the Fish Market, in English-street, in the parish of St. Cuthbert. I was there on Saturday last, when the accident occurred. It would be between one and two o'clock. I was in the gateway. This was at the time the Whitehaven coach was coming past; it was the mail. I have seen the driver; but he is a stranger to me. I don't know how many passengers were on the top or in the inside of the coach. A cart belonging to Mr. SALKELD, of Monkhill Mill, was going in the opposite direction. It was driven by a female; but I can't say what her name was. She had reins to her horse, and had a little girl in the cart with her. There was no other cart near, that I observed. To the best of my opinion, I think the coach was going at its usual speed. I don't know how many miles an hour the usual speed is. The street is not sufficiently wide to admit of three carriages. The cart was not close up to the kerb stone. The coach was going very near the wall at the time. There is a chimney at the outside of the wall of the Fish market, just at the place where the coach and the cart met, and it projects out from the wall. I did not observe what distance there was between the cart and the coach at this time. I did not see deceased strike against the wall. I only saw the seat which is behind the driver strike against the chimney, and he flew off after it struck. Deceased was sitting on that seat next to the wall, and he fell from the coach to the ground. A person of the name of Geo. JOHNSTON helped to lift him up, and he was carried away. I could not positively say whether the cart occupied more than half the road. The horse in the cart was a stupid animal. The woman pulled the reins as if to stop it, and instead of stopping it went more into the middle of the street. This was at the moment the horses were just passing the cart, and the movement of the cart horse was very sudden. I can't positively say whether from what I saw I would attach any blame to the driver. I think he might be driving too fast, not faster than usual, but too fast on a market day. By Mr. G. FOSTER—I did not observe whether the reins the woman in the cart had were cord or leather. By Mr. RICHARDSON—The horse had turned into the middle of the street before the coach came up. I dont know whether there was time to draw up after the cart backed. By the CORONER—I have seen coaches pass the brewery dray standing in front of our door. The coach was near the Fish Market gates at the moment the woman came into the narrow part of the street. I do not know how far the chimney is from the end of the wall. By Mr. RICHARDSON—The horse backed. I thought the woman had got hold of the wrong rein. The horse's head went more towards the Fish Market: the wheels went more into the channel. And as far as I was able to judge there was sufficient room between the horse's head and the Fish-market for the coach to pass. I do not know whether the coachman slackened his speed or not. Peter TURNER—I live in Mrs. YOUNG's yard, and am an assistant ostler. I was at the Grey Goat on Saturday. I sent Mrs. SALKELD's cart away on that day, near upon two o'clock. She was driving, and had reins to the horse's head, and was inside the cart. Her daughter was with her, and she went in the direction of the Fish-market. I led the horse a few yards from the door. I quitted before the coach came up,—when it was between the Fish-market gate and the corner of the Fish-market. The coach had then not come up to St. Cuthbert's lane. It was coming, I should guess, at the rate of between six and seven miles an hour. The cart might appear to be some sixteen or eighteen inches from the kerb stone, and the coach went past it without touching it at all. I did not see the cart back at all. I could not observe what distance there was between the horse and the coach. As the coach passed the cart the cart-horse threw up its head, but I did not observe it change its course. To the best of my knowledge there was sufficient room for the coach to pass. I was not able to see how far the coach was from the wall. The cart was below the chimney—perhaps three or four, or five yards. There is a deep gutter by the side of the market, and the wheels of coaches often slide down close against the wall. The horse is a sort of half bred thing, and always throws its head up; but I dare say it is quiet enough in the cart. I never had much to do with it, only bringing it round with the cart. By foolish, I mean it has an awkward way of throwing up its head, and it starts at everything it comes to. By the FOREMAN—The gates of the Fish-market were standing open. Robert BLAMIRE—I am a blacksmith, and live in Caldewgate. I saw the accident happen. I was standing at the corner just beside the chimney, sheltering from a shower of rain. I was within a yard of the chimney, on the west side of it, near the bow-window, against the fish-house wall. I saw a cart standing anenst the foot stone in front of the Woolpack. I did not take notice whether any one was in the cart. This was just at the moment the Whitehaven coach was coming up. There were three horses in it. I don't know who the coachman was. The coach was going gaily fast. There was scarcely room, as I looked at it, for the coach to get by without coming against the wall. When the coachman came up to the wall, he appeared to draw up nearer the fish-house wall to avoid the cart. The cart-horse's head was anenst the door, and the cart was rather ahint. I was peeping by the corner. I saw the coach when it hit the wall, and it then hit the chimney. If there had been no chimney there would have been no mischief. The deceased was sitting on the second seat, just behind the driver, and it stands out a bit from the coach. The man's thigh struck the chimney first, and then the iron rail struck it. He was sitting on the outside of this seat; his right thigh was resting on the seat, and his left thigh resting on the rail. If he had kept upon the seat he could not have hit the chimney. He was twisted round with the force of the blow, and it threw him completely round. As soon as ever the coach got by the corner he fell off—clear of the coach, and very near fell a-top of me and another man. He dropped at our feet on his back, past the corner of the wall—not between the coach and the wall. The old chap that was standing beside me said, "he's felt." I lifted his leg, and the left knee was broke all to pieces. The trowsers above it were cut clean round. No blood had come. We asked him where he would like to be carried. He could not speak, and then we'd gone on a little bit, he mentioned "Hotel;" and we brought him right on to the Royal. The coach stopped when it got by the corner. We put the man down in a room, and the doctors came. They said we could do no good, and we left him. By Mr. RICHARDSON—I was looking by to see if it was fair when I saw the coach coming by St. Cuthbert's lane end. I could not see what room there was between the cart and the coach: they were between me. John LAWRENCE—I live at Brighton, and am a surgeon. I knew the deceased. His name was John BORRER, and he was also a surgeon in Brighton. That is his body which I have shown to you to-day. He was married last Thursday week, and he and his wife were on their marriage jaunt. They were married in London. He is about 29 years of age. John GRAHAM, superintendent of police, Carlisle—I have measured the different distances of the street where the accident occurred. >From the base of the wall to the kerb is sixteen feet and a half. This is from the base below the chimney. The projection of the chimney nine inches and three-quarters. The distance between the chimney and the entrance to the fish-market, about ten yards and a half. The projection of the iron gates when turned outside, is nineteen inches. The distance of the chimney from the west end of the market is bout a foot. The channel alongside the wall is about three inches below the level, and is about nine inches from the wall. If the wheel of the coach had been running in the channel, the seat of the coach must have necessarily come in contact with the chimney. I never before heard of any accident with the chimney; nor did I ever hear any complaint made of it. Thomas ELLIOT—I am a surgeon in Carlisle. About two o'clock on Saturday afternoon I first saw the deceased, in an up-stairs room in the Royal Hotel. He had just been brought in. He was bleeding profusely at the time from a wound in the left leg, near the knee. I immediately compressed the femoral artery and caused his trowsers to be removed. Had I not done so he must have bled to death. The nature of the injury was what is called compound dislocation of the knee joint. The coverings were torn through. The thigh bone was broken and much splintered. The large artery behind the joint must have been torn through. He was perfectly sensible and collected, and as soon as he saw the limb he requested it to be amputated immediately. I told him it was useless flattering him—it must come off, and the sooner the better. I sent for Dr. JACKSON and Dr. ATKINSON, and some three or four others attended. I amputated the leg about half an hour after the accident. From the time that I attended him there was no blood lost at all. He remained perfectly sensible during the operation, and was removed to his bed. We administered stimulants—brandy and wine. The case went satisfactorily at first. About twenty-nine hours afterwards Mrs. BORRER told me he had been slightly delirious. I found him cold at his extremities. His pulse was feeble, and he was labouring under the combined effects of shock and loss of blood. Stimulants were administered very freely. He had two bottles of wine and half a bottle of brandy during the night without any effect. Dr. PRICE, of Brighton, was passing through on the Sunday, and we held a consultation during the day. At six in the evening, as soon as I observed the change, I wrote him a note, saying I was afraid deceased was sinking. He died last night, about eight o'clock. The cause of the death I should say was the combined effects of the shock to his system and the loss of blood. Mr. LAWRENCE saw him about six hours before his death. He was then sinking, and only occasionally sensible. Mr. LAWRENCE—I beg to thank the medical men and the proprietor of the hotel, in the name of his friends, for the very great attention they have paid to deceased. I am quite satisfied with Mr. ELLIOT's treatment—quite satisfied. The party thrown off the coach was Mr. HULLOCK, of Carlton, near Penrith, and it being deemed advisable to examine him, as one of the passengers, the inquest was adjourned until ten o'clock on Thursday, the coroner intimating that he would not take the evidence of the driver of the coach, unless it might turn out essential to the enquiry. [to be continued]