Labourer run over by train THE LANCASTER AND CARLISLE RAILWAY.- An inquest was held before Mr. W. Carrick, county coroner, at Southwaite, on Monday last, on view of the body of James Cains, labourer, aged 32 years, late of the Elephant Inn, Broadfield. The deceased had attended Carlisle hiring on Saturday and returned by the mid-afternoon train to Southwaite station. After partaking of some ale at the beershop at Southwaite he proceeded on his way towards his house, and was not again seen alive. This was a few minutes after 5 o'clock. Instead of keeping the public road which leads to his house, deceased had got over the rails and walked along the line nearly a mile. The express down train, which was 20 minutes behind time, left Penrith a minute after 6. When about a mile short of Southwaite station, while running at the rate of 38 miles an hour, the engineman and stoker felt the engine receive a shock and pass over some object on the rails, which at the moment they believed to be a hors or cow. The break was applied, and the train brought to a standstill as soon as possible, but not till the train had reached the station. The body of the deceased was found on the rails, presenting a shocking appearance. The body was literally torn to pieces, not a single portion being free from injury. It is supposed that the deceased had lain down on the railway and fallen asleep. The jury returned a verdict of "Accidental Death." One of the jury, it appeared, had not long ago, had a miraculous escape from death under similar circumstances. He had lain down between the lines and fallen asleep with his right arm across one of the rails. A train coming up passed over his arm and separated it from his body.- Whitehaven Herald. *The assumption has been made that the "Monday last" in the article refers to Monday 17th, however if the 10th was the date of the enquiry, then the date of the accident was 8th November 1851. The Times newspaper 18 th November 1851
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