In consequence of the extreme proximity of the' tunnel, and the very limited view which is 

obtained from the station of all trains arriving from Pimlico and Victoria. Station, much pains 

have been taken to cover the junction and station by proper signals, and no train from Victoria 

Station is permitted to leave Gipsy Hill Station for the Crystal Palace until the signalman at 

the junction, who is stationed in a box about 25 yards outside the mouth of the tunnel, gives 

the signal that the line is clear; and as soon as a train coming from Victoria Station enters the 

tunnel, he rings a large hand-bell as a warning to persons on the platforms and to the 

company’s servants. An up London, Chatham, and Dover train due at the Crystal Palace 

station at 9.50 a.m. arrived there at the proper time, and the passengers by it (20 to 30), who 

intended to proceed to London Bridge, got out of the train on to the south or up main line 

platform, and after giving up their tickets proceeded to take others for London Bridge. 

Among the number was a female passenger, Mrs. Lynch, who had only taken a ticket from 

Faversham to Strood, intending to proceed by the North Kent line from Strood to London 

Bridge; but when she arrived at Strood she told the guard that she would go on to the Crystal 

Palace Station, and from thence to London Bridge. After she had taken her ticket from the 

Crystal Palace station to London Bridge, the inspector of tickets had some difficulty in 

making her understand that there was still as to pay; as the fare from Strood to the Crystal 

Palace, and some delay in consequence occurred, which was the ultimate cause of her death.

The up main line platform, at which the London, Chatham, and Dover train had stopped, is 

situated south of the four lines of railway, and the platform from which all passengers going 

to London Bridge enter the carriages is north of the four lines of rail. way, and there is a 

distance of 112 feet which must be traversed to get from One to the other, crossing on the 

level four separate lines of railway. As soon as the London, Chatham, and Dover train had 

left, the passengers going to London Bridge were conducted by two of the Company’s 

servants across the up and down main lines, and afterwards across the up and down branch 

lines, in the same way and with the same precautions. There is a gate between the main and 

branch lines, which is kept locked, and the key was in the possession of one of these two 

men; and the inspector of tickets informed me that after the female passenger, Mrs. Lynch, 

had paid him the fare from Strood to the Crystal Palace, she crossed the up and down main 

lines and the down line to Victoria Station; that he saw porter Eager standing with the gate, to 

which I have referred, in his hand, south of the down line to Victoria Station; that all the other 

passengers had gone across, except a young gentleman whom he had with him; that he saw an 

up London Bridge train emerging from the tunnel, and he had before heard the warning-bell 

rung by the signalman, and he called out to porter Eager to look after the woman; that he was 

still at the gate when he called to him, and the woman was under the archway between the up 

and down branch lines, and he (the inspector) we still on the up main platform when he called 

out, and he crossed over the three lines of railway with the young gentleman, and waited at 

the south side of the up London Bridge line till the train had entirely passed ; that the engine 

and tender and 4 or 5 carriages had passed when he got and there were about 11 carriages 

altogether ; that the train was going very slow in order to stop at the up London platform; that 

he saw nothing of the woman or porter Eager after he called out, until the train had passed, 

and then both were found between the rails about 17 yards farther out than the boarded 

crossing over which they were passing when caught by the train and run over. They were 

laying about three yards from each other; that the woman was dead, and the porter Eager died 

in the course of five minutes. A ticket collector informed me that as the train was running into 

the station he looked for the No. of the engine, and while doing so he saw the female 

passenger crossing the up London line and porter Eager was in the act of trying to get her 

away, and, from what he could see, was endeavouring to pull her back. The engine was then

close on them, and immediately ran over them.