The inquiry into the Aisgill railway accident was resumed at
the Board of Trade Offices at Whitehall on Monday. Evidence given by Captain Hill of the Royal Fusiliers, Mr. Roland Brander, and Dr. Drake pointed to a shortage of tools and delay in obtaining them, the absence of any official direction, and the firing of the carriages by the explosion of gas. The officials, on the other hand, unanimously held that the carriages were fired by live cinders from the engine. .According to Mr. Brander, no one directed the rescue operations. " They were all groping for what they could get." Major Pringle stated that as a result of the evidence taken before the inquiry was opened to the public there was no doubt that the signals were at danger or that the Mallerstang signalman warned the Aisgill signalman that a train had passed his signals when they were at danger and was running away. We may add here that evidence given at the inquest on Wednesday showed that the home signal had been lowered and was only put back at danger when the second train was seventy or eighty yards off.
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