MR. M. T. BASSasked the President of the Board of Trade, If he has any information respecting the case of Edwin Chivers, a Fireman on the Great Western Railway, who is reported to have died in his chair after being twenty-one hours on his engine and eleven hours without food?
§ MR. CHICHESTER FORTESCUE,in reply, said, he had no official knowledge of that occurrence; but in consequence of his hon. Friend's Question he had written for information about it to the Great Western Railway Company, who had sent him a statement which amounted to this—"that the unfortunate man Chivers had been on duty on the day in question for a great length of time in consequence of his train being detained through some delays on another line;" but that during that time he had several intervals of an hour or two or more, when ho might easily have obtained refreshment if he had pleased. The statement added that it was contrary to the rules of the company for any servant of Chivers' class to go on duty without having had at least nine clear hours of rest, and that in this case the deceased had had more than 13 hours' rest before he began his work. It was further stated that at the inquest it was shown that the man had suffered from enlargement of the heart, brought on by natural causes, and that a verdict was given accordingly.