§ MR. ESSLEMONTasked the Postmaster General whether his attention had been called to the sad death of a passenger between Aberdeen and London, near Carlisle, alleged to have been caused by mailbags; and, if so, what steps, if any, had been taken to prevent a recurrence of any similar fatality?
§ MR. RAIKESI heard with much regret of the lamentable accident referred to by the hon. Member, which, I believe, is the only one of the kind that has ever happened, and I immediately caused special inquiry to be made by an experienced officer, who was sent to the neighbourhood for the purpose. It appears that the unfortunate passenger, who had been taken ill in the train, was leaning as far as possible out of the window of her carriage, and thus came in contact with the pouch suspended from the standard of the apparatus used for exchanging mailbags. Although the apparatus, which is of the usual description, was accurately adjusted and in perfect working order, and there can be no doubt that the sad fatality was purely accidental, yet I will not fail to pursue the inquiry in order to secure for the public all possible precautions against accident.