§ MR. BELL (Derby)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade, whether his attention has been called to an accident which occurred at Monasterevan, Great Southern and Western Railway, Ireland, on the 11th of November last year, when the line gave way under the 10.5 p.m. train from Kingsbridge to Cork, causing a milk truck and the guard's van to roll down the embankment, injuring the, guard; and, if so, will he state the cause of the line giving way and the date the Company reported such accident to the Board of Trade.
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURYes, Sir. My attention has been called to the accident referred to. It would appear from the Railway Company's explanations that relaying operations had been in progress at the place in question, and from some cause which has not been ascertained the rear portion of a goods train was derailed. The Company's officers were unable to agree as to the cause of the accident, and as the occurrence was not reported to the Board 231 of Trade until the 21st August last, the Department had not an opportunity of ordering an inquiry at a time when a formal investigation would have been of service. The Company have explained that the delay in reporting the accident was due to an oversight, which they regret, and they state that steps have been taken to ensure that any future accidents shall be promptly reported to the Board.