Glamorgan Lovelucks

From Allen Blethyn, email 15-Jun-03:

On Friday the 21st of August 1867, an inquest was held at the Miners Arms, Taibach, before the coroner, H.Cuthbertson, Esq. and a respectable jury [ of which Mr. J.W.Vintinwas forman ], to enquireinto the death of Mr David Marendaz, of Tydraw, farmer, and William Jones his servant. According to the evidence of another servant of Mr. Marendaz, who was present at the time of the accident, it appeared that himself , fellow servant , and master, were on the morning of Wednsday, the 21st. inst. procceding with two carts to fetch hay from some fields across the railway. When they arrived at the level crossing the witness crossed to open the gate, which as it would not stand open of itself he fastened with a stick which he found. One cart was taken over safely, but while the last cart was crossing over it was run over by the mail train, which was due in Port Talbot at 3.44 a.m. and which according to the evidence of the engine driver, Robert Parish, arrived at Port Talbot Station only three minutes after time, although after the collision he had brought the train to a stand still about three quarters of a mile from where the accident had occurred. The engine driver desposed that that he had ran against some piece of wood or iron which had been placed across the rails, and that when he stopped the train he examined the engine to see if any part of it was broken, but finding it whole he proceeded on to his journey to Port Talbot where he informed the officals that he had ran into something a few miles back. On arriving at Swansea he got under the engine and found the different parts of it covered with blood. He also stated that it was quite dark, and that the stoker was in the act of stirring the fire in the grate when the collision occurred. his instructions were to cause the engine to whistle at every level crossing, but he had not done so in this case , not knowing that it was a level crossing , although he had known this part of the line for about twelve years. The train was proceeding at its usual pace from 45 to 50 miles an hour . Mr. John Joseph of Duffryn Isah farmer desposed the level crossing was a parish road called Heol-y-Diled, and that the two gates at the crossing needed to have proper fastenings for keeping those open, but that they had been taken off some years. Mr. Simons, solicitor of Merthyr Tydvil, attended to watch the proceedings on behalf the representatives of Mr. Marendaz.. The jury returned a verdict of accidental death, and desired the coroner to inform the railway authorities that they consider that the fastenings ought to be immeadiatly replaced, and that a man should be placed at the crossing to prevent future accidents.