THE FATAL TUNNEL

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 93, 17 October 1934, Page 16

THE FATAL TUNNEL

GIRL'S DEATH IN TRAIN

How a London girl met her death m a London to Brighton electric tram travelling at sixty miles an hour was recently told at an inquest at Brighton, says a London paper. The girl, Lillian Hannan, aged 19, died from a fractured skull sustained when her head struck the side of Clayton tunnol, near Brighton. There were six people in the compartment, including Miss Hannan and two friends, Ernest Eussell and Miss Flora Halliday. It was stated that Miss Hannan and her two friends were going to Worthing for a day's outing. "We kept looking out of the window," Miss Halliday said. "Lillian was in a jolly mood. As the train approached Clayton tunnel I sat down and shouted, 'Look out, Lillian, there's a tunnel coming.' Suddenly there was a noiso like a sharp clap, and Lillian flopped forward and doubled np half out_ of the carriage window. The communication cord was pulled and the train stopped almost immediately.'' Eailway officials described how a special train was takon to the tunnel to help solve the girl's death. The train included the carriage in which Miss Hannan was travelling. Photographs were taken, and it was found that a mark showed where Miss Hannan's head had come into contact with the tunnel wall.

An official stated that more than five million passengers a year passed through the Clayton tunnel, and there had never been a similar accident on the Brighton line.

The Coroner pointed out that the case called attention to the great danger of leaning out of carriage windows. The verdict was "Death from misadventure."