The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1862-10-21 00:00:00

TEIE CHAPTER OF ACCIDENTS.

FRIGHTFUL COLLISION ON THE EDINBURGH AND
GLASGOW RAILWAY.—The frightful collision which
occurred on the Edinburgh and Glasgow railway on the
night of Monday, the 13th inst., has created an intense
sensation in the district, the catastrophe being quite
unprecedented in the railway history of Scotland.
Seventeen lives, it is ascertained, have been lost, and
several more still hang in the balance. The loss of
life appertains exclusively to the district served by the
line, the trains both being third-class, and stopping at
every station. The collision took place about • quarter
before 7 o'clock on Monday night, in • portion of the
line enclosed by heavy retaining walls, with an embank-
ment above, rising to the height of 30 or 40 feet. For
several miles the line here runs through a deep cutting,
and for a long part of the way between the bare rooks,
bet at the point near Craigtown Bridge, where the
disaster occurred, the aides are formed by built walla
and embankments of unusual altitude. Unfortunately
also the line is curved at this point, thus shutting out
the possibility of observation beyond the distance of '
200 to 300 yards. For a considerable distance on this
confined and dangerous part of the line the rails have
been undergoing the progress of relaying. The whole
traffic was thus conveyed on the south (up) lino of
rails, the north (down) line being blocked during the
repair. The safety of the line was provided for to this
extent, that no train was to proceed east or west unless
the pilot-engine were in waiting to follow, A pointsman,
named George Newton. was stationed at the west-end of
the single line. His duty was not to let any train pass
eastward until the pilot-engine had past westward, thus
indicating that the line was clear. The passenger-train
leaving Edinburgh at 6 p.m. should have cleared the
single line before the passenger-train leaving Glasgow at I
5 p.m, passed over. The pointsman, bye fatal blunder,
mistook a ballaat engine, which was taking the surface
men, employed in the relay, home from the scene of
their labours, for the pilot-engine, which should follow
the Edinburgh train. The Glasgow train, coming up
sharp to time, was, therefore, allowed by him to enter
on the single line before the Edinburgh train had
passed over The consequence Wee that the two trains
met, as probably two trains never met before, running at
high speed against each other. The results are easier
I imagined than described. The drivers, it would appear
both reversed their ecgines, applied their breaks, and
sounded their shrill whistles to each other. But it
was all too late. The trains met in furious and most
fatal conflict. The engineman and fireman of the
Edinburgh train were killed at once, as also was the
stoker of the Glasgow train, The driver of the latter
jumped off, but was seriously injured. The coma

(ponces were most severe to the third-class passengers,
who in both cases oc.;upied the front part of the trains,
but even the first-class passengers sustained
most awful shock, and one or two of them are
7quong the killed and injured. There was scarcely a
person in either train who altogether escaped, and
between the two trains there were probably 2110
pasmngers, of whom nearly the half were killed or
severely injured. On Tuesday George Newton, the
imintsman. WAX apprehended by the Linlitligowshire
and it is thought that other arrests may follow.
The line, which hail been blocked up by the disaster,
has been re-opened for traffic, the most diligent
exertions having been made all night for the purpose.
Newton has been two years in the service of the com-
pany, and was reputed a very sober and attentive man.
ffe had been placed in charge of the portion of the line
on which the accident took place two days previonsly,
and not, as has been stated in BOMA of the newspapers,
only six hours. In addition to the loss of life incurred
the lose of property to the company is very great, and
it is probable that the damages they will have to pay
will be immense, on account of the well-to-do condition
of the main body of those who were killed or wounded.
Both engines are, it is said so smashed as to prevent
their ever being ay.ilahla again, and the cost of the
engines 011ie is very large. The general opinion
in Edinburgh among well-informed persons is that
this acch ait will not cost the company much less than
from £5Oll I to £60,000 ; but to a great extent this of
course must be matter of conjecture. No such railway
accident se this has ever before occurred in Scotland.

SHOCKING ACCIDENT AT ROCHDALE.—On Wednea-
day afternoon an extraordinary accident happened in a
narmw thoroughfare called the Baum, at Weirdole.
One of the warebon.es in the street, four storeys in
height, was occupied in the lower part by Mr. Petrie,
ironmonger, in the upper part by Mr. Jackson, machine
broker, and on Wednesday afternoon a sale of
machinery was going on in the third story, about forty
persons being present. About half-past three, while
the sale was progressing, the flooring between two
beams suddenly gave way, carrying with it the persons
and machinery standing upon it, and breaking through
the floor below. Several of the unfortunate people and
some machines were checked at the next floor, while
the remainder (men and machinery), breaking through,
descended to the basement. The persons, including
the auctioneer, who were left in the sale room,
were rut off from retreat by the chasm thus
formed. The noise was beard in a ware-
house opposite, and three gentlemen from it were the
first to enter. They resened one man, end shortly
after it crowd Collected, rendering it necessary to turn
out the whole police force in Roehdale to protect those
working in clearing out the ruins. The fire-escape was
brought, and by this the men upstairs descended,
while those in the ruins below were taken out. The
lifeless body of Mr. Abraham Knight, broker, Black-
water-street, was soon brought out, and shortly after
the body of John Turner, cotton-spinner, Corn min
Brow. Mr. Mattley, of South-lane, lay fixed by a por-
tion of a scutcher of three tons weight, which it was
necessary to break up before he could be released, and
shortly after the arrival of one of his sons he had ceased
to exist. These were all that were killed, but a good
number, at least eleven named, were bruised, crushed,
cut, and otherwise injured. A man named Richard
Priestly had a very narrow escape. He was standing by
the scales in the saleroom when he felt the floor give
way, but, seizing the scale chains, he fortunately saved
himself.