The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-01-05 00:00:00

FATAL TRAM ACCIDENT.

An extraordinary and melancholy accident occurred
on the Wigan and Pemberton Tramway on Saturday
morning, resulting in the death of Mr. 'l'. W. Barker,
solicitor, of Southport, the coroner for the West
Derby division for the county of Lancaster. Mr.
Barker had been holding an inquest at Pemberton on
the body of a lad killed at a colliery in that town.
ship, and left the terminus at Pemberton for Wigan
by the twelve o'clock tram. They proceeded all right
to the Lancashire Union Railway Bridge at Newton,
a distance of a mile and a quarter from Pemberton
terminus, and here they had to wait at the pausing
place for the tram coming from Wiwan before they
could go further. Tnis portion of the Wigan tramway
system is worked exclusively by steam, and hitherto
there had been a remarkable absence of accidents. At
Wigan and Pemberton, the terminus of this branch,
there are triangular sidings, for the purpose of turning
round the steam engines. The driver of the tram
which had just reached Pemberton uncoupled his
engine in order to get round to the opposite
end of the car for his return journey, leaving the car-
riage on what may be described as one side of the
triangle. He proceeded with his engine along the
second side and then on to the third, which leads to
the main line for Wigan. While ccming along this
he observed a child in front, and immediately, it is
alleged, he jumped down and snatched the child out
of danger, but in doing go he wa3 caught by the (glebe
and thrown down. When the driver recovered bin:-
self he found that his engine had increased in speed,
owing to the incline, and although he managed to get
up to it, he failed, it is said, to catch hold, and the
engine sped on. From here to Newtown it is one
regular descent, and for the last quarter of a mile a
very steep one, the gradients vary from one in 40 to
one in 25. As it rushed along the engine gradually
gained in speed to the terror of the passere.hy. Near
the Half-Way House Inn, about 1,000 yards from the
terminus, it overturned a horse and cart, then dashed
down the Spring Bank, and smashed with great force
into the tramcar which was standing at the junction
nearly at the bottom of the hill. In this car there
were. only five passengers, Mr. Parry, corn-
/136,10n agent, who W 39 seated close to the door
at the back of the car, saw the approaehing
engine, hut only when it was almost upon
them. Ho cried out and his fellow passengers at
once made for the door, and all jumped off but Mr.
Barker, who hai been seated at the furthest end of
the carriage, and who was consequently the last to
leave. He was canght jirst ae he was stepping off
between the engine and the back part of the car, being
tightly jammed in between the body of the vehicle and
toe shone. The stationary engine in front of the car
vim forced from the line and literally lifted on to the
footpath and into the liedze, while the rilro,vaY eneine
drove the standing tram a distance of 100 yards, both
keeping to the track, its further mad course being
stopped by the approaching engine and car from
Wigan, The back part of the car was smashed and,the
framework of both engines broken, but the machinery
reerned not to have been greatly damaged. Mr.
Barker was found to be so tightly jammed in by the
broken framework that the help of several persons had
to be obtained Wore he °mad be extricated. He was

then unconscious and almost pulseless, and survived
only a few minutes. Both his legs had been broken,
and three ribs also smashed. The driver of the
stationary engine was cut about the face, but be wae
able to proceed home.