The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1878-09-10 00:00:00

wIMBORIIII.
FATAL ACCIDEVT ON THE LONDON AND
sorra WRSTKRN RAILWAY AT WKST
MOOILA

- - - --
An Inquest was held on Thursday, eth inst., by Mr.
Arthur Read, deputy coroner for the hundred of
Creed:ono% at the Railway Inn, Wed Moors, touching the
death of John Wilcox, aged 89 years, who was killed by a
passing train at the level crafting shortly before 8 o'clock
on Tuesday evening 6 h lost The evidence went to show
that the deossesd, who was the gate man at Rest Moors
station where there is a level crossing, on the evening
in question lied opened the gates to het some carts
through Just before the train was doe and was in the act
of shutting the gat* when the train peeled and killed
him on the 'pot. Re was hurled several yards on the line
and one of the pates Intaatad. There was not the slightest
tgagiq attached to any one but the poor fellow himself, be
had been at the crossing several years Lod the evening
ass dirk, The Jury returned • verdict of Accidental
Death.' The Deputy Chief Connell* attended to watch
the case, and the Railway Company Inspector, Mr.
Garclessr, from Southanftwn, wee tenement
WRIT. ORM 7 OR.

THE CLEVER ESCAPE FROM AN ASYLUM.
It will be remembered that some time towards the
latter end of last year a very impudent robbery of
five gold and two silver watches was committed by •
man and woman at Portland. They alleged they
were man and wile, and the woman, it being considered
had been costsisd by her husband, was discharged.
The man, however, was committed for trial at the
Amine. While confined in Dorchester jail he either
became mad or simulated—at all event• as results
showed there was "a method " in it—madness, and he
was removed to the Asylum at Charminster.
there ho was visited several times by his sell-styled
wife, and on the 13th of Sember she also gave him
a cal In the case of married couples it appears they
are I.ft to theists lees in the visiting room. This humane
treatment appear. to hay. been Laken advan-
tage ,d by the worthy couple • for when the warier.
fancying the interview aiinewlat pro' mgeil ventured
t, look in bah Hr. and Mrs. Levy had Levy-an'ed,
leaving behind th-m, cmcwiled up the chimney, the
jacket and wai,tomt of the former. Every posdble
sear,.l MAP male, lint without effect. until Saturday
when the female, like the fob-h moth, Yea. teml,t•,l
by an excnmiou to %Vern nub to re-visit the scene
her exploit. She was apprehended and brought to
Dorchester yesterday (Mondav) and charged before
Mr. Thornton with having by divers and wicked Awful Accident on the Thames.
means aided and abetted Isaac Levi to unapt from
the asylum. LOSS OF OVER SHE HUNDRED LIVES.
The manner, who bowled and sobbed, was dressed in
turning, and is one of the
dbty, tawdry clotb,es 4 faihionable cat, and said she mu It occurred on Tuesda
• native of New Tort
y. sy,nes the Ma lical Sup-rintmd mt of the Asylum most terrible of catastrophes. The Princess Allot, on.
stat d [vac i was committ do. th • latli of August the largest saloon steamers of the London team-bo:t
from th- Conroy Gaol whence h had been brought %Ind.,' Company, with Sir or seven hundred persons on booed,
an order from Us, Summery of Swim. Nether. remained left London abo.ttnutdnitteur...rin
voediclockwimteiTintedziaiteomiro,hdribolcia4tyoal
prionul.thee.r
to see
haimii•Pm rais
wifher.., nun: lubf.dh
prclea,Ltbley
juGirathvesseevnemnid on
doss so three Of four times. Sh• remained with him OM Amnia, woniwieh, about won, when a
lw
on hour in thevloltiveroose. As • "le man sad wife steamer, rid to bonamed th- Bywell Cas-tl—'-e,wasscrisee:
were bit alone with Me door opens. that ko.
back and forward could see them Shortly akar llPPeeuening on the °Pite °mint rho two
reported to him theyortoo both ama The whet.. the steamers were near the middle of the stream just off
as the ground flow and could have beta easily the well-known City of London Gee works at 13eckton,
opened but es so one saw them get away they could only and just below North Woolwich Gardens, almost the
Imagine that was the way in which they did ao. Tye or prod*, spot, in fact, where the fearful collision took
the1.1....y to
.toenfromwi;rdtialysenhauytpuiicuttoandthuLb.tant3o.o4...mthice.gt sch.ttlesabrfsearcdithtriniadi
.01e,
detail.
houidAurreenthathathepp4iaedtiskilnitsaisd.wiW.p..deuttlortbunh.....wdeet......
yenta
secreted in the chimney the Jacket and waistcoat, whisk
he wss in the habit at Inuring. Oa. of the norms saw that the sarew struck the Prince's Alice on the port
him dressed in the room Is oilier clothes, and she imagined ado ow the Sir°rlr.at and • emu* which hoo had an
him to be cue of the visitor& Upon beeline this he west parallel on the river occurred. A tew—yr
wsids 01 the rumor, but the was about three hove climbed on the oasar asasol. Nearly all riehed to 'be
too quick tor Wrote bating loft Wettoonth. aft part of the steamer. As the bow subsided
sepertewewhow Batty asked fee a reman& wince gradually under water the shrieks were fearful, and
was mated. nothing °add be dope to IMO lii., The,. were a
The liadatrates intimated tob•r that It "Sid be all doses of morelthibuoys on board, and some hosts
the bettor for her if she told where Levi wet She
=.6, bed not semi him for nine maths. when go ww• swinging in the davits, but OM if they could
in some irsdffnit at inwilialt have been got at they would not have been of much um'
agaosibs2,7 many. The Prince's Alice sank dorm
orAyistOirx. gad , and within five mintier of the fatal blow
tire= TuAnneneeien Sawskis was ll= she isomolotoly over and sank in deep water.
de Thursday last. The churls eras nicely small hada which happened to be near hastened
Ink. Roper Oers. vegetables lowers, ferns, and the dreadful MIA and the Duke of Tack, anot ter
W.A.& were about the rhumb. The steamer beloeging to the same company, which wee
-.dusted by the Rector. goy. U. also on her peerage up with • party of excuraionists,
ofternoost service was c•-•-__ •-•mws, and kraut beine made haste to rescue ; but the river for • hundred
W. Gur,arnw°lwileu PleMe:ei,"-„ooefutittlt" inutusu yards was full of drowning Pao* screaming in
used. After the service so - • stood
,f a wawa, gm. ray. gestleossa nO. - • t welsh and praying for help.
harvest is a Ilssslng to ag slams and snansoss "OS only coherent account of the Adak that could
w.
to be thankfuL sir. J. a manes' Pi= be gleaned wives by a omeenrer on board the
labowson on Lee farm a bountiful dinner the service, . de - landlord
of
am
the anis plagyeasin oleo giving • free tea to all who ohm Dabs of Took Mr. Warm
Miss rooks., Wadi** wbo. Mita by Ms.
So aims "alba *ninths& a vikabssabe Sam

TBArmaticm Soo irrr.--The annual festival in cone
13•C1i0312 with the n se seciely cams otf on Tuesday. A.
proomislon was f ,rmed at two o'clock, consisting of the
Bard of Hops and inembers of the society, and marched
to the parish cbureh, "eh. re • very suitable !sermon was
Preached by the R.v. 0. L Hansel. president of the
Dorset County Temperance AASOCIMIOO.
Hamner Houg.-01 1 hursday last Mr. J. C. Hansel-
Plesdel. ievi,od all his w ik people to a religions service
at Cienston Church, when a euitable addresa was given by
theater. Guy, after service they went to Whatcombe
Mouse, where plenty of the good things of this life was
provided for both the work people and their *twee, the
newel touts having b--en one through, hehrty cheers
were given for Mr. ailti Ira Pleydell and fend 7. Alter
•-rv•ce the pro VeSiOn wee re-formed and went to Wi.c-
-c doh." Howie from thecre to the reading rooms where
tee was pr.vided for the Bowl of Hope, about eighty in
number, by the c qualities of the 'octet,, flea of ep,,i
alter which a public tea was provided, to which about
eighty attended In the evening • public reacting was
held, when addresses was given by the R. vs. a
w. (lank J. Luck D. Ballara, E. Snook, H.
Hibbs, and W. Gray. Ike,

Heavy Misted, alio of Woolwich, seesd severs' of
ths pawnor*. Borne half-dozen women are wrappod
in blanket. before the fire in toe Steam I'mlnit
kitchen, and about a dozen all were euppoed hi
have gone to their houses by rail composed the full
roll of survivors that soults be accounted for. The
dead are being brought in, men, woolen, and little
children, to the boird-rotto of the ...tea Packet c
palsy on Botts Wharf, which is turned into a tem
porary mortuary, and the KAI is lighted in the Town
Hall to receive more of titter ghastly tenants if need
be. But even of the rt cos ere.t deal Viere are not
many, only • score or no, all toll. The ft or of the
scanty board-room is elm et cos ered with the bodies.
and stretchere are being brought up (non the Duke of
Tack and the small boats, and all the police of tit*
town and the Arsenal are helping it. the work of laying
the corpses in order, putting labels on their breasts
and dung all the little that is to bo dons when all are
hspationt to do much.
The following is the statement of the second steward:
My name is st illiaus Alexander Law, living at 37,
Waosiy-street. Walwortb-road. I was second steward
ou board the Princess Alice. We left Gravesend at
about six o'clock. At the time of the oillipion I was
In the saloon and there were about 16 people there. The
time I should say was about a quarter to eight p.m.,
when I heard a crash. It was not very hes the
Scat time, and I said to thestewardess, "There', emus
=alongside." when immediately there was another
I ran upon deck and amid the confusion and
screams of the passengers 1 beard the water rushing
In below, and saw that we were sinking. I then
rushed to the top of the saloon ganoray, and shouted,
"Come on deck we are sinking." fbs scone on board
I shall never forget. I ran to a young lady with whom
I was keeping company and took her on ms shoulder,
being a good swimmer, and jumped overboard and
swam to the shore but as I was going mv poor girl
slipped off my shoulders or was dragged off and I loft
her, although I dived for her. I saw • gentleman
(Mr. Talbot, of Forestial!) who was sinking and
caught hold of him and held him up. In answer to
inquiries, he said that the stearin-r that ran them down
did not throw over a line or lower a boat, but went
on. He saw hundreds in the water drowning, but
couli not help thins. He thinks there were about 700
o_.

--Woolwich was on Thursday a sad place to visit,
though its appearance differed materially from that
which it presented on the previous day. None of
those borribk scenes occurred that on Wednesday
made the space in front of the building containing the
bodies hideous. There was no pushing, scrambling,
tearing, cursing, mob, strui.gling to invade the
mortuary. In the interval the military authoritimi had
made • fees simple but efficient mvangements which
enabled everything to be done 'decently and In
order." The bodies fished out of the river—upwards
of 60 in number—were reverently laid in • abed Within
the dockyard. The gates were guarded by the police.
and though large numbers came down by every
steamer eager for admittance, nobody was allowed to
enter who was manifestly befit only on gratifying
morbid curiosity. The groups who were pet mitted to
go in were restricted to about fifteen or sixteen persons
at • time. An to the actual identification, it went on
quietly. There was a little sobbing now and then,
but hardly any passionate outburets of sorrow; indeed,
mon than one woman was observed to identify her
children with little external show of anguish. Of
course, although the greatest care has been taken to
Preserve as far as poseible the features of the dead, yet
the corpses are ia most cameo fast decomposing. Effort,
have been made to collect all the bodice at Woolwich,
so as to save the waste of time which it incurred by
people running backwards and forwards to different
mortuaries on the riverside. The scene presented by
the long line of awe-stricken people through which
the litters bearing the dead reverently cotored from
the rude gaze of the crowd. are carried is one Inex-
pressibly mournful and solemn.
. .

•
Owing to an unfortunate—Tecbnical difficulty, it
appears impossible to avoid the inctintertience of
having • double inquest- -one in Kent and one in
Essex. But, ae far as practicable. the authorities will
do all in their power to minimise the annoyance which
must result front this disagreeable yet inevitable
necessity. A gratifying circumstance to record is that
the directors of the South.Eastent Railway have coin.
passionately given exceptional facilities for the con-
veyance to town of such bodies a. are identified. It
has come to their knowledge that larse numbers tit
the bereaved are 110. T people, who are tot in • position
to disburser heavy transit dues ou account of their
dead friende. Instructiona have therefore been given
by the railway authorstier to convey Issliee free of
charge between Woolwich and Londoullridge Stations.
As to the numbers lost the saute uncert.tinty exists
that prevail yesterday. One ticketholder declares
Clat his ticket was numbered 630. Another estimate
the number on board at about I,ooo—this opinion
being batted on the fact that great crowds of people
were shipped on the way after the Princess Alice left
Sheerness.

--1;:i;;;Vere than in Wo I rich the catastrophe excites
the keenest sympathy. The Queee has sent • message
uking for particulars relating to the catutrophe.
When informed as to the extent of the calamity the
Queen promptly sent a simple messoge of •ympathy
to the relatives and friends of those that had perished.
RAISING Or TIM WIULC/L.

Wednesday the lifting of the wreck of the Princess
Alice warn to be the event of the day. It was • neap
tide, and the water very slack. This, according to
nautical authorities, winild have its influence on the
operations for iecoveri g the sunken wreck, for there
is at lead aft. difference between low water at neap
tide and low water at spring tile, the difference being
tothe disadvantage of the operation.,, In short, the
Princess Alice was practically under an additional flft.
depth of water. Heavily laden passenger boats paswd
by on their way to Gravesend, and for a time the
Thames wore its wonted aspect. But on approaching
the Beckton Gas Works the scene rapioly changed.
The dark cloud which lay in the inid.ll 'f the stream
resolved itself into • large flotilla of skiffs and ther
rowing boats. Towering above them were the huge
lighters of the Thames Conservancy. Near at hand
lay the Heron. She had come again on the old
mournful errand. Our boat was soon among the
thickset of the fleet. It is hearteickening to have
to tell again the old story, but it was worm to see its
Incidents than to tell of them. The work id recover-
ing bodies seemed to be going on rapidly. Skiffs
were coming up from Erith, carrying corpse, just
found there. Some of thew bad been lifted Into the
boats and decently covered. In other cases, as
where there were only two men to a skiff, it hail been
impossib,e to lift the corpse into the boat, and it was
being towed astern. One id the company's steamers
moored off the Thames Conservancy lighter was the
head-quarters to which all rescued dead were brought.
Here the burdens were taken on board for conveyance
to Woolwich. A receipt was given for each body,
and on iiresenting the document to the magistrates at
Woolwich the holder would receive five shillings.
About noon the search of the wreck was for a time
nntritially succeesfuL Four bAies were found cling-
ing together, and shortly afterward. six were brought
up tightly locked in One rigid group. From these
discoveries it was Inferred that the saloon wise now
yielding up its ilea L This inference was shortly
afterwards corroborated. Mr. Wood id the Thames
Conservancy, who is directing the lifting of the wreck.
estimate* that up to two o'clock Thursday afternoon
one hundred and eighty belies had been recovered.
Kertween one and two o'ciock everything had been
got ready for fixing the first chain cable under the
Princess Alice. The condition of the wreck had now
been ascertained with tolerable accuracy, owing to the
diver's report, and Mr. Wood's personal verifications
of his statements. It was certain that the vessel wee
broken in twain, and that the parts were lying some
little distance asunder, but still longitudinally to each
other. A more extraordinary fact remains to be told.
It was found that the relative positions of the two
broken parte of the vessel had changed. The f re
portiens of the steamers had, in fact, been turned
completely round, and had drifted aatern of the all
portion.
It was the fore portion pert of the Princess Alice
that Mr. Wood had attempted to raise first. The
position and the bed in which the part of the wreck
had been lying had been awertained to • nicety. The
chain bight was speedily lowered in front of the bows
of the Princess Alice, and another chain was put
through the sunken vessel's haweehole for additional
security. The steam derricks were then vet to work.
The effect was immediately vi.ible. Fairly slung, the
fore part of the sunken steamer was slowly borne
towards the Southern snore, where it was intended to
beach it, either at the next low tide, about two o'clock
this morning, or at the succeeding ebb, which will
occur between two and three o'clock this afternoon.
In the course of their labours below water, the divers
made • fearful though not unexpected discovery.
They told how they had found, a. it roomed to them,
the cabins full of bodies, standing erect and packed
together, and at points of exit, whither they must
have crowded in the vain hope of reaching the freer
deck above.

--iled-S;Witile. the Heron, which lay close by, was still
receiving her freight of newly found b Captain
H avey and the two mates have been at work without
intermission since the night of the cavu .117 As we
board her for the return journey to Woolwich f ,urteen
b viles lie on her deck. Ills is her second journey to-
day.

POSO!IAL NAitRATTVES.

givAem. ribuygnortviheyrsorLhedf,ollhoewrsing narratives have been
Mr. areistant to Mr. Cockereli, 109,
Hamtnersmith.ned, has given the following narrative
of his escape, and he low of nearly the whole of his
party: " I wee with my wife, daug_hter, two eons,
niece, nephew, Go.rge May, and Mr. James Coalman,
my friend, on the top of the saloon, wheat we saw a
crowd of passengers standing op,
_toy nephew, George
being on a form The captain asked the people what
they were standing up for, and In less than
a minute we saw a great vessel come towering along,
and it came crash into us. I was then thrown down
on my face, and held my little boy Siydney, who
wse screaming. The women screamed. Mr. Coal-
man called out, " Let the women
_get off first" I
didn't we him afterwards. but Daniel saw him
struggling. He climbed on to a plank, but it
slipped from under him, and he was cast into the
water. Daniel also saw Slydaey in the water, and
got hold of him by two fingers, but he wink. Florence
was seen trying to save herself by climbing
on the rigging of the wreck. George says be fell into
the 144ter 11•114014 44 first, before YU 044 else, and
went down with a lot of pep*, sad by kicking and
struggling he managed to get to the top of the water,
WWI 04 t 0
.pP, of timber, and then on to • box
which gradual slipped from under ki till at lasi
he heard • timid of mint, and he waa picked up I
held Sydney In my arms, and caught hold of another
Little boy whom I saw, but the Pnnoese Altos heeled
right over, and the forms end boxes fell from the deck
and wombed the little boy awe/. I swam away with
Sydney, and thought I Klima be able to get hold of
the chains I had seem hanging to the steamers, but I
was sucked under too low to do it. When onnd
mold not reach the chains I swam away and tried to
reach shallow water. I swam about a mile and a half
from the ship, and thought I should drown, when I
thought of my wife, and was just then picked u
inaessible by a boat"
Mr. George Alexander If aynee, 113, Bow.roed, who
Is still suffering from his lengthened immersion in the
water, said: going down the river, when opposite ;
North Woolwich, we narrowly escaped • serious
sloe with a barge. The inddent• in oonnection with
the affair were so serious as to create a great feeling of
swim leg a Sias maps an peassees. alrames

er
ntr
gful vd
owyr e th:77;ccob.e:liulidle;::°°:"°ccurrs°,7.7:.:lh.ndehacl;4'ulnts..btieeaheritlteu countingn
tqttul tr7neafagYthot
Gravesend, and when nearly abreast of the bear .n
light at Grays. our ship c llile.l with • large brig, and
and a ',clout; accident was only are, tool by our c-sPt ia
reserving the why' I full on. This incident caused no
small anion t of constethation MIIO4 the passenger..
.Uter righting ourvelves all went well till we arrived
o .povite North W.s.lwich. Suddenly there was a
bustle aboard, and low murmurs were aodible amongst
the paseengere, • hich gradually rose into! ud excluna-
tions. At this time our signal whistle llw tremend-
ously loud and shrill ; the wheel. .4 the boat were
Inementtril) reversed and red slackened. I heard
the captain of our eraft an other people shout out as
If warning some approaching skip. Being at the after
part of the boat I went to look on the starboard side,
when the air was suddenly filled with the terrible
tumult of human voice., and within a second after-
wards the big ship crashed into the Princes.' Alice on
the etsrhoard side and split our verel right in halt
It is too harrowing to describe in detail the tunes of
confusion and maddening perplexity which seized upon
everyb gly. In • minute or so I could see distinctly the
fore pert of our vowel sink, the middle going down
like • plummet, raising the bead of 4,ur ship into the
air, and as it sank the poor people seemed to be shot
udditf,tbdtiewn,...peoa
ishalpsirteolLiytowtthehenet.gllroofimb:fl.roow.d.
tatLl:prameadeockurpart ..
box
being also shot out into the water like those at the fore.
I held on to the stern above the rudder, as did a few
others and we were the last to leave the ship. Before
this the cries of the women and children were piteous
beyond description. One of the clew rushed up to the
stern and tried to loosen the ropes connecting one of
the davita on the port bow, in order to utilise the boat,
but he could not get the ropes unfastened, and said,
" Who's got • knife? Have you one, sir?" I replied
that I had, and handed it to him, when he cut the
rope, and after shouting out "Below !" let the boat
down into the water without a single penon in it,
although by proper management people could have
been got in. I might have seated myself in it ugly
enough: but I thought it W. intended for the ladies '
and children. After being let dwn it must have
drifted away with the tide. I relied upon my good
serve, and !swimming power, to save myself. I don't
think three Minutes elapsed between the I Galion and
the oinking of the Princess Alice. Event. went
speedily on, and at last the portion of the ship on
which I stood slipped away from m feet, and) found
=peel( struggling in the water. I seized hold of •
lady next to me who was drowning, and supported her
in the tide. As well as I was able I trod the water,
and was thus better able to keep both of as afloat.
Nevertheless I went ander several times, for there was
a great surge on then, caused in great part by the screw
of the big ship near us. After buffeting the waves for
some minutes, I was gradually getting exhausted, but
I held on u best I could, still buoying up the lady. I
could not us a body near us, nor was there any
appearance of drowning persons. After a while a little
boat hove in sight, aunmanded by Mr. Trewry, the
manager of the Beckton Gas Works, whom 1 have to
thank since-ely for the great kindness shown to me at
his house after landing. Just as this little craft came
up I called out, "Help, help," and Mr. 'Trewry put
out an oar which I seised. Mr. Trewry took the lady
In first and I followed. At this critical and desperate
moment mournful cries of distress were beard a little
way of from us, where a lady and gentleman were
seen to be violently struggling. Without • moment's
delay the boat put if to their rescue, and Mr. Trewry
was rewarded in his effort' to save them. The gentle
man was Mr. Wharton, private secretary so Sir
Sydney Waterloo. After this Mr. Trewry rowed up
and down. but only picked up a lifebelt and a woman's
shawl. The big ship which cut into us did not go on,
hut remained stationary, for Mr. Trewry and we rowed
right round her to try and ascertain her name; but,
owing to the darkness of the niAt, we were unsb'e to
find it out Having been landed at the Ga• Works,
every kindness was shown to us ny Mr. 'newry, his
wife and eery sat.. Fires were instantly lighted. We
were then more deal than alive. The ladies were
inv.ted to change their attire, and did i.e. Mrs. Trewry
supplying them with an entire change. The men were
generously offered suite of clothes., but respectfully
declined, as we were all very anxious to reach home.
Brandy-and water and every procurable nourishment
were pmvidecl, and even a cab was sent for to take me
to my home._

Inspector King, of the Thames polioe, stated that he
had a week's holiday. and went down to Gravesend
on Thursday for a day's excursion, and returned in the
ilLfsted vessel. He had with him his wife, two
children, father, mother, and brother, the latter being
Wan old aterloo pensioner with • wooden leg. At the
moment of the colliaion they were all on the upos-
deck, when he was thrown down by the Princes.
Alice being struck a fearful blow, and upon regaining
his feet saw the collier towering high about them, and
their vessel immediately commenced to sink, and went
down in about six or eight minutes. He could not
attempt to describe the frightful scene which ensued,
or the shrieks of thog drowning or injurei by the
shock; and used a• he is to dreadful sights, was eo
thor .ughly overcome that it was useless to try to think
more about it. He warn a good swimmer, and on find.
log himself in the water, caught bold of a woman
whom he thought was his wife, swam ashore with her
and then discovered for the first time that she was a
granger. All the members of his family were
drowned.