The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-12-17 00:00:00

ANOTHER FEARFUL RAILWAY
COLLISION.

A fearful accident °coup d shortly after six o'clock on
Monday eveninv, on the Manchester. Sheffiell, and
Lincolnshire Railway. A number of goods trucks,
which were being shunted at a siding in Barnsley, got
loose and ran down an incline to Stairfoot, two miles
distant, and ran into a passenger train, from Barnsley
to Sheffi,ld, which had just drawn up to the platform,
smashing the,break van and two of the passenger car-
riages into pieces, and tearing up the line for some
distance, Twelve passengers were killed, and upwards
of twenty were seriously injured.
Most of the local surgeons and the police were
speedily on the spot, and some of the injured persons
had their limbs amput sited. Up to eleven o'clock
the lines were not clear. Large tires were lights d
on the line to enable the officers and others summoned
to the scene of the accident to carry on the work of ex-
tricating such of the dead and dying as were under the
ckbra. Most of the sufferers are supposed to belong
to the South Yorkshire district.

At the time the accident happened a tea meeting
was being held within a few yards of the station, to
celebrate the opening of communication between the
Old and New Oaks Collieries.

The following additional particular. of this terrible
railway culli.ion, are extracted from the Sheffield In-
thpcmlcnt :
The scene of the accident Is Ardsley, a smell station about
two miles from Barnsley. on the Manchetter, Sheffield, and
Lioceinthlre Railway. The train to watch the accident hap-
pened was the 6.6 pm. train from Bar...slay to S'retlield. It
consisted of fire carriages, the latter being what it galled a
'• composite," that le it was both a guard's van and a third-
class passenger carriage. The guard,fortuuately for himeelf,oc-
copied a brake-van, which Ca. the first after the eug hie, but
the third-clan compartments in the last carriage had • fair
Lumber of passenger,.
The train arrived at Ardsley station at thirteen urinates
past sit o'clock. and the passengers who got out there had
scarcely crossed the rails on their way from the station when
a number of goods waggont—prolothly nine or tea—were
seen coming down the line to the direction from Barntley.
They were without an engine, and were travelling at the rate
of forty or fifty miles an hour Almoet as soon as the waggons
were seen, and before anything could be done to avert the
impending collision, the waggons dashed Into the end of the
passenger train, killing and maiming severely several of the
occupants of the lest two carriages, and covering the line with
&Grit of broken wargont.
The collision is described as being most terrible to witness.
It Is said that the first two waggons immediately on coming
into contact with the hind part of the train appeared to
dash right through the composite carriage, the waggons
behind Jumped op in the air, and then fell some on their
sides ant some partly on the up and down lines. The two
last waggons were heavily laden with gat pipes, and hi con-
sequence kept the rails. All that lent present known (*that
by some means or other a number of waggon., which were on
what Is called the Pontefract siding at the Barntley Station,
suddenly left their position. From itunsley to Artistry there
tea descent of one in WO. This tenon gave the waggons a
high rate of speed, and at the time the collision occurred
they could not have been going at lets than between 40 and
SO miles an hour.

There is a conflict of testimony as to whether the pas-
eenger train when the collision occurred had actually started
from the station, or whet her it wee still standing. There is,
however, very good authority for saying that the train was
just on the more. and the guard, William Duce, Iva. to the
a..t of Jumping Into his van when he looted back and maw
the runaway trucks c. niingtowarle him with fearfill velocity.
lie Instantly leaped heck on to the platform, and im-
mediately the trucks dashed Into the rear of the passenger
train with a terrible cruh, which was heard at a great
distance.

Although the disastrous results of the collision could not
St once be fully ascertained, enough was visible at a glance
to fill those who were near with terror and dismay. The com-
posite gnard's van and the flint carriage were crushed to
pieces, the two first wageons were shattered, and the remain-
der were thrown about the Ilne In every conceivable position
--some on their side., others right acrosa the line, and WWII
some bottom upwards—and their contents strewn in every
direction. The stationmaster, Mr. hairiiing, who was stand-
ing on the pletform, was struck by a portion of one of the
cards:es and knocked over the railing which skirts It on the
Oaks C illiery side aml was slightly injured. Ile, however,
quickly recovered himself, and fortunately had the presence
of mind to remember that the 5 40 Iran from Doncaster was
then due. Ile rushed across the line and put on the danger
signals, and thus averted a catastrophe that must have been
even more fatal in It, consequences than that which had
already occurred, al the train was then coming up.
• - •

The collision was heard by the men employed at the Oaks
Colliery, and they hastened to the spot to render assistance.
Whilst needful aid was thus being found from various
quarters, those who were immediately on the spot had
exerted them.elvea to the utmost in removing the debris,
and in recovering the bodies of the dead and attending to
the Injured. As before lasted, to terrific was the force of
the collision, that the foremost waggons, impelled by the
greater weight behind them, completely crushed in and
carried before them the composite carriage and the four
first compartment. of the next carriage. The last anti
remained and the roofing over, and Into that compartment
had been thrown, in one ghastly heap, almost all the dead
and Injured. They were 11l ted out with all possible care,
and removed to the two Inns, the "Cross Key." and the
" which are close by, and to the railway station.

The Injured received every attention at the hand, of
the medical gentlemen who hail by this time arrived, and
menrequently three of them were removed to the Barnsley
Infirmary, and others to their own homes. Of the dead,
one woman had her legs cut off, and others were frightfully
mutilated. On searching amongst the overturned waggons
a very shocking sight presented itself. Two of the waggon@
were lying on their sides wheels to wheels, and under
one of them was found the body of • woman shock,
ingly crushed. Under the other • man was seen. Ile
was Ijing on his bank, with the Garner of the waggon
resting on his chest, his bowel. protruding. lie was
alive when extricated, and am ke, but died a few minuted,
afterwards. A thorough search was made to see that
all who had suffered had been recovered. The pair
mangers In the front part of the train were severely shaken
by the eonouselon. but none of them were seriously injured.
Pollee-constable Taylor, who was in • carriage next to the
engine, was bruised and shaken. They were all able to con•
thaw their journey. Despite all the efforts that were used
both lines were not ready for traffic till about ten minutes
before eleven.

The news of the accident spread thronshout Ardsley and
the neighbourhood like wildfire, and in a short time hundreds
repaired to the scene of the collision. There was, in fact, a
constant succession of visitors, some of whom came last to
see what could be seen, whilst others were bent upon the
paint of errand of identifying the mangled remain, of decened
relatives or of seeking out friend, and relations amongst the
Injured Some of the scenes which were to be witnessed
were affecting in the extreme. The cause of the goods
waggons leaving Barnsley is understood to have been the
breaking of a Coupling chain; but nothing definite could be
obtained upon that matter.

Mr. (4. R. I.:Eiderdown, general manager, Mr. Crossley,
engineer, and other officials connected with the Manchester,
Sheffield, and Lincolnshire Railway Company arrived on the
spot about ten o'clock in the evening by special train from
Manchester, and gave the necessary orders for clearing the
line, and did what they could to alleviate the sufferings of
the injured. Among the surgeons in attendance were Dr.
Sadler, Mr. Blackburn, Mr. Lancaster, Dr. W. T. Y. Smith
(Barnsley), and Mr. Creaked (Wombwell} In connexion
with the disaster some touching Incidents are related. One
of the dead, Hannah Wilton, and Clara Wordsworth (in-
jured). had been in service at licadingley, near heeds, The
former had left her situation to be married, and mason her
way to Modernly, near Sheffield. They were met at Barnsley
by Priscilla Wordsworth and Frank Thorpe. The latter is
among the killed and the former Injured. Mr. Joseph
Sutcliffe, aged 24, son of Mr. Sutcliffe, one of the inspectors
of the Lancaahlre and Yorkshire Railway, who real& e at
Oldham-road, Manchester, lies seriously klared at the King.
Bead Hotel, Barnsley. A number of the cuff were
removed to their homes and to the Beckett'. Dispensary.

LIST or Tug DEAD.
The following le a complet• list of the dead ;
Richard Parka, landlord of the " Ordnance Arms ILAAL

,
Rathersage.
ilAnimix Walton, domestic servant. Modemley cell Shef-
field.
James Stoperth, miner, Ilemmingflold.
William Allerton, sexton, Barfield.
Thomas Richmond, mechanic, Chspeltown.
Frank Thorpe, miner, Ilighgreen,
Clara Wadsworth, domestic servant, if esdingley.
Emma Flint, domestic servant, Lundhlll.
Sarah Briegs, girl, Tankersley.
John Cnsworth, banksman, Thigh .'ridge.
John \Wrist.ley, landlord, Crown inn, West Melton.
John ilarsfield,
John Beaumont, wine and spirit merchant, Wombwell
George Flint, miner, 20, liemingileid.

Commenting on the cause of the recent railway mei.
dente, and what they will probably lead to, the Daily
Alias remarks :

IWlway accident, are not only happening In frightful suc-
cession, but there is • cumulative horror about them. The
collision on the Manchester, Bhetßeld, and Lincolnshire line,
nese Barnsley, on Monday night, seems to have been almoat
as destructive as those of Harrow and Wortley Whine put
together. Yet here, too, it is the old story—luggage trucks
in osllblion with • passenger train. The only difference
between the three accidents seems to be that at Harrow •
luggage train was in the way, at Brockley Whin, a luggage
train was directly shunted on to the front of the express,
while at fitairtiot a number of luggage trucks got loose
as they were being shunted, and slashed two mile.
down an Incline to meet a train which had j'ist
drawn up at the station platform. This is simply a dif.
ference In the method by which the luggage train got in the
way of the passenger train The cause of this Barnsley
accident Is exectly parallel to that at Abergele. How came
It that after that terrible experience say railway company
should allow luggage trains to be shunting about on the top
of an Incline just when a passenger trrin was expected spit?
The coroner'. inquest will perhaps bring out the answer to
this question; but neither coroners' inqueets or actions for
dasontos stop these accidents. Twelve passes killed on tbso

, , -

'pot, four so severely wounded that they will probably not
survive, and neatly twenty more hart with rations
(literates of OPIiOIIIIIIOIIII. Is simply the latest catastrophe
of no unending series. The putdic are beginning to
believe that so long as their safety Is left to the com-
panies It will never be fairly provided for, and the c,m-
pullee must expect that are long nubile opinion will impera-
tivety demand stringent ledelation. It la of no me to let
Companies go on smashing on and paying smart money in our
fa/mile, ; it La of very little nee punist.mg the soh rillnate
agents, who are too WI paid and too herd worked to be
properly responsible for our safety. We cannot very wed
adept the repellent of putting a director or groat aliasl in
front of every train ; but what we cnn do and what we mutt
do Is make regulation which shall mimeo safety, however
they may interfere with profit. We must tuddd molds
trains to ruu with paseenger trains if they cannot run with-
out collision.