The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1869-10-16 00:00:00

TERRIBLE RAILWAY ACCIDENT.

A frightful railway accident occurred 01 Saturday
night on the Midland Railway, resulting so the death
of seven persona and the wounding of some others at
the Long Eaton Junction, near Nottingham.
It appears that on the day named, being the last day
of the celebrated Goode Fair at Nottingham, the Mid-
land Railway ran a great number of special trains to it
from Leicester, Derby, Burton, Erewash Valley, and
other places, to return a a late hour in the evening.
The Midland Company had got a large additional stall
of wistants at the Nottingham Station ie order that
no accident might occur, and every precaution wastaketr
to despatch the passengers in safety. The lard " special"
to leave Nottingham was one for Leiceater, and it
started, heavily freighted, about midnight. The train got
• little beyond Dress on, and within a short distance
of Trent Junction, when the driver found that the
line was blocked by a luggage train (which seems to
have met with an accident). and at the rear of it was
the Burton "special." The Leicester train was brought
to a stand. and directly afterwards, and before the
guards had time to go down the line to stop approach-
ing trains, the mail train from Nottingham to Tren,
came up at full speed and dashed into the Leicester
'special.' The collision was a most fearful one, seven
perm us beiag killed on the sped, and several I
there
dreadtully injured, two or three without hopes of re-
covery. Th,, scene which followed was moat I wart-
rending, and the night being dark and foggy, away
from a railway station, it was some time before any
assistance could be rendered. Mr. Carr, surgeon, Long
Eaton, was the first to arrive on the scene of the die-
aster, and be was followed by Dr. Robertson, of
Nottingham. Mr. Yearn, the company's surgeon at
Derby, was telegraphed for, and he arrived about
three o'clock on Sunday morning, being accompanied
by Mr. Wright, iturgeon, and Mr. Gentles, min
geon, of Derby, and Mr. Parker, assistant to Mr.
Francis, surgeon, Derby. The accident occurring
in the county of Derby, the seven deal bodie.
(four of which were women and two children) were
conveyed to Trent S,ation for identification, and to
await rhe erdoeer'a ioriairy. Mr. Yearn and the other
surgeons then turned their attention to the injure
passengers, when it was found there were five serious
cases, and these passengers wereconveyed, accompanied
fry the surgeons, to the Derby Infirmary, where they
now lie. Two of the women had their legs fractured, a
third had a flesh injury of the leg, a fourth woman trail
a bad compound fracture of the leg, and amputation
was performed. This poor woman says that her two
children were killed in the train, and she believes her
husband also, as he never spoke after the accident,
and she had not seen or heard of him since. She is
also enceinte, and her life is in great danger. The
fifth was a young man belonging to Derby, and who is
bruised on the head and has a wonnd on the leg. He
was likewise atized with fits. It is rather singular
that all the injuries were on the left leg. The driver
and stoker of the mail train were not injured, nor
were the passengers of tha. train.
This is the most serious accident that has ever hap-
pened on the Midland Railway.
The following are the names of the killed : —Joseph
Day and Richard Coffin (finishers), George Gilks
(dyer), Alice Henson, Eliza Wright (factory hands),
and two children, named 'Alacy Ann and John Pariott.