The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-02-19 00:00:00

THE THRILLING RAILWAY ACCIDENT
NEAR GLASGOW.

rommentln4 on this remarkable accident—remarkable not
only for Its cows. but also for the comparatively fortunate
reault, seeing that only one life wee lost, when ail the
passengers were placed in such Jeopardy—a Loudon contem-
porary NM:-

-
The railway accident which has just taken place near
llasgow is of a singularly thrilling nature. An engine
ran away down the line along which the express from
London was known to be approaching. The fireman
who had been left in charge if it had fallen off in winos
inexplicable way, but he WAS caught in the wheels and
cut to pieces, so that he is past giving evidence in the
matter. The driver 14 another engine on tho otter line
of rails observed what had happened and started in
pursuit. The exciting chase larded for a con-
siderable time. Tne object of the driver was to get
sufficiently in advance to turn the runaway on to the
cafe line at the first points he reached. Ito nearly
succeeded, but his fireman getting down too hurriedly
in his haste to reach the points, fell, and before he
could recover himself the riderless engine dashed
by, still on the rails along which the Lon-
don train was expected. On to his own fiery
at ed he sprang once more, and with full steam he and
his "mate" flew forward in pursuit a second time, but
they were too late. They only caught up the fugitive
in time to see the terrific catastrophe which could not
then be averted. The runaway locomotive dashed
into the advancing train. Under the circumstances it
seems wonderful that any persons in the train could
have escaped alive, but as it happened only one parreen-
ger was killed, while the driver and fireman of the
express actually escaped with nothing worse than
severe cuts and bruises. The two locomotives were
broken and twisted into a mass of wreck, and one of
the carriages of the train splintered into matchwood,
but there were not many people on board, and, as we
may, all but one, were fortunate enough to escape with
injuries of more or less serious character.
No one can ever have travelled much on railways or
thought much about railway accidents without trying
to picture to Misspelt the effect of a collision like this.
There is something terribly magnificent in the idea of
two locomotives charging one another. If no lives
were hazarded who would not give a great deal in
order to see such a wonderful tilting match. Many
iireople have tried to determine what would ensue
if an irresistible force should encounter an immov-
able hotly; but in the combat we suppose, two
forces which seem irresistible enough for practical
purposes would encounter one aflutter. The idea
has been realised at taut ; under circumstances, how-
ever, which must have rendered it far too horrible to
be agreeably exciting to the beholders. Certainly the
consequences seem to have been lees chaotic than
might have been expected. Worse effects have ensued
when one train has simply run into another going at
a lower speed in the earns, direction as itself. It does
not seem impossible that the effects of the accident as
far as the people in the train were concerned may
have been in reality diminished by the circumstance
which, in anticipation, would have seemed likely to
aggravate them—the fact that the express train was
itself advancing at a considerable speed towards the
runaway engine. Thin condition of affairs may have
rendered the destruction 41 the runaway engine noire
complete even than it would have been otherwise, brit
may partly have saved the train by rendering the part
It played in the collision rather active than passive.