The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-07-19 00:00:00

THE PANAMA CANAL.

It has been stated recently that the cutting across
the isthmus of Panama is not making much progress,
and it is certain that very serious obstacles have yet
to be overcome; but Mr. Consul Chamberlaine's
report on the canal shows that, though it may nothe
progressing as fast as was expected, the work is being
pushed on vigorously. The extracting and excavating
work is progressing rapidly,. Upwards of 82,000
tons of machinery and other merchandise were
discharged last year for the Canal Company at
Colon. The dredge "Comtesse de Lesseps" had pene-
trated at the date of. the report more than 3000
metres from Colon, and was on its way to Gatlin.
Colon is hardly to be recognised. From a miserable
little hamlet in 1880 it has become a prosperous town.
Houses, stores, and other edifices have been con-
structed all over the island of Marganillo, and the
swamps and putrid marshes which were to be found
nearly all over the town are being reclaimed every
day. The company's real estate is estimated to be
worth £4,340,000, not including the value of 120,000
acres of land gAnted by the Columbian Government.,
and valued at £250,000. The sum expended by the
company during the last three years and a half
amounts to between £6,000,000 and £7,000,000.—
Echo.

A QUARTER'S RAILWAY ACCIDENTS.
A summary of accidents and casualties, which have
been reported to 'the Board of Trade as having
occurred upon the railways of the United Kingdom
during the three months ending 31st March, 1884,
was issued on Monday. In this period there were
ten collisions between passenger trains or parts of
passenger trains, by which 120 passengers and 4
servants were injured; 14 collisions between pas-
senger trains and goods or mineral trains, &c., by
which 13 passengers and 4 servants were injured;
9 collisions between goods trains or parts of
goods trains, by which 2 servants were killed and
7 inured; 16 cases of passenger trains or parts of
passenger trains leaving the rails, by which 2 ser-
vants were killed and 4 passengers and 4 servants
injured; 6 cases of goods trains or parts of goods
trains leaving the rail,_ by which 1 servant was killed
and 3 were injured; 2 Cases of trains travelling in
the wrong direction through points, by which 2 passen-
gers and 1 servant was injured; 4 cases of trains
running into stations and sidings at too high a speed,
by which 5 passengers and 5 servants were injured;
32 cast* of running trains over cattle or obstructions
on the line, involving injury to 4 passengers; 1 case
of the bursting of the boiler of an engine, by which 1
servant was injured; and 95 failures of axles involving
injury to 1 passenger; 7 servants were killed and 6
injured by the falling of a road-bridge over a railway
whilst it irai being taker; don, „
Of the 12'7 persons killed and 216 injured in acci-
dents to passengers from causes other than accidents
to trains, rolling-stock, Permanent-way, &c., including
accidents from their own want of caution or Miscon-
duct, accidents to persons passing over level-crossings,
trespassers, and others, 30 of the killed and 147 of
the injured were passengers. Of the latter, 5 were
killed and 12 injured by falling between carriages
and platform% viz., p killed and 3 injured when
getting into, and 3 killed and 9 injured when alight-
ing from, trairrs ; 3 were killed and 95 injured by
falling on to platforms, ballast, &e., viz., 6 injured
when getting into, and 3 killed and 89 injured
when alighting from, trains; 18 were killed and
7 injured whilst passing over the line at stations;
12 were injured by .. the closing of. carriage
doors ; 8 were injured by falling out of carriages
during the travelling of trains; and 4 *ere killed and
13 injured from other causes; 14 persons were killed
'lnd 7 injured whilst passing over railways at level-
crossings, viz.. 7 killdd and 4 injured at public level-
crossings, 3 killed and 3 injured at occupation cross-
ings, and 4 killed at foot-crossings; 63 persons were
killed and 39 injured when trespassing On the rail-
ways; 10 persons committed suicide on railwaya ; and
of other persons not specifically classed, but Mostly
private people having business on the companies'
premises, 10 were killed and 23 injured.
During the three Months there Were 115 servants
of companies or contractors reported as having been
killed and 590 injured, in addition to those included
in Division I. Of these 6 were killed and 91 injured
whilst Coupling or uncoupling vehicles; 7were injured
by coming in contact, whilst riding on vehicles during
shunting, with other vehicles, Sze., standing on
adjacent lines; 9 were injured whilst passing over or
standing upon buffers during shunting; 11 were
killed and 35 injured in getting on or off, or by fall-
ing off engines, waggons, &c., during shunting; 1 was
killed and 53 were injured whilst breaking, spragging,
or chocking wheels; 5 were injured whilst attending
to ground points, marshalling trains, &c.; and 1 was
killed and 30 were injured whilst moving vehicles
by capstans, turntables, props, &c., during shunt-
ing, and 76 were injured by various other
accidents during shunting operations; 3 were
injured by falling off engines, &c., during the
travelling of trains; 2 were killed and 4
injured by coming in oontact with over bridges
or erections on the sides of the line during tLe tra-
velling of train; 10 were injured whilst getting on or
off engines, vans, &c., during the travelling of trains;
1 was killed and 22 were injured whilst attending to,
or by the failure of, machinery, &c.' of engines in
steam; 23 were killed and 46 injured whilst working
on the permanent-way sidings, &o.; 2 were killed and
2 injured whilst attending to gates at level crossings;
43 were killed and 72 injured whilst walking, crossing,
or standing on the line on duty; 7 were killed and 35
injured by being caught between vehicles; 6 were
killed and 23 injured by falling or being caught be-
tween trains and platforms, walls, &c. ; 12 were killed
and 4 injured whilst walking, &c., on the line on the
way home or to work; and 13 were injured from
various other causes.
Thus the total number of personal accidents re-
ported to the Board of Trade by the several railway
companies during the three months amount to 268
persons killed and 2907 43.i94.9.4-

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