The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-09-08 00:00:00

TERRIBLE RAILWAY ACCIDENT NEAR

BERLIN.

At 9.55 on Sunday night the mail train from Berlin,
in passing through the station at Steglitz, ran into a
crowd of people who intended returning to the capital
by an ordinary train, and were pressing forward to
enter the carria•_:es on the wrong side.—Writing on
Monday the Berlin Correspondent of the Dai'y Natal
gives the following particulars :

The terrible railway accident at Steglitz last night
causes great excitement here, and absorbs the entire
intere-t of the place, all the victims being residents of
this city. Steglitz is a favourite place of resort of
Berliners, and lies on the Potsdam and Magdeburg
Railway, three miles to the south-west. The accident,
which may be called a massacre, stands probably
unique in the annals of railway disasters. Yesterday
being both Sunday and the Sedan anniversary, the
place was crowded with excursionists to the
Schuetzenfest and other festivities in honour of the
day.
By ten yesterday evening a crowd of about 500
persons filled the platform of the railway station wait-
ing for the return train. When the latter arrived,
after some delay on the up line the barriers still ro.
mained do ed to await the passing of the Cologne
night express which leaves Berlin at 950 pm. Sud•
denly, however, the pressure of the impatient crowd
forced the barriers aside, and despite the efforts of the
railway officials, hundreds rushed across the down line
to enter the dare.

At that very moment the express came tearing
along, and although the driver, on seeing the danger
signals displayed at the last moment, applied the
brakes, the train dashed right through the MARS of
people covering the line, and annihilated everything in
its way. One terrible cry of anguish arose even above
the thunder of the rain, and all was over. The details
of this terrible scene, lasting only a few seconds, as
narrated by eye-witnesses, are almost too harrowing
for repetition. Forty persona, of whom seventeen
were men, eighteen women, and five children, were
instantly killed, and about twenty-11,7e wounded. All
the victims belong to the artisan and labouring
classes.
For a distance of 100 yards the line was covered
with bodies, all shockingly mutilated, and human
fragments. Of one family of five persons only one
boy escaped. The killed include four married couples,
five members of the Shooters' Company, with the flag.
bearer and three artillery corporals. One of the latter
had both legs and his heavy sabre cut through as with
a knife. One girl had nearly reached the local train
when the draught caused by the express threw her
under the locomotive. One woman had both legs cut
off. Another woman and a sailor in the Tmperial navy
were completely decapitated, and no vestiges of the
heads have been found. A child had one hand cut off,
and one body was entirely divested of clothing.
The driver of the express train had to be relieved,
being unable to proceed after witnessing the scene of
carnage. His locomotive was covered with pieces of
fle-b, bones, rags, and drenched with blood. The line
remained blocked for hours, while detachments of fire.
men and soldiers gathered the remains of the victims
by torchlight.
To-day the bodies have been brought here in four
large furniture waggons, and were placed in the
Morgue Thousands went out to view the scene of
I the disaster.

A wonderful escape is reported of two children who
were in the accident. They state that they both fell
between the mile, and the train passed over them,
inflicting on them only a few slight bruises. Alost of
the fatal wounds were caused, not by the engine, but
by the footboards. A collection has been started in
Berlin for the benefit of the helpless widows and
orphans and other dependents of the victims of this
shocking catastrophe.