The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-09-07 00:00:00

INT I

One of the most terrible railway accidents which
have occurred of late years, and certainly the worst
calamity which has befallen the London, Chatham,
and Dover Railway Company, happened on Saturday
afternoon, about one o'clock, at Sittingbourne,
Within a hundred yards of the Sittingbourne sta-
tion, to the ordinary fast ;excursion train from
'i-anasgate. From the several acaounte published,
It appears that what is known as the "cheap
fast train," leaving Ramsgate at half-past eleven
011 Saturday morning, which is usually at this
time of the year heavll_y laden with excursionists on
arriving at the entrance to the Sittingbourne Station
Fame into collisbn with some goods trucks which had
been, by sore.'e mistake, shunted on to the wrong line.
:Ehe result; was the death of five persons, injuries to
Detweep. forty and fifty others, and the destruction of
11'3cae tf the rolling stock.—The following particulars
ate trona Monday's Daily News
A goods train was being shunted on the down line, and
1 (shunting was unfortunately continued when the ordi-
nary fast excursion train from Ramsgate for London was
due and might be expected to pass through the Sitting-
courne station. The engine of the goods train had "hit
some trucks to send them on to a side road, but in-
;_tead of their going there they went on to the up line in
.ront of the Ramegate train, which just then came in
tleht round the curve which there is in the line at that
tint. The under guard of the goods train is said to have
en the cause of the accident, having inadvertently,
t)lther through an imperfect acquaintance with the line
here or in the confusion of the moment, pulled over the
Wrong points, viz., those connected with the road on the
aide of the up line instead of those connected with the
had an the side of the down line.
„ The intervening space of time between the passing of the
trucks on to the up line and the collision, brief as it was,
seemed an age to the few spectators, who saw that a shocking
accident was inevitable, and that they were powerless to
evert it. The passengers in the Ramsgate train were unsus-
Vicious of danger, until they suddenly heard the violent
Screaming of tlie engine whistles, and this was followed,
almost before they had time to think, by a tremendous
splash, the fenock of which was felt the whole length of the
rain, whi•zh consisted of ten or twelve carriages. As the
pro good's tracks were passing from the down on to the up
tb,e engine, which was travelling at a considerable rate
'Vied, struck them sideways. One was cut right through,
but the wheels of the truck getting entangled in the wheels
t 2 the engine threw the latter off the metals, and ploUghing up
._'kke earth, it came to an abrupt standstill by the front wheels
being firmly imbedded in the ground. It was this which
caused the serious effects which followed—which probably
*Mild not have occurred if the engine had not left the metals
Z--alt the carriages game into contact with the engine and
sander with terrific force upon the latter being so suddenly
Stopped in their career. The head of the carriage which
!,rais coupled to the tender was completely demolished, and
the other part smashed. It was a third-class carriage. The
inext two were also terribly shattered, and the two which
followed were completely wrecked, both being thrown off
Eke Metals. One, in fact, the roof of which was taken off so
*mat it only hung by a shred, was pitched down the embank-
tient, where it lay in fragments. This was also a third-class
lirriage. The other one was a first-class, and this was turned
lompletely round, and stood length-wise across the metals.
seas dreadfully shattered, and three or four other ear.
',Agee were more or less smashed and damaged.
...The scene after the collision was a most distressing one.
engers at all ages and of both sexes were seen in every
• Fraction bleeding from their wounds, and injured and un-
Inbred alike were inquiring in agonising tones about the
safety of their friends, and the shrieking and sobbing of the
Women and children was pitiable to hear. As soon as
Doesible the passengers were extricated from the abris,
aald the banks of the railway were soon covered with people,
tcsaly of whom were shockingly mutilated and injured.
One carriage which was overturned, had three beneath.passengers The side had fallen through, and they were thrown
oa their faces, and fixed to the ground in that position,
having the whole weight of the carriage on their legs, which
could be seen from the outside. One lady must have diàb
Instantly. Sarah Baldwin, a domestic servant, of West
Ramsgate, who was lying between her and a male
IPaBsenger, apparently very seriously injured, was taken out,
'sifter the carriage had been raised by means of jacks, in a sad
condition, her leg being fractured, besides being very badly
tern. After receiving attention from the medical men, she
Was removed to St. Bartholomew's Hospital, Rochester.
Mr. Knevett, of 55, Whitfield-street, Fitzroy-square, Lou-
was travelling in the carriage next to the tender of the
shgine, with his son, a lad of 12, and his sister, Mrs. Bate,
Pald her little girl, about eight years old. Mr. Knevett had
his leg fractured, and Mrs. Bate and her little girl were both
!art. the former on the leg and the latter in the foot, but
het seriously. The poor little boy, however, was killed. He
sr. ita sitting with his back to the engine, with a miniature
coat in his hand which he had brought with him as
souvenir of his visit to the seaside. The head of the car-
riage, as previously stated, was smashed in, and the tender
~struck him in the back and bent him double. He was the
!hit person extricated, as very great difficulty was experienced
In removing the tender, which was jammed in the carriage.
The father was taken away to the station on a stretcher,
said his inquiries for the only child he had left were most
Inathetic. People shrank from telling him that his boy was
dead, but he gathered the sad intelligence from their
faience. Very recently he lost his wife.
Mr. Brown, of 7, Northbury-terrace, Oxford, was travelling
k.with his wife and two daughters. He was very badly hurt
himself, and his wife was killed. The young ladies were
also injured, one very seriously and the other slightly.
• Albert G. White, aged 15, of 2, Queen's-road, Battersea,
had his left leg broken in two places, and the flesh of the
tight leg badly wounded; and his aunt, Mrs. Metcalfe, who
was in the same carriage with him, had her h-g injured.
Three Sisters of Mercy from 39, Kennington-square, Lon-
h▪
on—Sister Laura, Sister Genevieve, and Sister Emma—were
travelling with the Mother Superior, and all were injured
snore or leas seriously. The worst case was that of Sister
Laura, who had a large splinter of wood in her face, and has
severe scalp wound and concussion of the brain. Her com-
ranions declined to leave the carriage until she had been
fot out; The Mother Superior had a cut at the back of the
head, and, being an elderly lady, she feels the shock very
Severely. Sister Emma has two scalp wounds, not very
Severe.
The case of Mr. Horton, 'if Talbot-villa, Rugeley, Stafford-
shire, was one of the most distressing. Re was riding in a
arst-class carriage, which was smashed to pieces. He was
badly hurt, his scalp being almost entirely taken off. He
has been an invalid for seventeen years, and was entirely
dependent upon a man servant named F. Middleton and his
housekeeper, a woman named Robinson, both of whom haa
been in his employ for many years, being his confidential
Servants. Middleton has a broken thigh and fractured ribs,
.and the poor woman Robinson was identified late on
Qatnrday night as one of those who were killed.
Mr. John Over, of 36, Loughborough-road, Brixton, lost
Wile in the accident, ana he himself is severely injured
about the head and face. He lies in a very critical condition.
he had four children with him, who escaped uninjured.
Mr. Charles Eldridge, of 47, Wenlock-street, New North-
road, London, was travelling with his wife, three children,
end infant. The baby did not receive a scratch, but
the three children are cut and bruised, and Mr.
.Eldridge has concussion of the side and a number of severe
*raises. His wife, who is near her confinement, received a
Mat shock.
_ Oeorge Corbett, of 7, Mudford-place, Edgware-road,
London, was mortally hurt, and was removed to the Milton
-Union Workhouse, where he died very shortly after his ad-
Minion. [A large splinter had been driven up clean through
his body, through the lower regions and the bowels, coming
Out at the back.] Mr. Whitehead, solicitor, of the Hermitage,
Oroxted-road, Dulwich, was travelling with his wife, four chil-
dren, and an infant. He was got out of the train five or
ten minutes before his wife, and it was distressing to witness
bis agony as he rushed up and down trying to learn some
tidings of her. Their meeting was most touching, and the
hirowd could not refrain from giving something like a cheer
11l their joy that he had found his wife alive; but the poor
lady is fearfully injured, and will probably feel the effects of
the accident all her life, even if the survives them. Mr.
.Whitehead himself has a badly contused head and face, and
met a great deal of blood. One of his sons was cut and
bruised in the ankle, and two others were also bruised, one
With partial concussion. The baby escaped unhurt.
Fanny Bradley, a servant girl in the employ of Mr. White
head, whore parents, itis stated, live at No. 2, Bell Cottage,
College-road, Dulwich, was also in the train. Her injuries
are very serious, and she is suffering from concussion of the
bratn.
Jane Rogers, from the London Association of Nurses, sus-
tained a severe injury to the chest and shock to the whole
aYstem ; Mrs. Warden, the wife of an iron merchant, living
at Park-road, Moseley, Birmingham, is badly brnised and
Shaken, and unable to, leave the. ton; Mte. itelleve, of 40,
hears_ dale-villas, Konisington,lin el rib broken; ltfrAind Mrs.
-Freeland, of 12, Ovington-gardens, South Kensington, are
both injured—the former has some bad contusions and
braises, and the latter a severe injury to the leg; Mrs. Fred.
Intunberg, of 17, Radnor-place, Hyde-park, sustained a severe
Injury to the leg. Her husband and children had gone on by an
earlier train. Mr. S. Mildullen, of Lee, Kent, received a cut
0. rer the eye, and Mr. C. his brother, sustained a bad
njury to the leg. They were able to leave the town.
_airs. Palmer, of 41, Chentes-mews, Bedford-square,
London, had her leg much hurt. She was in the carriage
Which was smashed to pieces and pitched down the embank-
tient. She had a wonderful escape from death, as had also
others in the same carriage. The roof of the carriage was
almost torn off, and was held on by a very slender connec-
tion An attempt was made to pull the roof off, but the
tiassengers begged that it might not be disturbed. Had the
attempt been persisted in the roof must have fallen on the
Veisengers and killed them. Mrs. Tappenden, of the
College, Anerley-road, Upper Norwood, was also a sufferer
by the collision, having her arm badly hurt. Two lads who
Were with her escaped, one altogether and the other with a
cite bruises.
Lieutenant Clifford and two friends, who were the sole
Occupants of one compartment of the carriage that turned
,cver, had a hairbreadth escape. They held on to the iron
keep
of the window as the carriage fell, and managed to
"en in that position till released. Lieutenant Clifford re-
ceived a slight scratch, but his two friends got off scatheless.
Ue states that the carriage seemed to take quite a leap in the
lair before it was upset. A labouring man, who did not give
his name, states that he was aroused from sleep by the cola-
Zion. He was in the back part of the carriage immediately
connected with the engine and tender. Beyond a few
,abraslons caused by splinters and broken glass, he was un-
apjnred. Mrs. Ulph, one of the passengers in a can iage near
to the engine, states that the train was not travelling at a
Peat rate, and that she felt hardly any shock. The first
Intimation she had of the calamity was the smashing of the
Woodwork of the carriage, and a piece of timber fell across
her and a boy who accompanied her. A young woman next
t... 22 her, probably Robinson, Mr. Horton's servant, was killed.
Mrs. Ulph was severely lacerated by broken glass and
splinters, and a piece of glass lodged in her head. She
_combed nearly a cupfull of small pieces of glass from her
halt. The little boy was also much cut with the glass. They
bed been staying at Broadstairs. The poor fellow Cor-
nett, who expired at the workhouse, as already stated, died
the
death. A large splinter had been driven through
l'ae stomach, coming out at the back.
All the medical gentle.mea in the towns of Sittingbourne
an d Milton—Messrs. Grayling and Sutton, and Mr. Grayling,
tnil, Messrs. Ray and Fisher, and Messrs. W. W. and I'. S.
cmith—were at the scene of the collision in a very short time,
paidlevery attention to the injured, binding up and
dressing their wounds, and doing everything that would tend
‘0 alleviate their sufferings. Some of the injured passengers
Were carried across to St. Michael's National Schools, which are
tear to the railway. Others were removed to the waiting.
rooms at the railway station, and when their wounds had
been dressed they were removed to the houses of pri-
Vate residents, the inhabitants of Sittingbourne throw-
Ling open their houses with ono accord as hospitals for the
hilared who might be brought there. Several sufferers still
tflinaln at private houses in the town, and some are at the
ull Hotel. The majority, however, were able to proceed
011 their journey as soon as there was a train available. The
._,=onduct of some of the publicans and spirit merchants of the
'ewn was also most praiseworthy, as they voluntarily
brought a large quantity of brandy to the scene of the acci-
ekderit, and administered it to all who stood in need of it, and
'no sufferers appeared extremely grateful for the attention
Paid them. •
The clergy of the town both of the Established Church
and Nonconformists, rendered valuable help in tending the
sufferers, remaining with them until they were removed. A.
humber of beds were sent up from the Milton Union Work-
house for the use of the patients.
To return to the collision. The Ramsgate train, though
What is known as a fast excursion, was drawn by a goods
engine, and probably the results would have been far more
serious U it had been a lighter one such as are generally em-
OleYed for express trains. The driver and stoker escaped
with a few bruises; also the guards. NV lien the driver of
the goods train saw that a collision was inevitable, he put
°c full steam and got out of the way, or some of the debris
tclght have done considerable damage in going up against
Lila train as it stood on the down line. The two trucks which
Caused the collision were loaded with furniture. One was
cut right through, and both were completely toppled over
n d smashed as already stated. The third-class carriage
Which was next to.the tender ot the Remote train had the
head smashed in and was completely wrecked ; the next
cs.rriage was pitched right over on its side, and thoroughly
'battered; the third was teretlake snaaahed end Mimed men--
tdately round, and the fourth thialsheterfairstomarbtar
roof, which was torn off, alone being whole. Several of the
wriages were greatly slamaged, and the handles
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