The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1876-12-30 00:00:00

AN OTHE ft ACCOUNT.

A railway accident occurred on Saturday evening: at
Arlesey siding, five miles north of Ilitchin, on the Great
Northern Railway. Arlesey Siding, as distinguished from
Arlesey Station, one mile farther northwards, is situated in
that division of the Great Northern Railway traversing the
Bedford level and is approached from Hitchin tNy a gradual de-
scent The Great Northern being worked on the absolute block
system, there Is a signal-box at Cadwell, midway between the
two stations North of Cadwell block signal box is a down
distant signal, 615 yards from the home signal at Arlesey
Siding, in its turn 177 yards from the Arlesey signal box
Both of these signals are worked from Arlesey Siding signal
box on the interlocking principle, and it Is practically impos-
sible when the siding points have been set right to "make a
road "across the permanent way, that the signals could be
otherwise than at danger.

At 3.30 p.m. on Saturday a pick-up goods train, consisting
of 25 trucks, or thereabouts, arrived at Arlesey Siding from
Peterborough. The driver was stcipped at the signal‘box by
Graves. the signalman on duty, and desired to cross the
down line into the western *Wing, where some trucks for
London were standing. Graves 'made the road" for this
operation, and In doing so necessarily set the down signals at
danger. In the meantime 22 trucks of the goods train had
already been backed born the up line across the main down
line into the western siding, when a tarn* laden with nine
tons of coprolltes, In crossing over the Axed points of the
down line fouled the metals, and its wheels beooming
embedded In the permanent way, two succeeding truck;
laden with sand, and the ward's break, also left the metals,
and thus the shunting operations were arrested. At this
moment it wanted but 20 minutes to 4 o'clock, and the eve-
ning was closing in. All the signal lamps were tighted, and
Mr. Watters, the station master at Arlesey siting, confident
in the fact that the down main line was protected by both
the home and the distant signals, summoned to his aid all the
platelayers who could be hastily got together, and the men
worked with the utmost energy to repbcoe the good trucks on
She metals. This from the weighty nature of their contents,
was a matter of great labour and difficulty, and before
the And truck had been got back ea to the rails, the
distant roar of an approachtng fast train made all
present only think of self-preservation. There were at this
time only a few lookers-on upon the platform, but all were
elite terrified at what it was evident must happen. Just
before reaching the &rimy signal-box, a few yards south
oftoe station, two sharp whistles were heard prom the down
train, and immediately afterwards Mrs. Walters distinctly
saw Pepper, the driver of the down express, jump from his
engine plate, and fait with terrific force upon his head in her
garden—an act in which, from the position in which his
body was subcequently found in the 6-feet permanent way, he
had been preceded by his Stoker, Smith. The actual collision
occurred just below the northern end of the Artesiay siding
platform, 120 yards from the signal-box. Althoughrepper had
evidently, from the state of his wrecked engine, shut -off
steam before jamping from his engine, the collision
was qf the most terrible character, totally destruc-
tive of those carriages which suffered though not
more than four or live seem to have been involved
In the wreck. The express,,eiregfinrame
nraplloyn
which
hpietds
over the truck with which it came into contact, and lef
rainy yards in its rear the ,bg
leading portion travelled. It would be difficult to convey an
adequate description cf the scene which followed the disas-
ter, For a moment an was hushed and terror pervaded the
minds of all present. But presently there arose from
undesneath the ruined carriages the cries of the wounded
and imprisoned patsengers. In one of the compartments of a
leading second-class carriage in the down express was tra-
velling Monk, a pollee' officer in the service if the company,
who not having suffered seriously from the shock imme-
diately made his way eo the signal-box, where he assisted
Graves in stopping by signal all up and down traffic, and
at the same time kept a crowd of excited, though nn-
Injared passengers from invading the signal box, and
thus interfering with the officials on duty. One of Monk's
first acts was to telegraph to Mr. Forbes, the tocretaryllof
the Great Northern Railway Mr. Cockihott, superintendent
of the llne • Mr. °daisy, general mansger, and other °M-
ask, inforniing them of what hat occurred. Mr. Walters,
who lost no tbme asking the immediate attendance of the
breakdown gang from liitchin and from Peterborough, and
at once recognizing the serious nature of the accident,
despatched messengers on horseback to liggieswade and
ether towns in the neighbourhood, requesting the attend-
ance of all the local medical men. Meanwhile, his plate-
lifers worked with a will, and before any surgeons had
arrived several eises requiring their immediate attention
had been extricated from the ruins. Mrs. Walters threw
open her small residence for the reception of as many as it
would accommodate, and the landlords of the local inns and
the villagers vied with one another in ministering. to the
comfort of the zufferers.

athe if
tthoe staatadio
tnhewileasv.Mß..r.
residentealearliest
Percival,
Aon g
Ffolliott Scott, M.A., vicar of Arlesey, both of whom
tendered their ready aid. The medical men of the neigh-
bourhood were soon on the spot, and among them may be
mentioned as particularly active in their exertionss Mr.
Shillitoe, Mr. Foster, and Mr. Grellet, of Hitchin, and Mr.
Prager' of the infirmary inthe town; Dr. Burnet, Mr. Stevens,
Dr. Yonne, and Mr. Fish( r, of Biggleawade ; and Dr. Swain,
Mr. Regers, and Mr. Kebble, medical officers of the
Three Counties Lunatic Asylum at Arlesey. Mr. Cockshott
left London for the scene of the accident immediately after
toe news bad reached London. He took down with him Mr.
Oakley, general manager; Mr. Thomas Williams, inspector
of the Great Northern system ; and Mr. T. Carr Jackson,
consulting surgeon, of libley-street, with Dr. Brunton,
medical c,ffi-...er of the company. Oa arriving at Arlesey
Mr. Oakley and Mr. Cockshott at once applied themselves to
the clearing of the up and down lines, which by this time
had become completely blocked up from traffic The trains
which had left London alter the Manchester expr.ess extended
nearly to Hitchin while those travelling in the direction of
London reachedlarther northward than Biggles wade.
The wreck occasioned by the collision was so complete
that it was after 10 p.m. before any traffic could be re-
sumed. Mr. Oakley. and Mr. Cockshott, having duly con-
sidered the difficulties which presented themselves, deter-
mined to send forward first the down passengers to their
more distant destinations and with this view Mr. Levey
and Mr. park, of the engineering department, were
desired to form a connection With the up mate u„
and the up aiding, the down main line being com-
pletely bloolced by the wreak of the uprose engin% In