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

John nogford, the hind guard on the Holborn portion of
the train, states : "We started at 11.30 am, and all went
right until we got within about 150 yards or more from
the Sittingbourne Station. I was looking for the signal, as
it was part of my duty to see that it was all right; the
signal was all right. I then heard a whistle, and plied my
brake at once. I was knocked senseless, but held on to
the brake. When I recovered I found myself standing
with the brake in my hand. I went then to assist the pas-
sengers, looking behind first on the line to see if the distance
signal was up; if it were not up I should have gone back and
put fog signals on the rails. I assisted the passengers to the
best of my ability; I was very much shaken. The engine
we had is a fine one ; it is a strong goods engine ; the Hol-
born portion of the train comprised three third-class, a
composite, and a van. I don't know how the accident
occurred.

One of the sufferers, Mr. Pegler, now in St. George's
Hospital, gives the following account of the scene: " The
train started at 11.30 from Ramsgate. The first thing I
heard in connection with the accident was the danger signal
blown. It sounded for about half a minute—barely that I
should say. I remember that after that there was a fearful
smash of glass, and we were bundled out of the carriage,
underneath it. People were on the top of me, and I
was on the top of others. I saw the tender. It seemed to go
right back into our carriage, and we went underneath, and
I imagined we were going right down an embankment,
finding myself rolling over and over. One poor lady had
one part of the carriage right across her neck. She was
lying on her stomach. We were overdue. I should say it
would be about one when we arrived at Sittingbourne,
where the smash took place. The thing happened in this
way : A goods train was going out of a siding, and we went
through the middle of it. My carriage was a third-class
carriage. . In my compartment there were three Sisters
of Mercy, a youth, and others, making seven in all.
There were seven people in the next compart-
ment, and I should say that there were eight in
the third, the seats appearing to be full. The
train was very heavily laden. I cannot imagine
that anybody had a more miraculous escape than I had.
When I recovered myself it seemed that my carriage was last
instead of first. A first-class carriage and also a second-class
carriage appeared to have forced their way over that in
which I was. It was the most awful thing I ever saw. I
can see it now. The whistle blew; and no sooner had it
done than there was a fearful crash of glass, and the carriage
seemed to collapse like a pancake. The two ends appeared
to come right together, and down we went underneath, and
we found ourselves lying on the ground. It seemed to me that
the floors must have been cut right away, or else that the
top of the carriage had given in, I felt as if rolling down
an embankment. There was no time to shriek or say a
word. The whistle was heard, and down we were over one
another. You never saw such a wreck. The roof of one
carriage was completely taken off, and three first-class
carriages were smashed all to pieces. When I got into the
town I received great kindness from a lady and gentleman
who were good enough to place their carriage at my
disposal. About four o'clock my ancle became very
bad. I was driven from Sittingbourne to Newington,
where I got into a train and came to Victoria. There is a
lady passenger in this hospital with one leg broken and the
other very badly cut. Had we Men crushed in the carriage I
should not have been so much surprised, but to find our-
selves on the ground did astonish me. There was a poor
lady in the nest compartment with her husband and
children, and she seemed to be so happy until the terrible
accident. I observed after I recovered that the engine had
left the train, and that the smashed carriages were all mixed
up together. My escape I consider quite providential.
I am Waffling from a contused ancle and injuries to my
back."

Within ten minutes of the accident a staff of twenty-five
engineers and men from Lloyd's Paper Mills, with five jacks
(two being hydraulic ones of great power), were on the
spot, and it was mainly by these that the wounded and dead
were got out At the time of the accident Mr. Knivett,
who was badly hurt, was reading out the account of a rail-
way accident. His son, sitting next him, was killed in-
stantaneously, whilst Mr. Warren, who was sitting next
the boy, was uninjured beyond a scratch or two and the
shock. A gentleman who actually saw the collision describes
the shock as not appearing Bo severe; in fact, he did not
think there was any serious damage done. Several pas-
sengers in the hind part of the train also state the shock
did not appear so severe. This probably arises from the
great speed and instantaneous nature of the accident.
There were considerable numbers of children with cuts and
and bruises, one little girl's face being swollen and
bruised almost beyond recognition. Great assistance
was rendered from Spiers and Pond's refreshment
room, where anything that could be of help was freely
given. One lady and gentleman, with five children, sent
their luggage by the other part of the train from Margate,
and came themselves by the ill-fated one, through the other
being so full. Luckily they all escaped, but it was piteous
to hear the poor children appealing to their parents to take
them the rest of the way by cab.