The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1876-01-29 00:00:00

INCIDENTS OP THE ACCIDENT.

The Times of 'ruesday says :—" Mr. Clcghorn, the director
of the North-Eastern Railway, who was, as already stated,
Injured in the accident, was received at King's Cross Station
on Saturday morning, at two o'clock, by Mr Efaynes Walton,
surgeon to St. Mary's Hospital. He has his left arm frac-
tured in two places close to the elbow-joint and the musclos
of the arm much bruised; his chest, also, is injured by the
roof of the carriage falling on him, and his right hand is
scratched^by broken glass and much bruised. He suffered
much from the shock, with some fever after the accidEnt.
He is progressing favourably, inasmuch as his general syrup-
.• toms are better and the fractures are less painful. Mr.
Walton has no doubt of his recovery, 'although at a some-
,
, what distant period."

" A Passenger" writes to The Times :—" We left Peter-
borough at '6 80, and had been talking of the smooth
way in which we travelled and the great pace, when sud-
denly there came a fearful crash, and a second after
the carriage I was in collapsed and turned over on its
side. I and my opposite neighbour fell heads downwards
on to the ground, end when there a second carriage or part
of one fell on the wreck above us; but, fortunately, there
were SOlll3 heavy parts of the framework above, and I only
found my legs jammed between the broken parts, and in a
minute or two managed:to get them clear and to wriggle
my self out from under the wreck. The engine was shout ten
or fifteen yards further up in a ditch, and the fire from the
furnace lit up the scene. Two or more carriages appeared
to be standing on the up line intact; the one I was in and
two more were in shivers, and the last carriages were not
hurt, with the exception of the first, which had lost its end
compartment. I got to the front of the train as soon as
p42,sible, and asked if the line had been blocked, and was
told by an official that an engine had been sent on to stop
the down train. /laving got a lamp, I and another pas-
senger rescued a young girl from out of the wreck without
much difficulty, and had partly succeeded in reaching two
more who were calling for help, when, looking up the line, I
saw a train, apparently at full speed, dashing out the front
carriages of the scotch express. I ran for my life up the
embankment and towards the danger, but the other man ran
In the opposite way. The down train smashed through the
standing carriages and over the debris of the others, and the
engine and tender turned over jmt past where the poor women
were whom we should have extricated in a few minutes I fear
the man who was helping me to get these poor creatures out
was crushed under the engine, and I only had a few feet to
spare. The steam, smoke, and snow made the scene fearful
to a degree, and then it was that people seemed to lose their
senses, and one man in the down train who was not hurt
called-out. 'Do we chance here ? ' After a time fires were
lit and people set to work to look for the dead and wounded,
and some were rescued; but one poor woman was found
just in the rear of the tender of the down train, and under
the next carriage. She was buried under a mass of splinters
and torn cushions, and above all a large tool chest. A
few of us set to work to extricate her, and managed to get
her head clear in a short time; but it took nearly two
hours to free her, and she had fainted before being removed
A splendid fellow, dressed as a mechanic, was indefatigable
in his exertions to clear away the rubbish and splinters
which were above her. He stripped off coat and waistcoat
and got under the carriage, handing up the stuffing of
cushions which had broken open and had twisted round the
poor woman in such a manner as to bind her to the axletree
of a carriage, and all this time the tender was only prevented
from falling on him by being propped up by the corner
of the carriage under which he was. When the rescue was
almost accomplished and doctors had arrived, I was
obliged to leave, as my legs, which had been hurt, were not
able to support me any loner, hut I heart afterwards from
one of the doctors that she was got out alive, but with con-
cussion of the brain. After getting to Huntingdon, by a
train sent for us, I went to the "George" Hotel and got a
shake down in the ball-room, all the bedrooms being full,
many, i am sorry to say, taken up by people who were in the
down train, and who had not been hurt. I will leave others
to describe the extraordinary wild and awful scene that it
was, and have only written what I saw while engaged, in
conjunction with others. in trying to get the wounded from
the wreck, and also to bring to notice the gallant fellow who
In the midst of ground coal, mud, and snow worked like a
man and saved the life of the poor woman who was buried,
and must have been suffocated had he not, with the-help of a
few, torn and grubbed the mass of stuff out from round and
over her."

The Scotsman of Monday says :—"Mr. David and Mrs. Turn-
bull, of 12, Befgrave-crescent, Edinburgh, were in the Scotch
train, and both were very severely shaken. They'returned to
Edinburgh on Saturday night, but on Sunday we believe
they were both confined to their room, their medical attend-
ant having enjoined absolute rest and quietness. Three
ladies who were in the same compartment escaped unin-
jured. A young lad who had a most miraculous escape
was Master Charles Sinclair, son of Mrs. George Sin-
clair, of .5, Buckingham terrace, Edinburgh, who was
on his way to Dartmouth to join the training-
ship Britannia. The caoriage in which ho was seated
appears to have been greatly damaged, for he states that
• when he came to himself he was lying on his back on a pile
of broken timger somewhere between the two rails—his face
end te7nly half cove: e I with the snow, which was falling
heavily. He was very much confused from the shock he
had received, but the hissing of the locomotive and the
groans and shrieks of his fellow-pagsen:zers gave him in
idea that SOMetlillg dreadful had happened. As he gradually
x:ecrivered his senses, ho hcard some one calling loudly to him
to get up if he could and sun; and on rising to his feet he saw
throuah the gloom the London train fast drawing near. He
scrambled down from the top of the ruined carriage, and
made a sharp bolt for the bank; and be had scarcely done
so when the second collision occurred. He states that
there were in the compartment along with him a gentleman
who joined the train at Newcastle, and a lad, dreased like
himself, in naval uniform, who entered the train at York.
The elder gentleman he thinks was killed; and ha was
afraid something had happened to his other companion, for
he did not see him after the accident. Mr. Sinclair returned
to Edinburgh on Saturday night, but, though not injured
severely, the shake he had received was sufficient to keep
him in bed yesterday."

Ono of tie pa ss en g ers, named Owens, in describing the
settle, said :—" WeNvere seated together in a second-class
cariirge, on our way to London, and going along pretty
comfortably, when on nearing a place called Abbots Ribton
our pleasure was soon changed to sorrow. The snow was falling
fast and heavily, and, on that account, I presume, we were
proceeding tut slowly on our journey. I shall never foregt
the sensation I felt when, all of a sudden, I was thrown vio-
lently on to my opposite passenger. I seemed to feel the
carriage leave the rails and grate fearfully on my ear. On
fully recovering my senses, which I partially lost, I found
myself in the midst of one of the most heartrending scenes
that I ever remember. On all shies there were women scream-
ing and imploring some one to assist them, while the groans
of the poor injured creatures were most agonising. I, tietug
but slightly hurt, at once rendered all the assistance in my
power, and in a few minutes a number of persons were laid
on one side more dead than alive. One poor little
fellow, who seemed more frightened than hurt, was
crying piteously for his mother, who, it was thought, was
amongst the killed, but fortunately this turned out to the
contrary. The greatest care and attention was displayed by
the officials towards the injured persons, and every-
thing was done that was possible to alleviate their suffer-
ings. Turning to the scene of the wreck, I could see
nothing but carriages piled up in a heap, as if they had col-
lided, and jumped, as it were, one on to the other. Luggage
was lying about in all directions, broken up and damaged,
and the greatest confusion reigned around. I observed that
the guards, who narrowly escaped with their lives were in-
jured, two of them seriously, but the third was but slightly
hurt. Everything was naturally in the greatest confuAon,
but I was glad to notice the promptitude 'displayed in
assisting' the injured."

'A first-class lady passenger, says :—" We left Edinburgh
at 10 30 on Friday morning. The train was very full, and
contained many children who were going back to school
after their holidays. We arrived at York at about halt-past
three o'clock, where I noticed ..that • many young girls got
out. The train then :started on its way to London. I was
travelling in company with my husband and daughters. I
think it was about half-past six o'clock, or perhaps a
little later, when my husband, who had been having
a nap, woke up, and made a remark as to the snow, which
was then falling heavily, and appeared to lie thickly on
the ground. I said that we were evidently travelling at a
slower pace than had been the case, and within a minute of
making that remark we felt the effects of a violent collision.
We were thrown forcibly against the other side of the car-
raige ; the foot-warmers bruised our legs, and the bags and
parcels which were packed in the wickerwork which runs
across near the top of the carriage were displaced, and came
tumbling about our heads. 1 was bruised on the left
cheek and much shaken. Our carriage was not thrown off
the line. I.ly husband got up to look about and see what
was the matter, when we felt a sharp rebound; he was
thrown against the side of the carriage and cut across the
eyebrow. As soon as I could collect my thoughts I
noticed the efforts which were being made to release
the injured passengers, and I saw several assisted
irJM the broken and upturned carriages on to the embank-
ment, where they sat down in the snow. I felt very nervous
from the effects of the accident, and don't know how many
minutes had elapsed from the time of the collision, but it
suddenly occurred to me that it would be very dreadful if a
down train should come along and kill any of the wounded
not yet. removed, er those who were kindly endeavouring to
assist them. The thought had hardly flashed across my
mind when I heard the sound of an approaching
train, and within a few seconds there appeared to me
to be the rush as of a whirlwind, then a dreadful
crash, and the down train had cut its way through the
overturned carriages. I fell back in the carriage, my-head
seemed to swim round, and I felt exhausted with having
been an eyewitness of such harrowing scenes. 1 believe the
down train killed more than one passenger who had not been
rescued in time, but I cannot say this of my own knowledge.
I trust I may never have to go through such an ordeal again,
for I feel that it will be a long time before the exceedingly
painful impressions which it has produced on my mind will
wear .;ff. I feel quite ill whilst I am now thinking about

The following extraordinary escape is narrated : A
gentleman travelling by the up Scotch express in 3 first-class
carriage which was amongst those that were smashed lona.
himself lying on the ground, and, though unhurt,. pinned
down by a portion of the wreck, which lay across his breast
so as to prevent hini'from moving. Whilst lying in this
critical position the second collision took place, and the top
of the carriage was hurled down edgeways, and it came
dean so near his head that the top of his hat was
knocked to pieces; at the lame time the debris
which had previously held him fast was loosened, and
he extricated himself and escaped almost unhurt. A gentle-
man in another first-class carriage who had eseaped.Unhurt
was endeavouring to release some of his fellow passengers
who were jammed in the wreck, when he observed the down
express corning. Seeing that another collision was inevit-
able, he left his unfortunate comrades tb their •fate and
made a rush up the bank, hut before he could reach a place
of safety the engine, which had left the line, took the exact
direction in which he Was running, and coming up with him,
killed him on the opot.

. . „
, „.. ..
Mr. Richard B. Sanderson, of 1, Brick-court. Temple, a
law student, has given the following account othis share in
the collisions : "1, with my father, mother, and two sisters,
got into a that-class compartment of the exprtss train at
Newcastle. on Friday afternoon,, at half.past one o'clock.
In ;less than half an hour after leaving Peterborough'
there was a shock, and I' was two or, three times thrown
violently against my father, ' who was sitting opposite.
We were about the middle of the train, and the corn;
patttment in which we were seemed suddenly to fall
into , pieces and i leave us on • the: -ground . • My
father (whose leg was, broken), .my mother, and my-.
sel were ejected from the ruins.;, the former lay and the
later stood on the embankmenat by tie side of. the down
M
lint. 31y sisters' stilt reained in the ruins, and I ,ould
lust touch one of them ivith my hand, They said something
had fallen across their feet, and although I called for help to
extricate • them no Gip. came. len minutes, at- least, had
elapsed slate the . first collision when a voice.cried, 'The
other train is, c?ming.' !. thereupon found myself standing
on the eniihankment, 04 saw the second express rush through
the debris. "Ai ti1t:44,1.11e phsleabrWa kncidited down, and I
lay still until the splinteis Whithiwere fty MON all direatiotis'
had ceased to do so. I got up and found my father
partly under some pieces of wood, from which I extricated
him. My mother I discovered under the side of a carriage
which had fallen-on the embankment, and I raised the end
of it so far that she was enabled to crawl out. It was a con-
siderable time afterwards before my sisters were found.
One of the carriages of the down train had run on the top of
the ruins of the carriage which I think we had left, and
under that, partly jammed in by the wheel of the
other carriage, was my sister Margaret. She was not