The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1855-10-30 00:00:00

FRIGHTFUL RAILWAY ACCIDENT.

A FRIGHTFUL accident, and which at one time threatened the
most disastrous consequences, occurred on Sunday evening,
between eight and nine o'clock, on the Lancaster and Carlisle
Railway, three-quarters of a mile north of Keasforth station,
between Lancaster and Preston. The train bringing the
morning Scotch mail not arriving at Preston at its usual hour,
a pilot-engine was sent down the line, when it was ascertained
that it had run off the line, near Lancaster, the train breaking
into two divisions, one rolling down the left and the other
down the right side of the embankment, into the open fields.
The guard, who is a stout man, was severely injured, the flesh
of one of his arms being stripped off to the bone, and a number
of the passengers were more or less hurt. Judging from the
speed, the train travelling at the rate of forty miles an -hour,
and the fearful nature of the accident, there was reason to fear
that death had resulted, but it does not appear to have been
the case. The accident was caused, it appears, by a bale of
goods, which had been dropped by a preceding goods' train,
and the engine coming in contact with it, it was thrown down
the embankment, the carriages separating from it, and falling
into the fields on each side of the line. They were completely
smashed to pieces, and the mail-bags scattered; but no one
killed. The following parties are injured :—Mr. Gray, of the
Potteries, collar-bone broken, and bruised about the head ;
Mr. Chapman, of Tevay, cattle-dealer, head cut and chest
crushed ; Mr. Lomas, spirit-merchant, of Frodsham, Cheshire,
severely shaken ; Sir Chas. and Lady Stewart were passengers
and were severely injured, Sir Charles being cut about the
head. The passengers were despatched on their destination
by another train, having been detained about two hours and a
half. The mail van was so much injured that it could not be
forwarded.

GREAT FLOOD IN TDB RIBBLE.—Since the great Christmas
storm, two years ago, there has not been so heavy a flood in
the Ribble as on Friday morning, when the flood rose at least
two feet beyond the extraordinary height which the tide a few
hours before had attained. All the land at Avenham, extend-
ing, from the Cliff to the Penwortham Factories, was, with the
exception of a very small yiece, under water. Looking towards
Walton, from Avenham, it was one continued sea; and again
down the river, the Holme, the Marsh, the Quays, the Fisher-
gate, the Penwortham high road, Ashton Marsh, and all the
land on both sides of the river, were flooded. A large quantity
of debris came down with the torrent. About six o'clock the
landing-stage at the Old Rowing Club's boat-house was swept
away, the timbers being torn out of the ground with irresisti-
ble force. It floated down the rivdr, and was lodged against
the bows of a vessel lying at the quay, when it was secured
with ropes to the shore. The flood began to abate about noon,
and the high tide seemed to have no effect on the terrific rush
of water that went down the channel of the river. The houses
on Ribble-place, at the bottom of Fishergate, were flooded, as
also was Taylor-street, and all the land behind, up to the gar-
dens at West Cliff. The residents on Ribble-place had to be
conveyed in boats to and from their houses. By noon the high
road to Penwortham was passable for vehicles. All the vessels
at the quay were moored with extra hawsers, and every pre-
caution taken to prevent accident.