The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-11-14 00:00:00

RAILWAY ACCIDENT.

A terrible accident, resulting in the death of one
passenger and the serious injury of several others,
occurred near the Elstree and BorehanAwood station,
on the Midland Railway, at a few minutes before seven
o'clock on Saturdayevening. The Midland Manchester
express, leaving that place at one p.m., and timed to
reaeS St. Pancras at 6.40 p.m.' consisted of an engine
and tender, a brake-van, and half-a-dozen carriages,
made up of composite and third-class coaches. The
train passed St. Albans at its accustomed speed, and,
not being timed to stop before reaching London, ran
through Elstree and Boreharn-wood station. Aquarter
of smile further on the engine driver discovered that
something was wrong with his engine, and that his train
had parted in the centre. He WM unable to pull up
until his engine had run some short distance into the
Elstree tunnel,where he become fixed, the rear wheeled
the then last carriage having left the rails. 'The shock of
the train parting and the subsequent toppling over and
crushing up of two of the coaches was heard at Elstree
station, and the agent, having speedily got together
the small force at his disposal, proceeded, accompanied
by some villagers, up the railway to the scene of the
accident. Two of the carriages were found to be com-
pletely shattered, and the line blocked up. Those of
the passengers who were merely suffering from the
shock having been relieved, the officials applied them-
selves to the more arduous task of rescuing the unfor-
tunate persons buried beneath the wreck of one of the
carriages. The agent at Elstree meanwhile put the
telegraph into requisition, and summoned the break-
down train and additional assistance from London,
while mounted messengers were sent off in all direc-
tions for medical aid. The first person claiming atten-
tion was Mr. Williams, who was suffering from a very
severe and extensive scalp wound. Mr. Williams
had been travelling in a second-class carriage, which
broke away from the leading carriages, and, running
up on to the embankment, was shattered into frag-
ments. Mr. Williams, who seems to have been the
only occupant, was thrown out of one end of the car-
riage on to the embankment. Mrs. Francis, of
Delancey-street, Camden town, London, sustained a
severe lacerated wound over the right eye, which re-
quired to be sewed up. Mr. GeoFgre Porter, a clerk in
the Midland Railway Company s service, was much
hurt about the abdomen and inithe region of the liver.
About eight o'clock the breakdown train arrived, and
with it a carriage containing Dr. Skeldinr, medical
officer of the Midland Railway, accompanied by his
assistant, Mr. Cane, and other officials of the company.
The powerful machinery attached to the breakdown
train was now brought into requisition, and in a very
short time Dr. Monks, of Dublin, wan got out from
under the remains of a first-class carriage, and con-
-1 veyed to Elstree station. After restoratives had been
1 administered, Dr. Monks was removed withgreat care to
the house of Mr. Evans, a gentleman reeident in the
neighbourhood. Dr. Monks is suffering from an ex-
tensive lacerated wound of the right leg and revere
contusions of the left arm. His life is stated to have
been fortunately preserved by a tin deed-box with
which he was travelling, and which protected him from
the suffocation through which his unfortunate fellow-
traveller lost his life. This gentleman, whose body was
got out shortly after Dr. Monks had been extricated,
has been identified as Mr. M. P. Thomson, representa-
tive of the firm of Materlin, Roes and Co., of Manchester.
It ia the opinion of the medical men that he died
from suffocation, All the injured persons expressed
the usual anxiety to be forwarded home. In the
case of Mr. Williams, who is a Government official,
and resides in Edith-grove, Brompton, the medical
men, after consultation, allowed him to be conveyed
to his residence under the medical charge of Mr.
Cane, Dr. Skelding's assistant. Mrs. Francis, whose
own medical man was telegraphed for, was also con-
veyed to London on Saturday night. Mr Porter had
sufficiently recovered on Sunday to be sent under
charge of a relative to Derby, where he resides. Dr.
Monk remained under the care of Mr. Faulkner, Mr.
Goeden'e assistant, during Saturilay night, and was
going on favourably on Sunday. The actual cause of
the accident has been ascertained to be the dropping
of an air cylinder from beneath the engine. This
cylinder came into contact with the first succeeding
carriage and struck off the rearmost axle and pair of
wAcels, which in turn threw two coaches off the rails
and broke up the train as already described.

On Monday an inquest waa held on the body of Mr.
klungo Park Thomson, when the jury returned a ver-

diet that the deceased was accidentally killed by the
breaking up of an express train in motion gi the Mid-
land railway, caused by the fall of acylinder connected
with the air-break attached to isuch train, such fall, in
the opinion of the jury, being caused by a Haw in the
flange of the bracket attaching such cylinder to the
engine.—An insurance ticket ler £l,OOO, which had
been taken at Manchester for 6d., was found on the
deceased.

MR. DISRAELI AT THE LORD MAYOR'S
BANQUET.
At the Lord Mayor's Banquet in London, on Monday even-
ing, Mr Disraeli, responding to the toast "The Health of
lier Majesty's Ministers." in the course of his speech said :-
My. Lord Mayor, this is not the first occasion on
which I have had, in this Hall, the honour of return-
ing the thanks of Her Majesty's Government for the
distinction which you have offered to us. Six years
have elapsed since I had that proud office to fulfil.
And, my Lord Mayor, I could not help reflecting,
when you proposed this toast, on what had happened
in those six years. More remarkable events than pro-
bably have occurred in any similiar interval of modern
history, perhaps I might say of ancient history. In
that interval of time, larger armies have been brought
into the field than are upon record--using instru-
ments of destruction which the most speculative
men of science fifty years ago could not have con-
templated. During that interval Empires have been
created, and Empires have disappeared. Repub.
lies have been proclaimed in sight f your own cliffs
and of your own dominions. More sovereignties have
been abolished than during the Revolutionary war;
and among them that immemorial and sacred Phrone
which Erupercrs and Kings for centuries had failed to
control has vanished like a dream. Yet during all this
period, amid all this change and turbulence, the people
of England have remained tranquil and content.
(Cheers.) It was not always so. But a few years ago,
comparatively speaking, in the memory of many,
dare say of the majority, within this Hall, the procla-
mation of a Republic in a neighbouring country
seemed the sign of sedition throughout the whole
of this country. This very City for one day was
virtually placed in a state of siege. You had to
appeal to the great military genius of the age again
to conduct your operations. The civil power rallied
around him with a manifestation of patriotism which
will never be forgotten. Artillery was planted upon
your bridges, and for four and twenty hours women
and children were not allowed to leave their roofs.
It is impossible to refrain from asking what has pro-
duced this great change. It has occurred because the
people are contented, they have obtained that which
they most anxiously desired, and, because the Legisla-
ture thought it was politic and just, it was given with
no grudging hand (cheers) ; and they are tranquil
because they are content. (Cheers.) My Lord, one
of the consequences of this change in public feeling
on the part of the people of this country is—although
I have no intention of touching on the forbidden
province of party politics, still, as a matter of fact and
as explanatory of my position at the present moment,
I may say—one of the consequences of this change of
feeling is that Her Majesty has called to her Council a
Conservative Administration (Cheers.) I have been
alarmed recently by learning from what I suppose is
the highest Liberal authority that a Conservative
Government cannot endure because it has been re-
turned by Conservative working men, and that a Con-
servative working man is an anomaly. (A laugh.)
We have been told that a working man cannot be
Conservative, for he has nothing to conserve—he has
neither land nor capital (a laugh(—as if there were
not other things in the world as precious as land and
capital. My Lord Mayor, I may be allowed, in
passing, to observe that there arethings in my opinion,
and I hope and believe in yours, even more precious
than land and capital (cheers), and without which
land and capital themselves would be of little worth.
(Cheers). What, for instance, is land without
liberty? And what is capital without justice?
(Cheers.) The working-class of this country have
inherited personal rights which the nobility of other
nations do not yet possess. Their persons and their
homes are sacred. They have no fear of arbitrary
arrests or domiciliary visits. (Cheers.) They know,
as the Lord Chancellor has justly reminded us, that
the administration of law in this country is pure, and
that it is no reapector of individuals or dames. They
know very well that their industry is unfettered—that
by the law of this country they may combine to pro-
tect the interests of labour, and, as the Commander-in-
Chief has well remin led us, they know that, though it
is open to all of them to serve their Sovereign by land
or sea, no one can be dragged from his craft or his
hearth to enter a military service which is repugnant
to him. (Cheers.) Surely these are privileges which
are worthy of being preserved? (Cheers.) Can we there-
fore be surprised that a nation which possesses such
rights should wish to preserve them? (Cheers.) And if
that can be the case, it is wonderful that the working
classes are Conservative? (Loudcheers.) . . . I may be
' allowed, I hope, on this occasion to congratulate you on
the general condition of the country. I believe that, tak-
ing a large and general view of it, the condition of England
has seldom been more prosperous and more contented.
' The state of our trade and commerce during the pre-
sent twelve months has not been one of that startling
character which a few years ago engrossed and
absorbed attention. But I may remind you in the
City of London that the fears that were entertained
of the painful reaction which would occur, as it
was supposed, from the over-stimulated energies of
the country have not been realized; on the contrary,
I should say that after a period of such activity
it is most remarkable that the commerce of
this country should have been sustained with
such equability and general energy as it has
been. But I may add—and I have the highest
authority for it—that there is no doubt a con-
aiderable revival of trade and a great pro-
mise of increase in our commercial transactions. And
speaking on this subject, I hope I shall not disappoint
those who have offered premature conclusions as to
the state of the revenue if I take the liberty of saying
that it is realising all that we anticipated (cheers) ;
and I have no doubt when my right hon. friend the
Chancellor of the Exchequer bac on a perhaps more
important night than even the sth of November to
make a statement most interesting to all of you, he
will be able to show that his finance has been sound,
and that he may fairly be proud of the office he
fills

After a brief reference to Indian and Colonial affair., lathe
course of which he said that his Government were deter-
mined by every means in their power to confirm and comp di-
date our colonial empire, Mr. Disraeli passed to the subject
of foreign affairs. Ile said :

" As for pretending that in the present state of
affairs on the Continent there is no cause for anxiety,
that would be trifling with any body of intelligent
men that one addressed, but I can express at least the
belief of her Majesty's Ministers that there is an
unanimous desire at the present moment on the part of
the great Powers to maintain peace, and I can express
the belief of her Majesty's Ministers that that peace
will be maintained. His Excellency in addressing us
has reverted to some political circumstances connected
with his country which it was interesting to recall
to our recollection. Without entering into observations
which can in any way be misinterpreted, I cannot
refrain from expressing my belief thatin this country
generally there is an admiration of the elasticity which
France has shown under her almost unheard ef dis-
asters ; and I have such confidence in the wise forbear-
ance and the prudent magnanimity which her present
rulers have shown, that I believe in their conduct we
shall find another element for-the maintenance of that
peace in which we have confidence. All I can say on that
head is that there shall be no means wanting on the part
of her Majesty's &resent advisers to secure that in-
estimable blessing. I believe that much may be done,
even at the present moment—l venture to say something
has been done—to prevent misconceptions between
States, and to soften unhappy but unfounded irrita-
bility between them. Her Majesty's Government
have on every occasion been prompt an ready to exert
their influence in that manner they nelieve best fitted
to promote those objects. They believe that moral
influence on the part of England is not to be despised,
but their definition of moral influence is not giving
advice which is not asked for. They believe that
when applied to by any State for assistance in diffi-
culties which ought to be terminated, a generous adop-
tion of the position of adviser or mediator is one
which we should never refuse; and we believe also
that some moral influence may be exercised at this
moment, when disorder and confusion prevail in some
coun•ries, which we regiet, by exhibiting to Europe
the example of a State which has solved the great
political problem by combining order with liberty, and
which, if some of those troubles which are anticipated
may occur, will, while it still vindicates the principle
of religious liberty, will not shrink from proclaiming
the principle of religious truth."

Mr. MIINDELLA, M.P., on CO-OPERATION.
Mr. Muudella, M.P., delivered the prizes to the
successful students at the science classes of the
Accrington and Church Industrial Co-operative
Society. He said that what he had seen of co-
operation in Accrington made him wish that every
town in England would follow its example. As our
population was increasing vastly, and our cultivatable
land decreasing, as well as our agricultural labourers,
England's prosperity must depend more and more on
her manufactures. In order that the country might
maintain its cupremacy it was necessary that its
people should be educated as well or better than
people of other nations. Three great things which
were needed, and which he was afraid the Legislature
did not do all that it might to promote, were—intelli-
gence, temperance, and thrift. 1 hese societies tended
to foster those qualities, and he was delighted with
the success of their science classes. He believed the
Legislature of the country could a?,othing better for
the working classes, and all other classes, than make
education cheap, compulsory, and universal. He ex-
pressed regret that Accrington with its 25,000 in-
habitants had not the school board to enforce com-
pulsory attendance, as one of the great difficulties
of their science teacher was the lack of elementary
education in the scholars.