The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1868-08-29 00:00:00

THE MARQUIS OF HAMILTON UPON

THE ABERGELE ACCIDENT.

.
The Martm: Hamilton, eldest son t.f the Duke
of Abercorn, Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland, gives the
following account of the catastrophe :

An account of the fearful accident which befell the Irish
limit yesterday front UM who was a passenger in the filleted
train and a witness of the catastrophe. may net be unin-
terestiag. We had left Abergele about a mile and a half, anti
were about the saute distance from the Llainidulas stiftion,
when we were startled by it collision and shock which, though
lent very severe, were sufficient to throw every one against
his opposite neighbour. I immediately jumped out of the
carriage, sstseit a fearful sight any view. Already the whole of
the three passenger carriages in front of nun, the vans, and
the engine were enveloped in dense sheets of flame and
smoke, rising telly twenty feet high, and spreading out in
every direction ; it was the work of an instant. No words
ran convey the instantaneous nature of the explosion and
continua:Won. I had actually got out almost before the
shock 44 the collision was over, and this was the spectacle
which already presented itself. Not a sound, tmt a scream,
tent a struggle to escape, Inc a movement of any sort was ap-
parent in the doomed carriages. It was as though an electric
flash had at onee paralyzed and stricken every one of their
occupants. Sin complete was the absence of any presence of
living or struggling life in them that, as soon as the pas-
sengers font the other parts of the train were in some degree
fecovered from their first shock and consternation, it was
imagined that the bunting carriages were destitute of pas-
senger. ; a hope 801111 changed into feelings of horror when
their contents inf charred and mutilated remains were dis-
eovereni about an tour afterwards.
From the extent, however, of the flames, the suddenness
of the conflagration, anti the absence of any power tin
extricate themselves, sin talntan all would have been of any
assistance to the slifferers, whit, in all probability, were
instantaneously suffensited IT the black and fetid smoke
peculiar to paraffin, which rose in volumes eland anti around
tlic spreading flames.
As soon as I had in some degree realised the situation and
pissed my family in safety, I ran with all possible speed fir a
consintxrable distance • el the down line to stop the Irishman,
which walseapecteil on the up line : but I found that this
hat already born ilone, I believe at Llaniblulas station, where
possibly, they hail knowledge 4)1 the escape of the waggi ins
which caused the calamity. on my return I found some of
the female passengers collected in a neighltouring held, out
of reach nnf the dreaded explosion if the engine boilers, front
which, however, the engine-driver had bail the presence of
mind to tiffrn off the steam before Inc jumped off it. The
male passion:era were assisting in every possible way rn their
rts being principally directed In, SaVilIV the mails allot
diSsching 'carriages from tile burning mass, and it was Oh
enamouring: notes with each other that the fearful extent of
hos nnt tilt aas realised, and that the task Id removing the
blaskened USA shamed remains from the burning carriages
began.
saw eleven bodies, if such they could be called, removed
awl carefully wrapped up itt sheets. Beyond the knowledge
that ismr Lord mid Lady Farnham were in these carriage,
there was nothing tin desiguate them individually, except a
wnitch with Lord larlillant's crest mid coronet. Various
other watches, bracelets, rings, and jewelry were picked up
and taken in eharge of by the police. The country people,
who assembled in large numbers were very kind in their at'
lord nit t.. tine sufferers by the collision. Most of the wounds,
am lusppy to say, were mitt slight, chiefly contusions and
tints aimut the bead. After a Ilelay of six hours the niail
:dit again started on its journey to Holyhead, the ghastly
rtinnants of what so few hours before hail been
~..ssengers still remaining in shrouds and tempos
our fellow
r„ry '
nni‘hor,j the accident occurred.
The a• ccident hapt„.7‘ed from carelessness, which involves
the highest degree of cidnl'hilitY tipon those concerned in
th„ „tc„hj,:s end of which wsre one or
more laden with paraffin oil in eninlYsi hod heel, onowed to
escape down tine line at th,,rate or thirty miles
out hOur on
the same 'lucid rails up which the Irish Mall was proceeding
at about an equal pane ; the collision which ensued, and
which Was quite 'unavoidable by the engine-driver, threw
the eugiee of the mail train off the rails, and Ito doubt the
,icape of the paraffin front the broken barrels and its contact
w lan the tires ‘II the engine, as well as the cencussion itself,
tome,' the einitinuous stream of flame which enveloped the
whole fore part of the train.
That an engine of mischief so potent as paraffin should be
phoned without. any exceptional protection at the tail of a
logsrage train minket to any shock or colliden which may
befall it, and which alone of itself might cause its explosion,
is enlinable remissness in itself bid that by carelessness the
,k,g,,401,r3 should be allowed inn detach themselves down an
incline, met carry death to every living thing obstructing
them, is it most scrims aggravation of the evil.
[nig. some powerful restrictions see put upon the posst-
inilities of such contingencies, travellers by railway will have
to inure thernvelves to the danger of a new torus of fearful,
in-tantaneous and inevitable death, to whish the onlinary
perils of a collision by comparison appear mild and unim-
portant.
I have the honour to be, Sir, your Obedient servant,
Viceregal Lodge, Aug. gl.

The Journal de Paris states that the French Army
criutains 1200, mounted cannons.
Everythircz has become enormously dear at Lucerne,
owing to the influx of visitors.
On Tuesday, a tramway thirty feet high and two
heavy cranes, at Bowden and Eilwarils's timber yard, Brook-
street. Manchester, were precipitated to the ground, carrying
with them a number of men, one of whom unfortunately was
killed, and seven seriously injured. The cranes were mewing
a boiler several tons weight.