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

INCIDENTS OF THE RAILWAY
ACCIDENT.

Touching the accident itself one correspondent writes :
" Petroleum, it is well knewn, burns with peculiar force,
fierceness, and tenacity, ant never were its detestable quali-
ties more conspicuously visible than on this OCCagion. The
whole permanent way, for forty feet, was literally in a
Maze for hours. It was not a tire, but a furnace. The
rails were of a white heat, the permanent way, saturated
with the oil, was red hot, the bank was in a blase, and the
carriages, and everything, and everybody in them, were con-
sumed to dust. For hours this fearful spectacle was wit-
nessed, for the petroleum fist, so to speak, on itself long
after the woodwork of the carriages had been destroyed.
The spectators could plainly see for some time the skeletons
of the passengers in the Haines ; but before the fire was
extinguished skulls and legs and arms were calcined into
dust. All that could tic-stone was done to put out the names
by throwing water on them, but the efforts were almost in-
effectual. The tire may be said to have burnt itself out."

On Sunday, the Rev W. Phillips, Incumbent of St.
Mathews, )akley-einare, London, in the course if his
sermon, alluded to the terrible catastrophe, and spoke in
most feeling terms of the death of the guard Smith, Who,
with his wife and eight young children, hot lived
In the neighbourhood. The rev, gentleman spoke in high
terms of the deceased as having been a most respectable and
exemplary man, and it ropier member of his congregation,
having been present amongst them on the Sunday preceding
the accident. So enlisted were the sympathies of the Rev.
Mr. Phillip's hearers, that many of them shed tears.

Among the helpers at the accident was the wife of a plate-
layer named Dickens, who lives in a small cottage upon the
beach, and within a few yards of the scene of the collision.
She entreated one lady to put her little girl through the car-
riage wii.dow ; but the mother—not, perhitm at the moment
recogolding her danger—relected the proffered as istance,
and in another moment the carriage was in flames, and help
out of reach Soon afterwards a child's boot, charred with
the flames, was picked tint of the ashes during the search for
valuables.

Messrs. Arthur Brown and Co. have sent a letter for pub-
lication hi which they soy—' We know well the oil which
was in the trucks which caused the accident to the Irish
mail, and we can vouch for it that the oil was in excellent
casks, and the igniting point fox above the parliamentary
standard. The effect would have been the same, or worse,
with brandy or turpentine."

A bunch of keys bearing the name and address of '• Atklli
Townsend 'louse School, Kidderminster," marked on the
attaching ring, and a part of a book with the legend.
" Edmund-, presented by Load Littledide," were found
in the debris.

The following letter was published in the Dublin
Exprcss of Monday :
As it may be a relief to some anxious members of
my family, I beg to inform you that I, with my
sister-in-law. v 7 I. Tottenham. stopped at th- "Queen '
Hotel, eli, the night preceding the accident to the
Irish mail that our luggage, with that of Lord and Lady
Farnham and ,titers was sbmpol at the " 4ueen" Hotel, was
placed together in the Inggage van, but that, providentially
for us, we met some frieuds in the London part of the train,
into whose carriage we got, and so, thank 60,1, saved our
lives. I write, as we have been described in different
Pala rs as" Captain" or "Colonel Townsend and lady, who
have not since been heard of." I may add that we. with
our party, have escaped with a few bruisea—laithfully
yours, C. UNIACKE TOWNSENIE—August hi, IOcH.

Mr. Henry Charles Andrews, KR, 1, Oakley-
square, St. Pancras, Lombni, writes :
on Friday morning I was requesteff to undertake the
melancholy task of inhaming my patient, Mrs. Smith, of
her being a widow under very distressing circumstances.
The poor woman was deeply affected at the sad tale of afflic-
tion, being in a very weak state of health, and having
been confined only eight days since. After regaining selb
possession to 80111 C extent, she exclaimed, ti have lost an
txcellent husifSbd and a good friend ! What is to become
of me and my family of eight children?"
It has been nay lot to be acquainted with the late gnarl,
William Smith, and his family, during the last eight years,
and I believe him to have always been a highly-respectable
man, and efficient in the discharge of his duties. I can,
with confidence, state he was a domesticated and most kind
husloand. An effort is being made to secure some provision
for the family, and I have been requested to act as treasurer
to the fund. The Rev..lohn Fitrt:crab!, of the Parsonage,
Pratt-street, Camden Town, and the Rev. Charles Phillips, of
Stanhope-street, the incumbent of St. Matthew's Chureh,
Oakley-square, have kindly offered to assist me in forming
a committee. Subscriptions forwarded to Other of the above
gentlemen or myself will be received with gratitude, and
applied to the future welfare of the bereaved family in their
heavy affliction.

THE LATE REV. SIR NICHOLAS CHINNERY.
The Rev. John Baillie of Wyvenhoe Rectory, Essex,
writes :
Few men ever were so ready for so terrifically sudden is
translation us was this estimable baronet. Only a fortnight
ago be visited us here, and preached in my pulpit a most
masterly sermon, which none who heard it will swat forget.
It is doubly embalmed now iii our menuwies us a kind of
farewell testimony to the truth which he loved, and as a
parting appeal to the men whom he so earnestly sought to
awaken into a fresh Christian energy. It recalls vividly the
words which Arnold, ins the Sunday preceding Ids scarcely
less abrupt removal, addressed to his youthful charges at
Rugby, when he demanded of each whether he "hail yet
taken the great step in life—passing out of the kingdom of
! Satan into the kingdom of Christ,"
sir Nicholas spoke to us of his intended visit to Ireland as
the fulfilment of his duty as an Irish landlord, preferring to
live for a time anmng the people to a more agreeable sojourn
abroad. Ile was to leave London on the Mil. and, unfortu-
nately breaking the journey at Chester, he entered the fatal
train there on the 20th

The Rev. Sir Nicholas Chinnery and Lady Chinnery left
their residence in Hyde-park-square in full health on Wed-
nesday last, purposing to travel I,y the five p.m. London and
North-Western express to Chester, and remain at the
" Queen" Hotel during the night, proceeding to Holyhead
next day en route for Monkstown. near Dublin, where they
were going on a visit to her ladyship's mother, Mrs. Vernon
(of Clontart. Sir Nicholas was about sixty-live years of age,
and her ladyship ten years younger. They have left an only
daughter, married to the Rex. Alexander Haldane, son of
Mr. Haldane, of the Record Department, who has taken the
family name of Chinnery in addition to Isis own, and is now
vicar of Calne, in Wiltshire. Mrs. lialdane-chinnery is at
this moment in Scotland, and is just recovering from her
confinement of a son and heir. Caroline Stearn has been in
Lady Chinnery's service about four years. sir Nicholas
chinnery was born its England, and was a member of Queen's
College, Cambridge, but he had large possessions in the
county Cork.

The Netreadle Chronicle says that a local interest of a
melancholy character has been imparted to the catastrophe
by the reported appearance among the killed of a family
belonging to this district. Walworth, a township about
three miles south-west of Heighington, and five miles north-
west of Darlington, is the property of the Rev. E. H. Hopper
and Mrs. Aylmer, of Walworth Castle. The llansards are
the first recorded possessors of Wa'worth. It was after-
wards transferred by marriage to the Ayscoughs, and was
sold by them in the sixteenth century to Thomas Jennison,
Esq., in whose family it remained till about the middle
of the last century, when it was sold to Matthew Stephen-
son, ESII., of Newcastle, for £lO,OOO. It was next purchased
by John Harrison, Esq., whose only daughter and heiress
intermarried with Arthur Aylmer, Esq., general in the
army. The castle., it will thus be perceived, has been for
a considerable tune in the imssession of the family of
Aylmer, and the name of John Harrison Aylmer, Esq., who,
we fear, is the unfortunate gentleman alluded to, appears
among the magistrates and deputy-lieutenants for the
county of Durham. The settlement of the Ayhners in Ire-
land is fixed at Dune tinie in the twelfth century. The
baronetcy of Ireland was conferred en the 25th of January,
1021, a little more than a year after the institution of the
order by James upon sir Gerald Aylmer, KM., of
Donadea, county Kildare. The present Mirth baronet is
Sir Gerald George, and among the family of the seventh
baronet 'Sir Fitzgerald) is recorded the name of Arthur,
lieutenant-general in the army, as the second son, who mar-
ried in 1800 Anne, only daughter and heiress of John
Harrison, Esq., of Walworth Castle, and died 1001, leaving
issue. His widow died Ist March, 1007. The gentleman
who is reported to have met with his death in this sad
manner, was, we presume, therefore, son of the late
Arthur Aylmer, Esq. The family was further locally con-
nected by the marriage of one of its members in 1857 to
Isabella Eleanor, elder daughter of the late Mr. George
Darling, of Fewberry Tower, Yorthumberland.

Judge Berwick, who was amongst the killed, was about
sixty-five years of age, lie was a bachelor, and resided in
Memos-square, where his house was presided over by the
lamented lady who was united with him in death. Miss
Symess twas the daughter of a friend, and Judge
Berwick WAS escorting her to Dublin. At Chester Vis-
countess Bangor observed Judge Berwick inn the railway
carriage, and exchanged kindly courtesies with the
party. The judge, as the train moved out of the station,
addressing Lady Bangor with much warmth of feeling, and
waving his hand, exclaimed, "Good-bye, dear Lady Bangor,
God bless you!" Judge Berwick was of a distinguished
family. His father, the Rev. Edward Berwick, was one of
the old T.C.D.'s in Grattan's time, and lioth married two
sisters. After graduating at Trinity College, lie became
rector at Leislip, in the county of Dublin, aunt actent as
secretary to the Nlarquis of Beatings when Lord Lieutenant
of Ireland. A brother of the judge is master of Galway
College.

The late Lord Farnham was possered of an exceedingly
kind heart, and most affectionate nature. It may fairly be
asserted that he had not an enemy in the W orld. Bow he
performed his duty to his Irish tenantry may be under-
stood from the fact that, with the exception of a short
period during every London season, he residsl upon his pro-
perty in the county Cavan all the year round. At Farn-
ham there was none of the complaints usually made by a
discontented tenantry. One expressive pr oil of Lady Farn-
ham's goodness is curiously associated with her death.
Kellett, her maid, was left with an orphan sister
upon the Farnham estate totally unprovided for. As
soon as Lady Farnham heard of their condition she
immediately adopted both children, clothed, fed, and
educated them. One sister married in Ireland her lady-
ship's maid was apprenticed in London to Mrs. Murray
the eminent court milliner, and at the expiration if her
articles she accepted Lady Farnham's almost affectionate
invitation to a service which has only terminated with
death.