The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1881-12-17 00:00:00

FATAL RAILWAY ACCIDENT IN
LONDON.

A terrible aocident occurred on Saturday, the 10th,
on the short branch railway running out of the North
London line at the Canonbury Junction and termi.
nating at the Finsbury-park Station of the Great
Northern Railway. The official account of the
disaster is as follows !

"The 8.53 and the 8.58 a.m. train from Finsbury-
park, the 8.43 from Enfield, and the 9.8 from Finsbury-
park, all en route to Broad-street, came into collision
on the Great Northern Railway, between Finsbury-
park and Canonbury Junction."
The first train mentioned was brought te a stand-
still at the home signal at the mouth of the tunnel.
The second train came on before the first had pro-
ceeded to Canonbury Station, The eollisioa in this
instanee was slight. /to damage appears to have been
clone, and the first train managed to get out of the
tunnel with some difficulty, and was the earliest to
convey intelligence of the collision that had happened
to the station-master at Canonbury. But before any
assistance could be afforded the two succeeding trains
had crushed into each other, the engine of the Enfield
train partially mounting the debris and doing serious
damage to many passengers prostrate and helpless
from preceding shocks, and then the engine of the
fourth train ran violently into the guard's van of the
third, thus completing the wreck of three trains within
the short compass of a tunnel less than 600 yards long.
The shock of the several collisions had extinguished
nearly all the lights in the carriages, and the horror
of the eatastrophe was increased by the almost total
darkness in which the tunnel was enveloped. The
cries for aid and assistance on the part of many pas-
sengers were drowned by the noise of the steam
escaping from the several engines, and before any aid
of any kind had arrived a great many passengers
made the best of their way out of the tunnel to the
Canonbury Station, whence many proceeded to their
destination in trains over the main line of the North
London Railway, carrying news of the disaster into
the City.
Meantime aid was arriving at the scene of the acci-
dent, and, lights having been obtained, the injured
persons were first extricated and conveyed on shutters
hastily obtained, to the mouth of the tunnel, and
thence to the German Hospital at Dalston. Four
passengers who had succumbed to their injuries and
the guard of one of the trains were next extricated
from the d&ris of the crushed carriages, and conveyed
to the mortuary building in Holloway-road to await a
coroner's inquest.
The following is a list of those killed, who it is
believed were without an exception persons travelling
in the third train (from Enfield) :—Mr. Joseph Henry
Newman, of 51, Victoria-street, Finsbury-park, clerk
to a firm of solicitors; Mr, G. Amant, a clerk, in
the employ of Messrs. Hoskins, 155, Leadenhall-
street ; Mr. E. W. Saunders, of the firm of E. W.
Saunders & Co.' 1, Castle-court, Lawrence-lane; Mr.
Alexander Vickary, cow-keeper' of Upcott Farm,
Stoke Newington; Samuel West, of Morville-street,
Bow, passenger guard, in the service of the North
London Railway.

The bodies of Mr. Newman, Mr. Amant, and Mr.
Saunders were not much disfigured. Each appeared
to have died instantaneously from the severity of their
injuries. That of Mr. Vick Lry, who was a hale old
man of 73, well known in the neighbourhood of Canon.
bury, and upon whom was found a third•class return
ticket from Enfield, was sadly crushed, one of the
wheels appearing to have gone over his chest. The
remains of the guard West presented a shocking spec-
tacle. He was travelling in the front guard's van of
the third train, and when the collision with the second
train took place, his van collapsing, he was thrown on
to the wreck of his engine, which had telescoped and
mounted on to the rear of the second train, where
West was literally scalded to death by water escaping
from the boiler.

From the accounts given by passengers it is evident
that the comparatively small loss of life and the few
injuries sustained must be due to the fact that the
great majority of the passengers, yielding to the in-
stincts of self-preservation, quitted the trains and took
refuge where they could in the tunnel. The more
seriously injured were in a piteous plight, hemmed in
by the debris of broken carriages, and beyond the
reach of succour until light came upon the scene.
Breakdown gangs both of the Great Northern and
North Londm Companies were quickly despatched,
however, and the work of rescue begun. The last
dead body was not recovered till twelve o'clock. The
work of clearing the lines, both of which were hppe-
lessly blocked, occupied till after six in the evening.

A young man who was in the 9.3 train, has given
this account, especially interesting because of his
escape from the carriage which appears to have been the
scene of four of the deaths: " I was in the last third-
class carriage next the guard's van. We entered Cannon.
bury tunnel at a moderate pace. When, as I judged,
about three-quarters through the tunnel, just by the
distance signal, we pulled up short, and there was a
sharp smash. I was thrown out of my compartment
into the next head first. I went right over by a sort of
somersault, I suppose, I can't think how it [was done,

but I landed on the seat of the next compartment. The
lights went out at the same time. Pulling myself together,
I felt for the door, and was talking with others about
jumping out when I heard two short sharp whistles
behind. I knew this meant that the 9.8 train was
upon us. There were frantic shouts and screams
raised to prevent it coming on. I instantly leaped
upon the line, scrambled to the side of the tunnel, and
groped about for a man-hole, where I placed myself.
Two girls who were in our carriage also found a place
of refuge there. The 9.8 train dashed into the
van of our train, killing the guard as I have since
learned. The carriage we had just left was
telescoped. It is said there was nothing left but
the walls. Had there been lights in the tunnel many
people might have taken refuge in these manholes,
which are holes in the walls to be found at intervals of
about twenty yards. After waiting a short time I
ventured out. Coming out towards the end of the
tunnel I found a secone.lass carriage completely
smashed in. The roof was lying with the floor on the
ground. I saw this because matches had been called
for and torches were being made with newspapers.
Just outside the tunnel I saw three or four people who
had been placed on cushions. They were severely cut
about the face and neck. Having business in the City
I was obliged to push on as quickly as possible, and I
could not wait to see after results. I walked to
Canonbury Station along the line, and a special was
run on to Broad-street. I left the City early, feeling
knocked up. lam a little 'queer' and 'shaky' after
the excitement, but otherwise I have not suffered
injury."
The brother of the above-named young man left
Finsbury-park by the next train after his brother—
the 9.8. He says :—" When this train rushed into
the one in advance it shot back and forwards, the
lights went out, and everybody was much alarmed.
I was in the fourth carriage from the engine. I asked
if anybody had a match. Some one supplied matches,
and another produced a newspaper. A torch was
made and lit, and we began to get out of the carriage.
All the time we thought the 9.15 would be down upon
us. The shrieking was awful, and that frightened us
more. We ran out of the tunnel at the Finsbury-
park end, but when we got there we thought we had
better go back and see if we could do any good. A
lot of men were then coming down with lanterns. On
going back we saw that the engine was standing up on
its,hind wheels. The funnel was off, and there was
nd't an atom of the guard's van to be seen. The top of
the van I afterwards saw lying on the line. In front
of the engine some loose wheels were lying, and I also
saw what seemed to be the quarter of a third-class car-
riage. I have since learned that this was the carriage
which my brother escaped from. In this there were two
men. All I could see was their faces. One had a gash
on his forehead. The men got on to the carriage and
did all they could to get them out, but they did
not seem to make much progress. Then it was hinted
that the engine would burst, and this startled every-
body again. The steam was already making a fright-
ful noise. A fire was made of the woodwork of the
carriages, and then another gang of men came down.
There were some people's faces frightfully cut. We
did not go far along, and walking back, we saw the
9.15 standing about 200 yards from the entrance to
the tunnel.

Another passenger who escaped with some contu-
sions says :—" lam a second-class season ticket holder.
I left Finsbury-park by the 9.3 train. I was in a second-
class carriage near the rear of the train. There were '
two third-class carriages behind me. I was reading
the account given in the Daily News of the fire at
Vienna, and it is curious that I had just read the
words 'the gas was turned off or went out, and the
confusion that ensued was terrible,' when there
was a sudden crash, and everything was in
total darkness. My hat flew off, and I was
thrown into the arms of a gentleman opposite. There
was a cry directly, 'Who has got any matches? and
much excited questioning as to what we had better do.
Some got out, and I heard people saying, 'We are in
a manhole.' I found myself alone in the compart-
ment, when the cry was raised from behind that the
other train was coming up behind. I heard the train
coming and said to myself 'there is no time to
go out now,' so I threw myself flat on my back
and laid hold of some straps. Then there was
another tremendous bump. When that was
over. I thought I had had quite enough. If there was
another it might be a bump or it might be annihilation,
so as I knew there was another train soon due I got
out. I found the roof of a carriage on the down line
and one carriage cut in the middle and its ends hoisted
up so that they met one another. Newspapers
were loudly called for to make torches. I made
my way towards Canonbury. I saw dimly some
people trying to get others out, but I did not
know then that there were any people killed, or
I should have waited to see if I could not give
any assistance. I saw only one injured man; but I
could see that there were others in the carriage, which
broke up in the middle. There was a great noise in
the tunnel, but I thought the cries were more those of
panic: than of bodily pain. Calls for lights and shouts
to keep back other trains were mostly heard. People
were calling, too, for their brothers and friends."

On Monday morning Colonel Yolland began an
official inquiry into the causes of the disaster. He
walked up the line to the tunnel, where he made a
minute examination. He also vikted the signal boxes
and inspected the signalling machinery. He was
accompanied by Lord Colville, chairman, and Mr.
Alexander, assistant superintendent of the Great
Northern Railway Company, Mr. Newton, general
manager, and Mr. Templeton, superintendent of the
North London Railway Company. The evidence
of the two signalmen who had exchanged tele-
grams with regard to the trains which had
collided was taken, and the inquiry was adjourned
until next day, when it was resumed.—Among the
witnesses examined on Tuesday were Mr. Amos
Pigott and Mr. Alcock, signal inspectors, and William
Dawkins, engine-driver of the first train that was run
into. The inquiry was then adjourned.