The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-09-13 00:00:00

FATAL ACCIDENT ON THE SOUTH-
WESTERN RAILWAY.

'A shocking incident occurred on Tuesday afternoon
to the train from Portsmouth which is due at Guild-
ford at two minutes before two o'clock. The train
had arrived within two miles of Guildford, on the
town eide of Peasmareb, when • bullock left the
Portsmouth-road, ran down a lane on the left, and
jamped on the line. The driver of the engine, juat be-
fore he got to the crossing, Haw the bullock come upon
the line over the gate, and immediately blew hiserhistle,
thinking no doubt to scare or atop the animl, and put on
the brsge, but the engine NVIA on to the bullock before
nny ' p-rceptible check could be got upon the
t-ain, ',nil the buffer struck the animal, knock-
sing it on to the line. Jilt had happened that the beast
had been flung sideway., probably no ac :Went to the
train would have ensued ; but as it turned out, the
carcase fell right in front of the engine in the four-foot,
and the train passing over it, the bulk of the flesh
mocked up the ash-pan, knocked out the stove and
veral of the bricks from the furnace, and the brake
van pairing over it link:mewl, the b xly doubled up,
rolled over underneath the second carriage, which was
compoeite one, and threw that and some of the
other carriages completely off the metals and down the
embankment eight or nine feet deep. Tne effect upon
the rails, singular to state, was to leave them practi-
cally uninjured, for only two or throe bolts were
loosened and one chair, eo that the blithe on the line
war not delayed in the least degree.
The passengers were extricated and removed es rapidly
aa possible to the County Hospital. Mrs. H. Bridget,
of Godalloing. her nine months' old infant, and Mies
Martin, ape I 21, daughter of the station-master at Mil-
ford, were ionic i to be dead. Mrs. Bridget had only been
put into ti,e train by her hui-band five minutes pre-
viously. There were from sixteen to eiehteen permone
Injured n'together, excepting brulaes, shairiev, and
minor casualties not requiring more than temporary
medical assistance.

The following account of the alcident ba+ been sent
to The 'Ames, by Dr. Kirby, 18, Cambridge-terrace
Hyde Park, London, who war • passenger in the
train : . _

-
little before three o'clock this (Tuesday) afternonn,
as the 2220 train from Portsmouth was nearing Guildford,
I felt • flight sleek, thew the carriage bounded violently,
and rocked from side to sbie and fell over no that the door
wan over my bead. The paseensy rs were all thrown to
'Mbar In the earrings. roiling they were not hurt. I at
*woe got sot through the wirdow and walked on the turned.
up side of the train to see after the inmatea. They were all
Imprisoned, but wondertullylcalm. In many of thesearriages
the Inmates were bleeding, but in only one were any dead.
These it was Imposidble to get at. for the contagion was em-
bedded In the sand. Booze moo tmmedlaleg ouleivound to

ore the door open; this was accomplished with the utmost
diffionlty. I then walked along the train; the carriages ex.
eept the end ones were all overturned, some broken.
"The guard was on the top of the wreck going from car-
riage to carriage to ascertain the noddion of the in-
mate. A gentleman was Lithe his son, • lad about 14.
Who had sustained some severe internal injuries, on the
sand. fle then proceeded to net the leg of his daughter.
Count 12, and made It secure with some stripe of wood and
handkerchiefs. The poor child was most calm and patient,
allowing the limb to be steadied and bound without • mur-
mur. I then went to the overturned carriage, where every
effort was bring made to reach the aufferers. It we.. fear-
ful sight, legs and arms and one girl's face appearing.
nearly burled, out of the rand. Down deep under the sand
an Infant we. sobbing, evidently suffocating. The mother
aopesred to have been killed instantaneously, for her limbs,
which appeared through the sand, never moved. One girl on
the top of these kept Imploring to be got out, Her leg was
ismmed Into the side of the carriage. She was extricated
at last, and got out through the window, not much hurt
Beneath this girl was • young lady quite dead. The
frame work of the carriage had to be sawed through, the
side smashed with crow berg, and the body got out through
this opening. I maw at once there was no way of getting
out the others—namely, the dead woman and the child—but
by digging sway the sand. The men worked with desperation
to reach the child, but the surd was too deep, and its groans
ceased There was a constant fear that the girl who was
lying Cl the bottom would be suffocated with the sand cover-
ing her and thls at one time appeared very probable. The
workman cleared her facefromthe falling sand, gave her water
at intervals, and at last she was got out, but her arm was
fearfully fractured, it was seen, and she was conveyed to
Guildford liogrital. The child was reached at last, but It
was quite dead,—a male child, about sin months old, cuff
elite& The efforts were redoubled to reach the body of the
mother. The roof of one carriage was prised off, the uprights
cut, and, the sand being got away, the last body—that of •
female about 40, the mother of the child—was got out and
laid with the young lady and child on the arras. At this •
thrill of horror ran through the silent circle of spectators,
Who had most of themselves been delivered from the probe-
Miry of • like fate. The bodies were stance conveyed in a
brake by the Inspector of the County Police to an inn
close by.

" The body of the mother and child were Identified as
those of Mrs Bridger end her child, of Clocialmtng. It was
eaid the young lady's name was Nelson. Na tiros wee lost
by the company'. servant. In getting efitolent medical at-
tendance. and every aid waa immediately rendered by them
to the sufferer.

" The cause of the accident was, it la said, a bullock that
had strayed down the line near the scene of the accident,
and got la front of the engine, and no near that the driver
was unable to cheek the.speed of the train."