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

DREADFUL ACCIDENT TO THE
IRISH MAIL TRAIN.

Awful as the occurrence of the Aliergele accident must
have appeared to the public when the first announcement
of it was made on Friday monsing, much of the facts re-
vealed within the subsequent twenty-four hours tended to
show that the accident hail been more dreadful than was at
first supposed. Immediately after the catastrophe it was
said that ten lives had been lost lust within a few hours
after this announcement, the remains of 23 persons were
found. On Friday afternoon the police arrived at the con-
elusion that the number was as large as 27. tin Saturday,
, three medical men signed a moirt stating that bones and
! ashes collected in the old church of Atiergele prove beyond
sloffist that nst fewer than 33 human beings must have lost
their lives. This conclusion has been arrived at from a pro-
fessional examination of cinders which !sone but those
skilled in anatomy could undertake to say were the remains
of men, women, and children.
Arthur Thompson, the driver of the express, gives a very
collected account of the occurrence as it appeared to him,
though there is reason to believe that in the consequent
confusion he may not be quite accurate in all his details.
He says that he slid not are the waggons till his train was
within a few yards of them, not more than a slistanee of the
width of the railway, and seeing that there were barrels of
oil, though not knowing of what particular kills' the oil was,
he resolved at once to jump off the engine ; that before
leaping he said to the firenum, Joseph Holmes, "Joe, jump
off !" He himself having jumped off on the embankment
side alighted on Isis feet, but almost immediately was
struck with a fragment of the guard's van, next the tender,
which threw him down on the embankment. He however im-
mediately rose to his feet again, though suffering from
wounds us the head, hand, and knee, and perceived that the
tender hail gone right over the engine, AIM that the van and
foremost carriages were on fire. He rushed to the back
carriages, assisted in uncoupling them from the rest of the
, train, and handed a carriage key to a tall gentleman whom
he never saw again. That gentleman was standing on the
steps of a carriage, and in an instant after Thompson had
handed bins the key he observed that the carriage on the
steps of which the gentleman hail been standing was its a
blaze. lie heard a cry from under the engine, which he be-
lieves to have been uttered by Joe Holmes, his mate. Thomp-
son states that the blaze spread from carnage to car-
riage with the rapidity of lightning, allsl that there was no
going near a carriage, once it caught tire. He and the
other persons who a itnessed the accident concur in stating
positively that not a shriek, a moan, era cry proceeded from
any one in the blazing carriages, and that no sine in any one
of them seems to have made an attempt to get out.
The train consisted in all of thirteen caniages, four of
which mid a van had been attached at Chester. These
formed the portion of the train nearest to the engine. Next
to the guard's van came a composite carriage, made up of
first and second class conspartments ; then followed two
first-class carriages, and behind thens a second-class and a
Imgga,ge compartment on the sense framework. A pest-
office van came next ; then the travelling post-office itself;
then another post-office van, and lastly the carriages which
had come down front London. The guard's van ens' all the
carriages (town to and including the post-office van were
consmned, as well as every soul inside them. With the
most praiseworthy devotion the post-office clerks on per-
ceiving the fire worked at throwing out the mail-bags front
the front of their vans, and the connectss in between it and
the remaining part of the train was broken by the railway
officials, post•otlice men, and passengers, who undisl the
couplings and cut the wide leather bands which passed from
the van to the post-oilier itself.
All accounts state that the collision itself was not very
severe. Thompson, the shiver, says that so little did he
expect it would lie so, even after seeing the trucks, that he
would not havo 'taped off the engine if he had not seen
there was oil on the trucks. The boiler of the engine slid
not burst. The buffers of the engine tiers smashed by
coming in contact with the trucks, and the tender, in its
somersault, broke off both the valve pillars. The collision
must have occurred at about a quarter to one o'clock.
Twenty-four watches have been found among the remains of
the tiodieJ, snd they all point to front within a quarter to
ten minutes to Lose ; but the line for a length of some forty
or fifty yards was in a sea of flame till nearly eight o'clock
in the evening, owing to the petroleum !being spread over it.
Thompson became so faint from loss of blood that he had to
be removed within a few minutes after the fire broke out;
but more than one bystander has related that, despite the
exertions of a nuniber of men who kept throwing buckets of
water on it, the tire continued to loins for the period almve
statod. The tallest between the rails, having become satu-
rated with the petnileans, liana fiercely, and the rails them-
selves became red-hot. Neither the engine nor the carriages
of the express were overturned, but the waggons were thrown
off the line with such violence that they knocked down
portions of a strong stone wall hounding the line on the aide
next the sea. The noise caused by the collision Wes not
hoard at any considerable distance, but the dames were seen
far and wise . . . .

aaa
in the parish church of the town there lay what the sur-
geons said were the remains of Li:illy-three of the victims ;
but to the eyes of an ordinary observer these remains would
appear nothing more than bones of sonic kind reduced to
charcoal, and identification if any particular body is out of
the question. As a p.oof of this it may be observed that the
remains which were stated by the police to be those of
Lord Farnham turn out, on surgical examination. to be those
oi a w.iman, and some intelligent persons believe that a cal-
cined something which was brought to the church as the
body of a child is the bund ,kelcton of a dog. The four legs
of some animal like a gazelle Jri a chamois have also been
found in the ashes, and it is stated that there was some such
animal in the train.

On Saturday three surgeons living in the neighbourhood—
Drs. Lloyd, Griffith, and Jones—attended at the church in
pursuance oi in.ff ructions from the Coroner, and conducted
a scientific investigatioo. They discovered that in many
cases portions of the remains of two different persons had been
pihered together as parts of one corpse. In no case wore there
feet oe legs, nor was there anything like a perfect head. In
one of the coffins were remains in two or three different
pieces. One of these anon jaw, with some whisker attached.
The small portion of fiesh width remained wa.s like black
leather. After a long and apparently carotid examination
the three surgeons drew up a report, to be submitted to the
Coroner and his jury:—
No. 1 Female body; skull partially consumed, one tooth
remaining in upper jaw only ; pelvis intact, containing all
the organs in a perfect state of preservation from lire. A
portion of a silk dress found under the right armpit, be-
tween it and the body, recovered unbuent. The bnily is
supposed to be that of Lady Farnham.
Trunk of female hotly; limbs of both upper and
lower est.:unities entirely destroyed. Ribs burnt, exposing
contents of throe... Nothing was found with this body to
lead to its identification.

:co. 3. Portion of trunk of female nolj,ronsisting of part
of lungs much charred; heart also much burnt. Identifica-
tion wholly impossible.

. -
No 4. Male body ; skull consumed by fire: neck, thorax,
and abdomen all intact. From imaons found on the body
bearing Lord Farnham's crest it was recogn:sed as that of
one of his lordship's servants.
No. 5. Male body; skull and face generally not an much
burnt as the other bodies. Tho teeth in both jaws are unite
perfect and evenly arranged. A portion of right arm still
remains, the rest of both extremities being destroyed. There
was a metal chain found on this body, which might lead to
its identification.
No. O. Remains of body ; sax unknown, there being
nothing left but a small portion of thorax containing heart
and lungs, both much charred ; the pelvis absent.

-
No. 7. Remains of body; sex unknown ; portions of skull
and Vertelive. Adhering to a portion of the trunk with
portions of the liver, much charred ; pelvis absent.
No. 8. Part ol a ¼ull and portion of a vertebra of a child;
sex unknown; pelvis abkont
No. is. Male body; a portion ot akull remains; thorax and
abdomen intact; arms and legs entirely cpqsurned. Two
gold studs and a bet buckle were found with thh body,
which may lead to its litantificaton.
No. 10. Female body very much burnt ; skull aml whole of
extremities totally destroyed; conteotz of abdominal cavity
remaining intaet. There was nothing about the body to lead
to its identity.
No. 11. Male body; skull nearly consumed, the left side
of the lace, with a quantity of whisker adhering, only re-
maining ; body much burnt. There was a pipe and buttons
(mind with these remains, by which means the ikaly was
recognised as that of Charles &Tipp's, Lord Farnham's
footman. . .

Female body; portion of skull only remains;
thorax intact; pelvis and its contents quite perfect ; the
whole body enveloped in crinoline wires. The hotly is sup-
posed to be that of Mary Anne Kellett,
No. 13. Charred remains, sex unknown: these consisted of
contents of thorax and portions of the vertebra,; pelvis and
lower extremities absent.
No, 14. Female tiody ; remains eta tall anti slender woman,
hotly much charred ; contents of pelvic destroyea. Tile body
answers to the description of Lady Chinnery.
a Male body very much burnt; Nothing left for
IdentitKatian. .

No. 16. Human remains ; sex unknown; part of skull and
thorax, with part of vertebra?.
No. 17. Male body ; very umch burnt; all the limbs de-
stroyed.
No. 113. Female body; skull and upper anti lower ortremities
all burnt; contents of pelvis intact. No distinguishing
marks to he found at all.
No. 12. Female body ; the size indicatea that of the body
of a and, very much burnt; the contents of pelvis intact.
No. 20. Remains of body; the body was so fearfully burnt
that there were no means left to distinguish the sex except
by some articles that were found on the body—namely,
portion of a lady's collar, a sovereign, and a key. The sup-
position is that the remains are those of a woman.
No. 21. Female ,raly enveloped in crinoline wires, very
much burnt ; to .tents of pelvis intact. The following
articles were fount. on the body gold plate for support-
ing artificial teeth, a crochet needle, an ink bottle. The
articles were recognised by her sister as those of Elizabeth
Staffoni, who was housekeeper to Lady Farnham.
No. 22. Charred remains; sex unknown. Nothing left but
portions of thorax and vertebne.
, .

0.23. Slate body, very much burnt extremitieu entirely
consumed.

of human remains, fearfully burnt and
charred, nothing but the vertebrie and portion of thorax
Wing left ; are unknown.

No. 25. 'Male body, romains of a ehild skull destroyed ,
thorax and abdomen intact, portions of upper and lower ex-
tremities burnt.

No. 23, 24, 23. With these remains were found a spectacle
frame, t e metal covering of two buttons, and part of a
corkscreB,w.'
No. 2 Female body, the remains of a very stout female;
the contents of pelvis intact, the rest of the body being
nth eh charred limbs entirely destroyed
No. 07. Male body, very much burnt; upper sad lower en-
tremitic% quite destroyed.
No. 2.11. Female body; skull and upper and lower ex-
tremities destroyed ; pelvis iotart.
No. 29. Male body ; skull destroyed ; arms and portions of
legs burnt contents of pelvis intact. There was a steel
sprillg band found on the body, evidently the remains of a
truss. A portion of a plaid flannel and a vest, and a piece of
civil, together with some buttons, Indicate that the remains
Were those of Smith. the guard.
No. 310. Female body, very much charred ; skull burnt,
tot-ether with upper awl lower extremities. Pelvis Intact.
No. 31. Female body, very much burnt. Body very much
disorganized, nothing left but the pelvis.
No. 32. Remains of human body sex unknown ; the pelvis
awl whole being a shapeless mass ; the outer organs being
destroyed. After a careful examination it was found
impossible to distinguish the sex.
No. 33. Remains of body; there being left but vertebrae

and part of thorax it was quite impossible to date
sex.
?dales .
Foinalee
Sex unknown

Total .

From the foregoing report the reader might infer that on
some of the remains at least there is an appearance of flesh,
but such is not the case. The surgeons say it was only on
using the knife they could discover that there was finals in
any case ; and their use of the word " intact "is relation to
any portion of ally one of the bulbs must be taken in a
professional sense. Anything snore ghastly than the
spectacle which Ahergele Church presented it a.nsld be
scarcely possible to imagine. on one site were the eoliths,
with plates without names, and on which no names ever will
be inscribed. On the other side were 'thirteen pieces of old
tarpaulin, each having on it what might well be supposed to
be huge clinkers and Mack ashes removed from a smith's
forge. From morning till night sonmoing relatives are
arriving at the church only to find the impossibility if
recognizing the forms of those whom they have lost, while
the omntry people crowd about the churchyard and gaze at
the building as if terror-stricken and afraid to enter it.
As may be imagined, the inquiries by telegraph and per-
soredly after missing persons who were In the train, or sup-
posed to have bens In it, were incessant. From an early
hour on Friday morning up to late on Sunday night the
hands of the telegraph clerks at the station here had not
been for a moment off the instrument day or night. By the
trains which arrived here in the middle of the night oa
Friday and at an early hour on Saturday morning anxious in-
quiries arrived, who insisted on seeing every stranger in any
of tho lobule whose name and ordinary place of residence
o mid but be given by the landlord or attendants. More
than once I was routed up to assure sorrowing persons that
I was not the object of their search, says the special re-
porter of the Times, from whose letter we take the account).
The same thing has happened to others, When it was found
that identification of remains was in every case out of the
question, persons proceeded to the police-station to view the
articles which had Iteen found at the scene of the accident.
Mr. Ilesketh, a magistrate, assisted by Mr. George, clerk to
the justices of the district, made ass inventory of those arti-
cles, so far as they had come into possession of the polio° on
Friday. As may readily be supposed, the collection is very
miscellaneous. There are fragments of almost everything
that travellers carry on a journey, but scarcely anything is
whole, and nothing perfect. The salvage is of great value,
nevertheless. It includes diamonds of extraordinary size
and singular brilliancy. There are a magnificent diamond
necklace, a costly diamond ring, a centre ornament of a tiara
having °tie large diamond, and 11 others, not miles smaller.
There are rubies, opals, emeralds, gold tops of smelling-
bottles, opera-glasses, 24 watches all, with two or three ex-
ceptions, gold , chains, clasps of bags, and very many bunches
of keys. The diamonds stood the fire better than anything
else ; the settings are nearly destroyed, but the stones re-
main unimpaired. The present Lord Farnham, his brother,
the Hon. Richard Maxwell, and some of the servants of the
late lord made a lengthened inspection of these articles on
Sunday, and they were able to give all hut legal proof that
some of the most valuable jewels, the dinmonds especially,
had been the property of the late Lord and Lady Farnham.
One Jewel Lord Farnham recognized as the badge of the
inter of St. Patrick. His late brother had worn it at the
inauguration of the Prince of Wales as a knight of that
Order. Then, a pair of gold links were found, with a coronet
and the Initials" A.P. F.," her Ladyship's Christian names
having hens "Anita Francisca." A watch bearing his Lord-
ship's crest was in the collection. A Book of Common
Prayer, one of the covers burnt off, but with the Inscription
on the title-page "Edward Outen, from Lord Lyttelton," be-
longed to the late Lord Farnham's valet, who formerly lived
with Lord Lyttelton. In more than one instance bunches
of keys have put the sad fate of particular persons beyond all
doubt. A number of buttons with Lord Farnham's crest on
them were found in the ashes on the line, and a few with the
inscription " London and North-Western Railway Com-
pany." The former, no doubt, were on the coat of Lord
Farnham's footman, and the latter on that of William Smith,
the guard.
Inspector Owen and the' slice acting ender him are entitled
to every credit for their endeavours to recover the property,
but ibis said that some of it has found its way into other
hands—a circumstance which perhaps was inevitable. With
the exception of one or two cases, the baggage of the passen-
gers has been de troyed with them.

Up to Sunday, the names of twenty-eight of the persons
who perished have been ascertained, though the railway
officials at Chester think that only from twenty-three to
twenty-five pasengers joined the train there. On Friday
evening it was reported to Mr. Binger, the general manager
of the Chester and Holyhead line, that Miss Roe, of Dublin,
was among the killed ; but on Sunday news was received here
that, happily, that lady reached her home in safety. The
following list of the killed is taken from the last return made
to Mr. Linger:—
Lord Farnham, Lady Farnham ; Eliza Stafford, their house-
keeper ; Edward Omen, his Lordship's valet; Mary Anne
Kellet, her Ladyship's maid; and Charles Cripps, his Lord-
ship's footman.
William Townend Lund, William B. Parkinson, and Chris •
topher Parkinson, all of Blackburn.
William Smith, the guard.

,
William Henry °wen, Dublin.
Miss Caroline Lea and Miss Augusta Lea, of Astley-hall,
Stourport.
Judge Berwick, of Dublin and Miss Eliza Berwick, sister
of the Judge.
her Ills Louisa Spites, Ballybey, Wicklow, and Jane hig,ram,
maid.

Captain J. Priestly Edwards,Fishy-park,near Huddersfield,
and Mr. P. Augustus Edwards, his son.
Mr. John Aylmer, of Walworth Castle, Dundrum ; Mrs.
Rosins Aylmer, his wife, and Mr. Aylmer, his son.
Miss Rose Franks Dundram Dulain

Mr. Whitmore SeOval, of Windsor Cottages, Croydon, and
M i Catherine Sowell, of Wyeroft, near Bray.
Joseph liolnies, stoker.
Sir Nicholas Chinnery, Lady ehinnery, and Mr. Chinnery.
3lrs. Adkins and Miss Adkins, of Kidderminster.

(FRO3f A DUBLIN CORRESPONDENT.)

The number of Irish passengers who joined the train at
Chester were comparatively few, but among them were some
whose position and personal character rendered the interest
in their fate general anti earnest. In addition to Lord and
Lady Farnham, whose loss will be bitterly felt in their own
county, the Hon. Walter Berwick, Judge of the Cturt of
Bankruptcy, is now known to have been among the victims.
lie had been travelling in Switzerland for the benefit of his
health, and was on fits way home: His sister and a Miss
Finch travelled with him. Ile was men speaking to Lord
Farnham at the station in Chester, and the first alarm re-
specting him was excited by the arrival of his luggage in
Dublin. Ile was highly respected by all classes, and much
sympathy is felt for his brothers—Mr. Edward Berwick,
president of the Queen's College, Galway, and Dr. Berwick, a
physician of Dublin Judg,-; Berwick- in early life, though
not of late years, was an active politician, and rendered im-
portant service to the Liberal party. He was one of the
t'ommissioners who conducted the inquiry into the memorable
affray at Dolly's Brae, which led to the removal of the names
of Lord Roden and Mr. Beers from the roll of magistrates.
Since his elevation to the Bench, the soundness and im-
partiality of his judgments commanded the confidence of Um
public. Fears were entertained that Judge Deasy, who had
been observed in conversation with him in Chester, shared
his fate, but they were set at rest by intelligence of his safe
return.

Mr. 11. Owen, another of those who it is Imlieved have
perished, was an organist connected with the New Church of
St. Bartholomew's, and was returning home after spending a
holiday with his friends at Chester, to be present at special
Services next week.

The name of Miss Franks, daughter of a gentleman con-
nected with the office of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, is
also to be added to the dismal catalogue of the missing. She
was returning with some friends who were about to visit
a clergyman in Kingstown.
Ills rumoured that the Rev. Mr. Windle, of London, and
Mrs. Whittle, were in the train, and they have not since been
heard a. Miss Vernon, a lady, who resided In Kingstown,
is also believed to have perished. The papers are filled with
voluminous accounts of the calamity, and every form of
language seems to be exhimsted in attempting to describe its
indiscribable horrors. As some of the passengers returned
to Dublin and have given narratives of what they witnessed,
it may he interesting to have their pictures of the scene. An
"Eye-witness" says:—

'The first intimation we got that anything wrong had
occurred was h sudden jerk or check in the motion of the
carriage, very like that experienced when a train is stopped
too quickly. We supposed that an accident was on the point
of happening, and lot once sprang to the window and looked
out. The carriage in whii,b, I was travelling IVisa near the
end of the train, and therefore received much less tioncussion
than those in front. The scene which presented itself was a
mass of dense, black smoke, through which the flames leapt
and hissed, enveloping the fore part of the train. I heard no
cry whatever; the only noise was a sort of suppressed rumble.
We got out, and the heat from the burning carriages was
most intense—absolutely scorching. I was struck by the
utter absence of anything like a panic or terror among my
fellow-passengers, and though, of course, there was a great
deal of confusion, there was little painful excitement.
Nothing ever struck me more than the intrepidity and cool-
ness of the Duchess of Abercorn. Addressing a few WI ords to
allay the apprehension of the persons by whom she was
accompanied, she retired a short distance front the scene of
devastation. The person who appeared most excited was the
guard, and berm up and down by the side of the train with
the kcys in his hand, looking utterly bewildered and talking
incoherently. Several passengers were locked in the other
carriages, and.. Mi. William tniacke Townsend took the key
from the guard and released them. He then went forward
and, creeping untie' the train, unlinked the couplings which
fastened the burning vans to the earriages, anti the latter
were pushed a short distance away. lie then got between
the
_luggage-van and the post.oftlee, which were both in
flames, anti separated them. The engine was thrown over on
its side, and the tender was also displaced, The carriages
continued to burn fiercely, and the huge flames, fanned by
the wind, licked up the dry grass on the bank and scorched
the hedges on the top. None of my fellow-passengers com-
plained te me of any injuries, but of course all were more or
less agitawd by the occurrence. A Mr. Chaworth Fergusson,
barrister, who saw its s.,cilent from his house at some dis-
tance, appeared in company witii his life, carrying wine,
brands*, and other restoratives, which they dispeosol most
liberally, and threw open their dwelling to all who chose to
take advantage of their kindness. Nunibers of the peasantry
of the distridt also appeared on the scene, but looked on
passively without any attempt to render assistance.
The Martinis of Hamilton was most ASSidllOll6 in his efforts
to allay the anxiety of the passengers, and in several ways
contributed to their comfort. Some time elapsed, and it
was found that trains which were due front opposite direc-
tions might come up and spread farther destruction. The
I Marquis nroceeded in one direction, and Mr. Townsend in
the °Mei, and, fortunately, both trains were stopped. The
Post-office clerk was very active, and the contents tot the van
were removed in safety. For an hotir the fire continued to
burn without any signs of abatement rho (saris,. s were
literally one burning mass, and the liquid fire, running over
the surface of the ground, charred and blackened everything
with which it came into contact At length the sides of the
burning carriages fell out, and, the wind increasing, the
flames and smoke were driven to the off aide of the line. I
. .

advanced, In company with another gentleman, and glanced
into the ruined carriages. Nor a moment I was utterly
speechless with horror, and a dizzy, sickening feeling crept
over me as the terrible truth flashed across my mind. There,
blackened, charred, literally calcined, were the forms of a
number of human beings absolutely undistingnishable. A
thrill of Maga, parasd through the crowd when the truth be-
came known, and into.° smoHou was manifested. When
we had sufficiently tecOvered from Ws e 40,1" to examine
closely, we found twelve or fourteen bodies. Lord Farhham
presented a most ghastly sight; anything more awful could
hot b 0 l'onceived."
Ile gives some revolting details of the sight presented by
the charred remains of the psssongers. and mentions the fact
that the Marquis of Hamilton, overcoms by the painful ex-
citement of the moment, swooned away.

The Freeman vublishes personal narratives. The
following is graphic and Intresting

A gentleman who travelled Ity the train gives the annexed
graphic and interesting account of the shocking occurrence:
—'Nothing unusual occurred until we reached the turn or
sweep upon the road between Abergele and Llantidulas.
Opposite to me was sitting a London gentleman reading a
newspaper. I had my wat,hln any left hand and Bl arbthrtir's
;de in any right, anxious to time exactly the arrival of the
train at Llanddulas. suddenly, without the shglittst notice,
I was hurled front nty seat upon my opposite companion.
Stunned for a second by the shock, I quickly recovered. My
companion, inquiring whether! was hurt, assured me that I
had turned a somersault in the carriage. I at once put any
head out of the window on the right hand, or locked side, of
the carriage. Looking first to the rear of the line I saw all
was clear. Three or four pale and anxious faces appeared at
the windows, and hands were nervously busy trying in vain
to turn the handles of the doors. I crept out of the window,
and there saw a sight which can never be forgotten. The
Chester train, consisting of two first-class carriages, a corn:
posite carriage, a second.class, and a luggage-van, which had
been attached in front of our train at Choster, hail run into
a goods train with casks and cans of petroleum. I clarnined
the barrels subsequently, anti found they were strongly made
and well hoo-te, d. With the violence at the concussion some
of the barrels witre thrown upon the embankment on the
right, others on the rising ground to the left, and others
rolled under the carriages, but all evploded, as it were, to-
gether. There ens fire everywhere—nothing hut fire. The
engine, the carriages, and the luggage-van were enveloped in
fire—bright, daz.zllng, lire. It seemed as 11 hell had opened
or a volcano had burst upon the train. Few in the London
portion of the train could see beyond the mail van directly
in our front. All beyond, as I say, was an arch of roaring,
panting, hissing lire, On the moment we rushed to the ma

van and extricated one of the officials, sorely wounded, the
other, named Woodroffe, was hurt, but bravely kept his
guard upon the mails. In a few seconds we had all the letters
and even the newspapers out, and then it suddenly broke
upon us that there were carriages and passengers within
that wall of fire. There were brave men who volunteered to
rush through the flames and save life if it could be saved
but the attempt was hopeless. Not a cry for help, not a'
sound, except the hissing of the fire and the cracking of the
woodwork, reached our ears from out of the flaming circle.
The air became insufferably hot. We were breathing an
atmosphere heated to 150 degrees. We felt our impotency
most when we stood for a ',lenient unemployed. Then we
thought the fire would reach the London portion of the train
our first care was to, lift the ladies from the windows and to
place the wounded on the hank. Next, our portion of the
• train was pushed backwards front the fire, but fragments of
the shattered anti burning carriages adhered. As the ruins
. were disturbed and moved away, we saw what the fire had
' done. Among the broken timbers and hot iron-work there
lay skeletons—smoking skeletons—all that was left of men
and women and children. They moved horribly along with
the wreck. The guard—s brave and undaunted man—said
to this carriage, Sir, I put Lord Farnham and a lady
with two young girls. I must have heard his last words at
Chester, sir. I would recognise him among a thoousanol." All
that was left of Lord Farnham cannot be described. The
flesh had been burnt off his thighs, his face was a blackened
skull, not a particle of clothing remained. Wepicked up near
the remains Lord Farnham's watch—it had been a presenta-
tion from his tenantry. Of the lashes there contained
charred, undistinguishable fragments, among which were
picked up and treasured a scissors, a thimille, a locket or
two, and some half-melted ornaments—that was all left of
the noble and the young. The compartment in which Lord
Farnham sat had not been torn to pieces like the lest. But
who could describe the appalling scene in the ruins of the
other carriages? I have served in the Royal Navy, and seen
death in many shapes. but never in so awful and shocking
form as now. They who saw that scene must see it again in
feverish dreams, and the dread remembrance of It can die
out only with a life. Immediately on the first shock the
Duchess of Abercorn and Lord George Hamilton, with whonn
Lord 31aito had a conversation at Chester, were extricatool
front their carriage. Their suite gathered round them, and
bore their loved mistress up the embankment, and then to a
farmer's cottage. I must bear my most grateful testimony
to the feeling shown by the Welsh peasantry and to their
genuine hospitality. They made us tea, and some one pro-
cured a little brandy. But water, water was the cry if the
wounded anol uninjured. At last some was drawn from the
engine itself, and, foul as it was, a draught WRS precious.
When all the living were extricated, those of the passengers
who were unhurt and many of the peasants formed a line
down to the sea, about two hundred yards, and loucketa and
cans of sea water were handed froin one to the other in quick
succession, and poured on the smouldering wreck. What
remained of the fire was soon extinguished now. The oil had
lourst itself tout rapidly, and all that it touched. Then came
the sickening lout the necessary work of gathering the frag-
ments. As well as we could we placeol the component parts
(of each together in coffins procured from Chester. Identi-
fication of the bodies is utterly nmossible. Among the ruins
may be found some treasured articles which will tell a wife
or child that the husband and father can return no more.
The cool courage and confidence exhibited by the Duchess
of Abercorn and all the lady passengers in the train WRS
most remarkable. There were no cries, no complaints, no
faintings, even on the part of those whom dignity had not
taught self-possession. They saw the danger, and with firm-
ness prepared to escape front it or to bear it. Their first
talk fo.n being liberated front the train was to comfort and

hell, the wousled It is a curious circumstance, inoted at a
time when incidents otherwise trivial are noted, that when
the.guard's watch was picked up from beneath him if was
found to have stopped at half-past two. The watch must
have continued going long after the pulse of its owner had
ceased to beat. immediately on the embarkation of the
surviving passengers on board the mail steamers they knelt
down on the deck and returned a thanksgiving to Out, who
had rescued them from the midst of the fire. One of their
number addressed to them a few brief but touching words,
and for the hour all ranks and creeds joined together in
giving gratitude—sincere gratitude, indeed, to the Provi-
dence which saved them.

Another passenger has supplied an account to the
Belfaxt Ntir.3 Letter, in which he says :

"ft was a quarter to one o'clock I felt a shock, and then
another, occasioned, I believe, by two portions of the goods
train that had been detached and separated from each other,
and came down mion us in succession. We were going, as
the guard afterwards stated tome, 30 miles an hour, but with
full steam on to overcome a gradient we were ascending.
The carriages with which we cause into collision came down
the incline at (he thought) even a greater speed. The shock
,t great, and few of us were shaken from our seats. On
feeling it I instantly looked out, I saw nothing but a huge
mass if flame bursting upward, and running along the line.
I got out instantly, but saw nothing to lead me to suppose
that any person hail been injured in the portion of the train
in front. There was not one groan or cry. The deaths of
the persons' killed in those carriages must have been instan-
taneous. They were smothered by the petroleum, or, in a
moment, scorched to death. The first idea of the nature of
the calamity I had was front seeing a hotly in a kneeling
position on the line, dreadfully charre.d My first care was
to remove my fellow-passengers from the carriage in which
we were. They all providentially escaped any serhms injury.
The saute object, of course, engaged all those who were able
to exert themselves, and, even in the confusion, an alarm
arose lest the up Irish mall should come upon us. The
carriages continued to lawn fiercely. The country people
who assembled would lend little help, fearing that the boiler
w. odd blow up, but after some time the mails were gut out,
and the after carriages detached from those in flames.

Some of the passengers lament that the thought of
personal danger to those in the fore part of the train
did not occur to them when they felt the concussion
and looked out. They saw, as they supposed, only two
vans on fire, and they hastened to remove the contents.
The rest of the train in front was enveloped at the time
in dark pitchy smoke, a .9 if coming from a funnel, and
cast a veil over even the vivid flame which they after-
wards saw bursting forth like a stream of lava awl
dashing in fiery spray about the carriages. They saw,
as they suppose, all the passengers out on the embank-
ment, and never suspected the terrible reality. It was
only when the sides of the carriage had been bunt, so
that the interior became visible, and they could see
the imperfect outlines of human figures in various
posith no within the burning mask that the awful truth
was revealed. It is believed that the death of the
victims was instantaneous—that they were stifled by
the poisonous vapour; but still the survivors deplore
the fact that so long a time elapsed before their fate
was discovered. The carriages kept burning for four
hones.

ABEROELE, Monday Afternoon.
Pensarn, the little watering-place in which the Abergele
station is situate, and this little town itself, which is three
quarters of a mile distant front the station, are fuller than
ever they have been in any period of their history ; (writes
a correspondent but the great majority of the visitors have
come in the discharge of all Mike the most melancholy that
the mind can imagine. Persons of all the various conditions
in life, most of them hitherto strangers to each other, have
come to assemble round one vast grave, in which thirty-three
dead men, women, and children are to be placed side by side
without ally distinction of rank, without ally difference in the
coffins that enclose them. Further attempts at identification
of the remins have been abandoned in despair; and as the dead
now lying in one of the aisles of Abergele church met their
death at the same instant, and within the narrow boundaries
of four carriages closely coupled together, their sorrowing
relatives have appi,ved the idea of the Rev. James Mere-
dith, therectur, that they should lie together in one common
sepulchre.

On Sunday the Rev. Dr. Taylor, of Liverpool, preached in
the church where the bodies await interment a sermon ap-
propriate to the dreadful event. lie took for his text the
passage from St. Matthew, "Be ye also ready, for in melt
an boor as ye think not the Son of .flan cometh: The rev.
gentleman was eloquent, but there was an appeal from each
of those coffins in the aisle which no language could equal.
From an early hour this morning grave-diggers have been
employed in opening the grave, am! the funerals will be
solemnised to-morrow morning. This town and Fensarri are
so full that many of the relatives of the dead have been
obliged to put up at Chester and Rhyl.
On Monday morning Mr. Salter, solicitor, and Dr. Roe,
reached here to make inquiries respecting the fate of Mr.
Lovatt Farrell, of the Grange, Ellesmere. This gen-
tleman left Ellesmere and rode to Wrexham, where
he took the train to Chester. Ile had been traced
to that town. Two waiters state that they saw him
there, and the booking-clerks at the railway station say
they remember a gentleman answering the description given
of Mr. Farrell making minute inquiries about the fares by
the Irish mail. He had left his home with the intention of
proceeding to Dublin, telling Mrs. Farrell that he would
write to her from that city. No letters have been receives!,
nor has anything been heard of him since he left Chester.
One of the keys picked up on the line opens a lock in a small
box ahioh Mr. Farrell left I,chind him at his residence.

On Monday at twelve o'clock, the inquest was opened by
Dr. Evan Pierce, the coroner of this division of Denbighshire.
The proceedings were commenced in a large room of the
Bell Hotel, but it having been found too small for the
accommodation of all the parties in attendance, there was an
adjournment to the Town-hall.

The Solicitors for the London and North Western Company
were in attendance, and Colonel Rich, one of the Government
Inspectors of Railways, was also present.
'Mr. Edwards Ward, solicitor, of hirmingham, appeared for
the relatives of William Smith, the guard, and Joseph
llolnies, the stoker.

Mr. Kane, solicitor, of Dublin, appeared for the relatives
of Mr. Whitmore Scovell and Miss scovell.
Lord Farnham, the lion. Richard Somerset Maxwell, and
the 11011. William Maxwell, brothers of the late lent, watched
the proceedings. N umerous other relatives and friends,
whose names did not transpire, were also present.

_
A jury of eighteen having been called, the coroner asked
eaen of them singly whether he had any shares or other-
wise in the London and North-Western Railway Company.
All replied in the negative. He then proceeded to swear
them as a jury on each one of the thirty-three cases, in
respect of which the surgeons have reported. The cases
were called by number, and in each the description was
" the Is sly of a person unknown." Mr. Watts, chairman of
the town commissioners of Pensaen, was sworn as foreman.
The Coroner, when he had duly formed hts jury, addressed
them in respect of the very solemn nature of the inquiry on
which they Were abmit to enter, lie did not belie% e rOur any
jury had ever had to enter on a Mere melancholy inquiry.
In the interest of the public it was an extremely important
one, and the public expected that the jury would do their
duty. lie might observo that this duty was one which they
owed to their Maker as well as to their country. Be need
not say that they would have to inquire into circumstances
the details of which could not he otherwise than most
agonising to the relatives of the thirty-three human beings
' whose bodies were lying in the church. On Friday he had
' born strongly urged to proceed at once with the inquest ;
but he had made up his mind not to do as. There had been
then not only no identinoition, hut there was no evidence
to show the sex or age of any persons whose remains
were
.among the dead, lie was at that time told that
he ought proceed on the assumption that the body near
which Lord Farnham's watch was found was that of Lord
Farnham ; but facts hail since transpired which showed
that snob an assumption would not have been at all war-
ranted in a legal proceeding such as an inquest was. In
fact, for all the evidence to the contrary, the jury might
have been holding an inquest on the remains of some lower
animal instead of those of a human being He had deter-
mined that there should be a surgical examination of the re-
inuinc, and on Friday afternoon he entrusted to three medieal
gentlemen the duty of making that examinatiati. They had
done so to his satisfaction, and he now held Chat report : in
their investigation it was discovered that these were the re-
, mains of 33 persons, though previously it had been supposed
! that there were only 23 He had made up his mind to go
, to the root of the whole matter, MA in doing so he
! should as-ail himself of the inquiries which the Government
IlisPeutur would feel jt ldit duty to make, and of the observa-
tions of that gentleman. Be aould therefore adjouni after
taking some formal evidence. As to the mode of conducting
the inquiry, he proposed that in the first instance he should
k all the questlons he should think necessary. The pro-
fesdonal gentlemen might then follow in their examinations
if the witnesse: and, Mildly. the jury bight put any linea-
tions they thought proper,- nr ask explanations on points
which they did not think sufficiently clear.
The coroner and jury then proceeded in a body to the
church of St. Michael, in which the bodies were lying. The
coffins were all removed from the church and spread in a
double line on the grass and among the tombs. The
peasantry surrounded the cemetery, and stared with amaze-
tuent and horror as coffin after coffin was brought out and
laid on the grass. In a few minutes the full number
had been ranged in a double line all, with two
or three exceptions, covered in black cloth. The exceptions
were caused by the fact that all the coffin cloth lathe Chester
district had run out owing to the unlooked-for demand for it.
All the coffins were unnovered when all had been plaged.
The remains were found to be decently imbedded in white
wool and covered with it also. The contrast between the
snowy appearance of the wool and the charcoal colour of
the remains seemed to have a startlingeffect on all beholders:
and the Inspection proved to be so painful that almost
every one It the members of the jury gave it up before all
the remains had been viewed.
-

--
When the Jury had reassembled at the Town Hall, the pro-
ceedings were extraordinary even for a ..oroner's inquest in
Wales(writes the correspondent of the London TirneB). They

so annoyed the relatives of the killed that these gentlemen
assembled in the hotel, and, with Lord Farnham in the chair,
protested against a delay of interment till after Thursday,
which had been suggested by the coroner, and Lord Farnham
and other relatives returned to the Town Hall and reported

to the Coroner the unanimous desire that the interment
should be at ten o'clock on Tuesday, and this was agreed
to.
The relatives of Cripps, the footman, swore to his remains
from a peculiarity in his chin Lord Farnham, Sir Henry
Edwards, and all other relatives present expressed their
opinion that identification was utterly impossible. After
much vacillation and irregularity the inquest was adjourned
until Wednesday.
It was then arranged that the scene of the accident was
to be inspected on Tuesday by the jury. The coroner tint
propiiiied adj 1111 l mmeut for is month, next for a fortnight,
then to Thursday, then to Wednesday week, ant ultimately
to Wednesday in this week. Lord Farnham, and all the
other relatives protested against a distant adjournment.
Much dissatisfaction was felt at the proceedings.
Caroline Sternee is anions the dead.
--- • • •

Sir Henry Edwards, the member for Beverley, identified
the body of his brother, Captain Edwards, and an order was
granted.
The Rev. Rimeox Lea, of London, claimed two bodies as
those of his sisters; but not being able to give the necessary
legal evidence, they would be buried as persons unknown.
During the course of the proceedings resolutions were
passed thanking Mr. Ilesketh for having taken charge of
a great deal of valuable property, and to the railway company
for the facilities they had given the relatives in their in-
quiries after missing friends, were also adopted.
- -

-
Lord Farnham sngeest. d that it would be a comfort to the
persons then assenible.l If the Rev. J. Meredith, who bad
shown them so Doi. h :•i ~• d!. . v. "old offer up a prayer to
God in which they 1.,..,., .... ; ~i, i... 1..., separating.

The 11ev..1. Meredith, with much emotion, said that, with
thirty-three coffins within sight, and surromuled as he was by
so many agonised relatives, he really was unable to venture
on any form of prayer, lie felt that he must break down if
he attempted it. lie was sorry he did not feel equal to it,
and therefore he would merely say, May the Great God,
who has us all in His bawls, and who has so afflicted you, be
pleased to look mercifully down upon you and bring you Ilia
comfort,"

The wife and mother of Idripps, one of the killed, were
present and burst into a flood of tears as the rev. gentleman
offered up his short prayer. Indeed, every one present was
most painfully affected. The meeting broke up amidst sobs
and tears.

on Tuesday afternoon the Ptry proceeded by train to visit
the scene of the catastrophe and the siding at Llandulas. At
the spot where the accident happened there is still a strong
odour of petroleum. Lying on the embankment by the silo
of the hue are the rails whicn were taken up after the acci-
dent. ()tie par od these shows the violence of the COTICUS-
Men at one part of the train; nearly halt way along a spice
of about 2 feet has been forced into a curve something like a
carriage shaft. Up to that spot the rise of the line from
Ahergele station is only 1 in 410, hut beyond that spot to
within a very short distance of Llandulas station the gra-
dient is lin leo. The siding at the latter station is a vmy
long one, and capable of holding perhaps as many as sixty
trucks ; it is inclined in an opposite direction to the main
line, and at the further end from the station the embank-
ment on which the siding is formed is several feet high.