The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1880-08-17 00:00:00

FEARFUL RAILWAY ACCIDENT.
RIMER PERSONS KILLED AND TWENTY INJURED.

The scene of this second a.tastrophe is at Wenning.
ton Junction, a small station on the Midland line near
Settle, in north-west Yorkshire. The train which met
with the accident was that leaving Leeds at 12.13 for
Carnforth and the Lake District. The train was
fairly well tilled, most of Us paasengers being from
Leeds
and Bradford and bound to the Lake district to
spend their holidays. Foar of the carriages are
believed to have been first•claas carriages and the
remainder third-class, there being no second-class
carriages on the Midland Railway. All went well
until the train reached Wennington Junction about
two o'clock, when, just after crossing the points, the
engine, from 401111 e cause at present unexplained, ran
off the metals, the front wheels ben, suing embedded in
the permanent way. This brought the engine to a
sudden standstill, and the impetus of the train caused
the carriages to dash into each other, many of the
coaches being reduced to inatchwo,sl. In fact, the
whole train was wrecked. Six persons were killed,
and another passenger very severely injured died
during the afternoon, making seven deaths. Twenty
persons are seriously injured.

SERIOUS RAILWAY ACCIDENT.

THE " ELTING SCOTC1111.01" WRECKED.

EDISBURGII, TUESDAY NIGHT.

The "Flying Scotchman " left Waverley Station,
Edinburgh, this morning at ton o'clock, being timed to
reach King's-cross at seven o'c'ock in the evening.
The train carried first and second class passengers
only. It appears that the train, which was pretty
well filled, procinikled all right till within four miles
of Berwick, when it ran off the line. The train
was wrecked, a-. 1 four of the railway einployils were
killed, namely, the driver and fireman, both employed by
the North Eastern Railway Company, and two of the
N3rth British Company's servants. Both the lines were
blocked, causing an entire stoppage of tragic. The driver,
Ji him Thompson, was about 55 years of age, and leaves a
widow and a grown-up family. The fireman, John
Norman, was about 25 years of age- He also was married.
and leaves a widow and one child. The news of the
accident was at first very alarming. It was stated that
the train had gone over the sea banks, and the greatest
excitement prevailed until the truth was known. Imme-
diately on receipt of the news all the medical men in
Berwick proceeded to the scene of the catastrophe, and a
large number of people speedily assembled to render
assistance.
The following is a statement by the guard, George
Turnbull, New,mtle. He says: The train left FAinburgh
at eight minutes past ten o'clock, that is eiiht minutes
late. All went well until reaching a cutting near
Marshall Meadow, when the axle-tree broke, and the
engine left the rails. The scene that ensued was fearful
All the carriages toppled over one on the other, and lay
piled on a beep against the west side of the cutting,
while the splinters flew about in every direction. I was
stunned for some time; but on recovering consciousness
I found that nearly all the passengers had escaped, and
that those untouched had speedily extricated the people
in the train.

On investigation it was found that John Thompson, the
engine-driver, belonging t Newcastle, and an extra-
guard, name I Pearce, also of Newcastle, had been killed,
while the firemen was so seriously injured that he was
not expected to survive. A passenger and the guard
Turnbull were rather badly hurt, and some others received
slight wounds. Fortunately, the train was light for the
time of year, or the loss of life might have been greater.
The killed and wounded were brought on to Berwick and
treated there. It is extraordinary how so many escaped,
as the train is a complete wreck. A passenger says •
rumour was circulated at the scene of the disaster that the
accident was owing to the defective state of the rails,
which have been undergoing repair lately, and he states
that the rivets were not put into the chairs, and the
danger signal was therefore exhibited, but either
disregarded or not seen by the driver.
- - -

The scene at the place of the accident is of a most
melancholy description. So far as can be avertained,
the engine left the rails at • point about 21 miles from
Berwick where there is • cutting just after it had
passed a curve and entered on a short straight of about
one hundred yards. On leaving the rails the engine
seems to have run about thirty yank till it came against
the side of the cutting, when it turned rizht round and
fell across the rails, with the funnel lying in the opposite
direction to that in which the train had come. Then
the carriages behind came on with great violence :a van
behind the engine fell across the rails, the carriage
behind it was pitched nearly up to the top of the cut-
ting, the next two carriages were telescoped, the two
following were laid across the rails diagonally, and the
rest of the train kept straight on the road, though of
course off the metals. The engine-driver was killed on
the spot. The boiler molt have burst as the engine-driver
was fearfully scalded all over the body, and, besides, had
his brains knocked out. The only passenger much hurt is
Captoin Souter, of Liverpool. Considering the state of
rho titrTint.l.l, it i, minoring thot so few were killed, even
though the train was unusually empty. Assistance to the
wounded was procured from Berwick very shortly, and
military and police were sent out to guard the wreck of
the tr on, and render any assistance required. The line
near the place is • series of cuttings and embankments, and
had the accident occurred only • hundred yards farther on
the train would have gone bodily down a steep gully into
the sea.

After visiting the scene of the diasister, a correspondent
says : —lt is extraordinary, considering the nature of the
accident. that so many passengers escaped with their
lives. The rails are torn up for a long distance, the
engine and tender are broken up, the carriages are piled
on the top of each other against the west side of the cutt-
ing, some of them being reduced to matchwood. The
damage to rolling stock is of c urse great, and the loss on
the North British Willway will be severe. The Flying
ficotchman is a favourite train, accomplishing the journey
from Edinburgh to London in nine hours, but fortunately
the passengers were fewer than they usually are at this
time of the year, and this fact contributed to the com-
paratively slight loss of life. Some singular escapes are
reported in connection with the accident. In the same
compartment with the guard Pearce. who IVY killed, were
three other guards. Two of these were pitched out on to
the embankment and escaped unhurt. One ran to
Berwick with the news of the disaster. It is stated that
the line was being repaired at the scene of the catastrophe,
and that the danger signal was against the driver. The
accident occurred in a curve of the cutting, which would
acciunt for the signal not being seen by the driver. No
ladies are injured. Mr. Johnston, fish curer, of Montrose,
Is wounded, but not seriously.

A Berwick c uTespondent, telegrapLing last night, five&
the following particulars:—" The fireman whose name is
Norman, belonging to Newcastle. died shortly after his
removal to Berwick Infirmary. The guard Pearce had
gone to Edinburgh in the early pert of the morning with
a special exnress, and was returning. The intelligence of
the accident was conveyed to Berwick by the guard of
the second morning express from Edinburgh, which was
brought to a standstill some 400 yards of the accident
The engine is lying across the line with the wheels deeply
embedded in the ground. The tender is as the opposite
side of the line, nearly twenty yards up the bank, and the
lower part of the guard's van lion the top of the tender,
the upper part of the van being further up the bank and
smashed in a most frightful manner. The line is torn up,
and the ground is ploughed on all sides. During „.._the
afternoon hundreds of People crowded to the some a la°
disaster."

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" Cocoa" and " Chocolate " are of Mexican origin.
The word " chooolile " is derived from " Ch000latl,"
the sound produced by the primitive stones, used to
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" Cocoa" is the name under which the unwittiterated
beans of the "Theobroma Cacao" of Linnceus are
Imported into England. Those who wish for Cocoa
absolutely pure should ask for the Cocoa Emma
originally Prepared by Cadbury Broil.