The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1875-06-15 00:00:00

RAILWAY.

SERIOUS ACCIDENT ON THE GREAT WMTER-ii

A serious accident took place on Friday on the Ccsit
Weeteni Railway at liathampton Junction. At
point, two miles from lhab, the Weymouth branch
leaves the main lino trom Bristol to London. Thu train
to which the accident occurred u,s the express, lcmiti,
Bristol for Weymouth at Lvii o'clock. and due at the sett,
of the accident at twenty-five nactites imst.
- - • •

-- ---
It consisted of the engine iliiven by Kingston, an old
and experienced driver 16 or 18 years in the Conipaily..
I:1110°y, and a stoker Lamed .1,,,,e1,h ilreen a gunny.
in which was Henry Clincott. of
.11edniiiister; three
third-class carriages, a tirst-class rUrriafiC, then a gerund-
class carriage, und at the cod we. another guard's van, hi
which was George 11a) ter._
" -

- •
Its average rato of travelling would he bvtween 2n and
:110 wiles an hour. It is usual ii approaching the Bail,.
aniiiton station for the junction tor drivers to slacken
speed. and it is stated that KiniPiton did so on ttna
occasion. _

Binger, the switchman, turned the Points as musk
and there appeared nothing to interfere with the train
traversing from the up line the junction curve which,
crossing the down line, leads into the branch. The
engine, however, had only gone Si feet U inches from the
switch tongue when it suddenly bounded up, and instead
of taking the junction curve for the branch it appeared to
be jerked back on to the main line on which the train had
been hitherto travelling. The jarring force of the relaquid,
however, threw it off the raihi on to the intervening six.
feet way, and breaking from the leading third-chets
carriage, the engine and van ploughed their way some
forty yards along the ground between the lines of rail, and
such was the tremendous impetus with which the ponder-
ous engine, weighing some A/ tons, tone along the roadway
that, notwithstanding it had the heavy guard's van still
attached to it, it suddenly, on coming into direct contact
with the rail or sleeper, hounded up again and swung
completely round, thus facing the reverse way to which it
had been travelling, still dragging with it the guard's
van. Both engine and van then turned over on their side,
and lay partly on the left-hand side rail of the main up
line, thus blocking the up line and partly on the sideway
of a four-feet hank.
Kingston, the driver, and Green, the stoker, appeared to
have stuck to their werk to the very time when the engine
swung round—as the steam was shut off, and the engine
out of gear, and from the appearance of the lever it LI
thought that an attempt hail been made to reierse the
engine. On its swinging round, however, they were
either thrown or jumped on to the opposite bank, where
they were picked up; Kingston, suffering badly from
compression or the brain, and insensible Greens Iron. a
lacerated wound of the forehead, which stunned hint
fur sonic time, but from which he recovered soon enough
to help in putting nit the tire to prevent further damage.
On the engine and van separating themselves (coin the
rest of the train, the passenger carriages appeared to go
safely over the points on to the jiiimt. curve; lint with
the reaction after the jar caused by the violent severance,
they at once lett the metals, and went along between the
oeforcocur,...d...d.Tlihk%lit..helinegngitiii.lnnii:dricnil-c.:lseassuhrn.idnewatarrihienreu,thp.g.
junction curve and down the line of rails about the Mille
distance that the engine and brake-van had traversed the
up-line, parting from, on their way, the second-class
carriage and the van, which Were the only carriages which
did not have the line. Ilayter, the guard in the latter,
consequently received no injury at all. On reaching the
point we have indicated, all the additional injuries to life
and limb
the engine, appeared to have culne into contact with ionic
reuioting
away from the next third-class roach and fell on its side,
scoileasnthtoinghasesi:riaddinofitthwe wolf:n.lE7
panel to such an extent that there ea, an aperture Burn-
liii
through ;it is, indeed, !dated that Mr. Ilea, commercial
traveller in the employ of Mr. Wilkins, brewer of Brad-
ford-on-Avon, actually did fall through this aperture, and
met with his death instantaneously by being crushed by
the next carriage coining into collision with the end of the
carriage in which he was riding; and the force of the con-
tact was such that the following third-ohms carriage re.
bounded, and was left obliquely across the line, coining in
its turn into collision with the first.olses carriage behind
it, and being so knocked aside as to be alniost wedged, ail
it were, elbow fashion into the end of the first-class coach.
fee
ab'
:es

Mr. lieu i body when picked up was found to be in a
frightfully mangled condition. Elia brains ti ere crushed
out and were lying 011 the ground, the skull detached, the
body was disemboweled, We kit arm was fra,tured, and
the left leg rut entirely off. It presented such a fearfully
mangled appearance that the surgeons themselves said
that they had never previoasly seen a body so entirely
crushed.

In one of the third-claas carriages M. as Emanuel Barnes,
a man who attends to the roofs id carriages, in the employ
of the company. Ile had 1,001 vet Crllhlicti and a com-
pound fracture of the left leg awl injury to the cap-bone of
his right knee, and was evidently in a most dangerous
condition. t7lincott, the guard in the tirst van, was found
to I/C guttering from contusion of the pelvis and ide, and
his case, although serious, WIWI not then considered to le
of a dangerous character. Mr. John Iteed, .1.4 years of age,
captain of a large, and a passenger to V* oodborough.
received an injury to the urethra and the lower jowl of his
hack, the injuries themselves being rather severe. Mr.
Lauchland, draper, of Bath, was travelling with his
daughter, a child of twelve years of age, who was standing
between his knees at the tante - an,l it is a. rather remark-
able fact that whilst Mr. Lauciihind roceave.l no personal
injury whatever, his little child in the force of the collision
sustained a compound fracture in the left anti near the
elbow. henry Gardner, of Holloway. Bath, a lish•liaw ker.
received some contusions to the face and left leg, for whieh
he had to go to the Bath Hospital ; and though be left
after being attended to, be subsequently returned and had
to be detained. . . . . .

Meny others received serious injuries and nervous
shocks, but were mostly able to walk back to Bath.
The Zev. E. W. Bears, of Dorchester, was travelling in
the train, but fortunately the carriage in which he itaa
seated never left the line. blaster W. Shorto, win of Mr.
Charles Shorts., of Stratton Mills, was also in the train,
returning home from school for the holidays, and happily
escaped injury.
Assistance was telegraphed for, and the down line if the
main system was cleared in two hours. Throughout the
day the traffic was done on • single line. Large numbers
of men were engaged in retuoving the carriages and repair-
jug the line. Dr. Junes, of Cardiff, was a traveller in the
train, and, being uninjured, be paid attention to the
driver and others. Several medical men from Bath were
quickly on the spot.
The remains of the unfortunate Mr. Iles, whose identity
was then unknown, were ire ed to an out-building
attached to the station. Au effort was made to ascertain
the identity of the deceased, and in the fragments of hia
clothes, which we should have stated were torn to ;deem
were found OD in gold, 131 lb,. 9,1. in silver, and some
coppers a cola Geneva watch awl chain, and a neatly-
kept ledger and memorandum hook. From the itctuti in
the ledger or cash-Iss,k it was at 011ee seeii that, although
his name did not appear, neither could there he found the
name of his employer, he was engaged in travelling for •
brewery, and from extracts matte up to May Mst of receipts
which lie had taken in Bristol and the names of those who
had paid hint cash, his identity was eventually ascertained.
The body was too mangled to admit Id any one identifying
it.. In the carriage in which lie had Neu riding, or
nnmediately beneath it, was found .f.:01.1 Gard up in a paper
parcel, which is believed to have belonged to bin,. :a.4 Do
one has yet claitutal it. Ile therefore had between .CIM slug
glettia his possession.

A PERSONAL NAMILLTITE.

Mr. JILMOR Smith, pemilibukdormaker, thittiol, who
wax in is thirdclass carriage, says:- “Tlo twveying and
bumping movement continued lor, Isl Id think, ten
sieconthi, and we were dragged between '.Ol and iiiwas,
when the vehicle turned over on its left side, and I was
pitched violently from where I was sitting to the other
end of the carriage, and toy left elbow came in shani con-
tact with the side. A little girl, who had been standing
between her father's kness, fondling him, was, by the
sudden jerk, thrown clean out of the window, but she
had • most wonderful escape from being crushed to death.
Au it was, she sustained is compound fracture of the arm.
I and her father pulled her into the carriage, and then I
"Thank heaven it is uo worse." I placed my foot in
the aperture made in the roof to allow the lamps V/ be
put in. and with the assistance of my fellow paieienger I
wax aide to scramble out of the window. The carrive
f"llowing the one in which 1 WWI sitting struck against the
bottom of the last COMpartWent alai literally shaved it a.
and Mr. Iles was thrown onit, all.l falling underneath
WIN crushed to pieces. I did not hear any groaning or
shouting, and the only one I noticutl crying was the little
girl, who was in the %URIC compartment ea myself.
The following is the list of the killed and the injured
passengers :
KILLZD.

Mr. Iles, commercial traveller, of Bristol.