The Express.
London, England, 1864-08-08 00:00:00

THE PERILS OP RAILWAY TRAVELLING.

Another instance of tie peiihr by which railway
pawners are beset 4 Was given by the Seaman of Bats,
day lest —The excitement embed by the moist railway
carriage murder in London does not seem likely to pus over
without giving rise to the publication of numerous incidents
illustrating the dangers to which railway travellers are en-
posed from the want of some meats of communication
between passengers sod guard. An incident of this kind
occurred in ese of the Edinburgh "Magee en the Great
Northern Railway on Thursday night; sod, but for the
circumstance that every carriage was, as generally happens
at this time of the year, well filled, there is every mama to
believe,that the incident would have proved more thaa alarm-
In one of the third-class compartments of the express
leaving King's-erase station at 9.1 b p.m.. atoll and strongly
built man, dreamed as a sailor, and having a wild and
haggard look, took his seat about three minutes before
the train started. He was accompanied to the
by a woman, whom he afterwards referred to as his
and by a man, apparently a cab-driver, with both of whom
he took leave when the train was about to start. It bad
scarcely dune so, when, on putting his hand to his pocket,
he called out that he had been robbed of his purse coo-
Mining seventeen pounds, and at once began to shoot sad
gesticulate in a manner which greatly alarmed his fellow-
travellers, four in number, in the same compartment.
He motioned to roar and swear with increasing viol's°,
' for some time, and then made an attempt
to throw himself out of the window. He threw his arms
and part of his body out of the window, and had just suc-
ceeded in placing one of his legs out when the other occu-
pants of the carriage, who had bees endeavouring to keep
him beck, succeeded in dragging him from the window.
Being foiled in this attempt, be turned round upon them
who had been instrumental in keeping him back. After a
lung and severe struggle, which, notwithstanding the speed
the train was running at, was heard in the adjoining com-
partment', the sailor was overcome by the united centime
of the party, and was held down is a prostrate positiou by
two of their number. Though thus secured, be still me.
tinued to struggle and shout vehemeutly, and it was
not till some time afterwards when they managed to
bind hie hands and strap him to the seat that
the passengers in the compartment felt themselves
secure. This train, it may be explained, makes the journey
from London to Peterborough, a distance hale short of
eighty miles, without a single stoppage ; and as the scene
we have bees describing began immediately after the train
left London, the expectance of laving to pun the time
cumally occupied between the two stations (one hour and
fifty minutes) with such a companion must have been far
from agreeanle. While the struggle was going on, and even
for some time afterwards, almost frantic attempts were
made to get the train stopped. The attention of those in
the adjoining compartment was readily gained by waving
handkerchiefs out of the window, arid by-and-by a full
explanation of the circumstances was coruninuicated
through the aperture in which the lamp that
lights both compartments is placed. A requort
to communicate with the guard was made from one ccsarrrruupp
to another fora short distance, but it was found impwible
to continue it, and as the occupants of the 0C11:1 pll tenets
beyond the one nearest the scene of the disturbance could
learn nothineau to its eaters, a vague feeliag of alarm seized
them, and all the way along to Peterborouo a successioe of
shoots of " Stop the train," mixed with the frantic screams
of female occupant', was kept up. C/o the arrival of the
train at Peterborough the map was released by his captors
sad placed on the platform. No wooer was he there, bow-
ever, than be rushed with a remised outburst of fury on those
who had Mime the chief part in restraining his violence ; and
es
he kept vociferating that they had robbed him of his money,
it was seem time before the railway officials °mild be
got to interfere—indeed it seemed likely for some time that
he would be allowed to go oo in the train. As remoostrances
were made from all quarters so the stationmaster to take
the fellow into custody, he at length agreed, after being
furnished with the names end addresses of the other occu-
pants of the carriage, to band him over to the police. The
general impression of those who morseled the sailor's fury
seem to be that he was lebouring under a violent attack of
delirium hostas, and be had every appearance of baring
been drinking hard for some days. Red there been only one
or even two commute of the compartment bet/idea himself,
there seems every reams to behave that a mush more deadly
streggle would ham ensued, as be displayed initial:lM

RAn.wAY Acvinavr AT MANCIIMEIL —On
Saturday as alarming accident occurred near the Old Tref-
' ford Railway station, on the Ileachests, South Junctioe,
and Altrinc.liam Hallway. From inquiries made on the
spot it was ascertained that the 8.40 train to Lir :moot left
Loudon-toed et its usual time, and on reaching Old Traf-
ford, the engine, by some means which at present remain
unexplained, got off the lit" This, of comae, brought the
train to • stand. The railway officials at once hoisted the
danger signal ; when, following immediately in tho wake of
the pareoger train (which eonsisted of about five carriages),
a luggage train came op, also on its way to Liverpool. The
latter coosisted of about 24 or 2.i trucks, some of
them heavily laden. Fortunately, the driver saw the
danger signal in tame, and Sopped hie train. In the
meantime efforts were being made to lift the engine of the
passenger train on to the metals. While this was going oe.
the 8.55 sale from Manchester to Bolide. mane up. The
seines driver perceived the signal, and oceordingly mode-
rated his speed to the utmost, bet, utfortosately, the
diatance between the sad of the luggage traia sad his own
was so short as to prevent him from boozier his train to a
stand soon enough. It accordingly daubed into the luggage
train, ceasing four of the trucks to bo damaged almost
kayoed farther use. The guard's box, although it was the
leer in the luggage trio, wee usisjured, except that the
woodwork of the buffers was slightly mat, aid the iron
• little bent. The Bowdon tau assisted of eight or
aloe °entrees. In the last carnage, • third class, were
several passengers. two of whom, ladies, going to ffiobseriey,
and a gentleman, whose name we could not eseartain, were
injured. There were several other persona iejured, but not
seriously. The gentleman refined to ass earned out of the
train insensible, sad taken to • horse somewhere in the
asighlwarlsood. The ladies, we were intone/ad, rrocasedad
no their journey by the same train. The Bowdon train,
having escaped semis damage. returned to Oorebrook, and
proceeded at ones on the up line to its destastioe. The
wheels of the track next to the guard's box were wrenched
from the body of the wagon, and another truck wan com-
pletely overturn d, Ile body resting on • third. A large
number of men, with hydraulic jacks, wen quickly set to
work to remove the debris. The collision, of course, ceased
• good deal of alarm among the pesseogers, and delayed the
traffic ea Omahas for some hoer.. _

CZTIBTAL PALAO/L—HALY-CLOWN
DAT. AtIGCHT 6.—Admirrions Po payment, 1,162; ditto by
mason tmlete, 2,364; total, 3,533.