The Express.
London, England, 1864-12-19 00:00:00

THE FATAL RAILWAY ACCIDENT IN THE
BLACKHEATH TUNNEL.

We regret to.say that the loss of life which has been
sustalfied in consequence of the frightful collision between
the express and a goods train in the Blackheath tunnel of
the North Kent Railway on Friday last has not been con-
fined to the dye unfortunate platelayers who were in the
trucks at the time, Edward Miura, the fireman of the
passenger-train engine, who was very badly injured by
scalds, having died at the Marine Hospital at
Woolwich yesterday. The chief incidents of the colli-
sion were reported by us on Saturday last, and it is
remarkable how little additional information could be ob-
tained on the subject, notwithstanding the minute in-
quiries we h►ve made. The general answer
received by those who applied for information
was, that all the particulars bad already been published.
It is not likely that until the inquest has been held,
anything like the true cause of the accident will become
known. Although several of the passengers were severely
injured, there is every reason to believe that, in comeqtsenoe
of the prompt assistance they received, they will shortly
recover. Indeed several who received slight wounds and
contusions have been already able to return to their homes.
Miss Gillingham, who was taken to Guy's Hospital, suffer.
lug from the fracture of the small bone of her right leg, is
progressing favourably, and the same may be said of Dr.
W. A. Brown, who was injured internally, and was takea
at his own request to the Golden-cross HoteL The names
of the platelayers who were killed are William James
Wade, W. Jones, W. Morris, Henry Smith, and W.
Sisley. Mrs.Vlrembling, of 12, Hereford-street, Laodport,
Portiea, was considerably shaken ; Mrs. Ely. of Waltham-
stow, a compound fracture of the right leg, with contusions
on the left leg and bead ; Mrs. Caroline Browning,
of 7, London-wall, concussion of the brain ; Miss Louisa
Price, Elf ra-road, Brixton, fractured scapula and rile, and
severe internal injuries ; Miss Jane Price, 25, L'ision.square,
Trinity-square, fractured leg ; Joseph Hunt (-he driver), of
Charles-street, Old Kent-road, very seriously scalded about
the hands and face; and Mi. and Mrs. Erie Wiodus, 23,
Terrace, Greenhithe, the former contusion of the left arm
and left leg, and the latter fracture of the right leg, severe
injury to the knee of the lets leg, and severe bruises about
the head and body. These cases are all at the Aotigallican
Hotel, Charlton, and are under the card of Dr. }'.gar, of
Old Charlton, and Mr. Claydon, the station-master ►t
Charlton station. Besides these there are two is the
Marine Hospital, at Woolwich, with injuries as follows :
Thower lt►udall, 23, Brook'.•plsoe, three
toes amputated.

A passenger states that be placed his wife and daughter
in a brat clue carriage at Strood, ai.d got into a third class
carriage himself. The effect of the shock of the collision
was terrible. He was dung with great force against the
opposite side of the carriage. The ladies and others in the
carriage screamed frantically. He recovered from the
shock suit got out of the carriage to look fur his wife. He
caught bold of a rope attached to the side of the than, I,
and by that means swung himself down. He found himself an
total aarkuese, which was rendered dreadful by the appal-
hog shrieks issuiug from the different carriages and
by the groans which reverberated along the tunnel from
the direction of the bead of the train. to the midst of the
fearful sounds Le was able to distinguish his wife's screams,
and learnt thus that she was alive, by aid of the rope
attached to the brickwoik of the tunnel he groped his way
along through the darkness to the place where he heard his
wife • voice. He found her seriously injured, but nut fatally
so. His daughter, a child aged two years, bad escaped un-
hurt. After some delay asinstanoe came, and the injured
were removed.

At the Charlton station, whither the wounded were
taken, the gorgeous called for lint, hut norm was to be had.
A railway official promptly supplied the want, however, by
tearing down a large advertisement sod, kicking it to pieces,
tore the paperand canvas into lung stripe, which temporarily
answered the purpose. Some boards inieshed up in tae same
tough aud ready Nahum, were made into splints that did
very well in the emergency. When the news of the acci-
dent became known the 'medical tato of the district pro-
ceeded to the Charlton and Blackheath stations to render
assistance to the sufferers. Two ambulances, with a detach-
ment of the Military Train corps, commanded by Lieut.
Bantall, were also forwarded front Woolwich garrison,
and a body of the It division of police, under inspectors
news,ll sod Brown, were soon on the spot. Tue suf-
ferers were conveyed down the hue to the Charlton
station, from thence cm beds and stretchers to the Anti-
gallica° Arms Tavern. Seven of the most injured, four of
whom are females, were placed under the care of Dr. Fagan
and three other medical gentlemen. John Hunt, an sigma-
driver, was fearfully scalded, but is likely to recover. Five
others were conveyed to the military hospital at Woolwich,
and are under the care of the Army Medical Staff, and a
number of the wounded were removed to Blackheath, and
attended by tic. Adams and other medical men.
With respect to the cause of the accident various accounts
are current. By some it is stated that the goods train
being too heavy to he moved by the engine the guard un-
coupled the trucks sod left sonic of thew in the tunnel with
the intention of running the others to Blackheath, shunting
them, aud then returning for the rest iu the twilit,' ; while
others assert that the coupliog-ctiatus broke, and that the
driver was not aware that any of them had been left be-
hind. A question of fact of this kind must he settled at
the inquest, but there can be no question that the signalman
whole duty it is to signal the arrival of the train at the
station, did so underl the mistaken notion that it was all
there. By the block system adopted ou this line the system
of signals, we believe, is, that as soon an a train arrives in
sight the signalman signals "train in," and until that signal
has reached the station which the train last permed no
train is allowed to leave that station. At the same time
I the signalman telegraphs to the next station " train out,"
he having received the shoal that the previous train had
left that station. It is perfectly clear that, supposing the
trains arrive at the station unbroken, that is, with all
toeir carriages ►ttached, such • system would procure an
almost total iruninuity front collision, aud that would be so
also if • delay occurred upon the journey between the
stations, even if the train hail come to a stand still ; but it
would be quite different In the case of a train dividing, aud
• portion of the carriages aud trucks being left on the road ;
because the signalman seeing the train approaching would
not know, until it came to the station, aud even then might
not know that a portioo of it had been left behind.
It will probably turn out that seeing the train
approaching the signalman in this case telegraphed as
usual " tram in," sod iefore he could discover that some
of the carriages were missing the express train had left
Charlton and the mischief was done. We are informed that
a question 'Merles at the coroner's inquest, whether in the
event of • train being too heavy for the eosins to move, and
in the event of its breaking, should the breakage be die-
covered in time, it was not the duty of the driver simply to
detach the engine, which would enable ►he signalman to see
that there was no train with it, sod to surmise that
something was wrong. Another point is, whether any sig-
nal should be transmitted to the last station until the guard
of the train lad certified to the signal man that the train
was all right. Like the investigation into the accident
which occurred at the Clayton tumid, the whole inquiry
will tuna upon the efficacy of the system, and especially
I upon the management of the telegraph signals under the
block system.

FIRE AND LOSS OE LIFE.-012 Saturday morn-
ing, between three and four o'clock, a fire, attended with
fatal results, broke out on the premises, No. 28, Lorrimore-
street, Walworth. The house was occupied by Mr. Benson,
his wife, and three children' and so elderly lady, • Mrs.
Durham. It appeared that Mrs. Durham was an invalid,
69 years of age, and possessed of some property. Yes-
terday • daughter was with her until midnight, bele;
then urged to go by her mother. At the abovementioned
time the police.constable on duty discovered that the house
was on fire, when he gave an alarm, but some time elapsed
before the inmates could be aroused. Mr. Beason and
family were fortunately rescued, but Mrs. Durham fell a
victim to the flames. Every vestige of furniture was
destroyed and the blackened remains of the deceased were
subsequently found presenting a frightful appearance. Seve-
ral engines attended, but the fire bad so far extended that
it was impossible to save the contents of the house.
The adjoining premises, however, were saved The body
of deceased was removed in • shell to await an inquest.
ORWELL PALACE. ••••• HALF-CROWN DAT.
SATORDAT, DEC. 17.—Admissions on payment, 7157 ; ditto
by mason tickets, 2,881 ; total. 3,66t4.

BREAKFAST BlTERAGG—Homoeopathic practi•
tioners, and the medical profession generally, recommend cocoa es
being the most healthful .if all beverages. When the doctrine of
houneopathy was nest introduced into this cousdm there were to
be obtained lio preparations of coCOS either att active to the taste
or acceptable to the stomach the nut was either Nupplie.l in the
crude state or so unskilfully manufactured ea to obtain little
notice. J. Epps. of London, Homeopathic Chemist, .as induced
in the year lea to turn his attention to this subject, and at
length succeeded, with the assistance of elahorat• machinery In
being the first to produce as article pure In its composition, and
so retinal by the peeled. tnturation It receives in the process It
passes through, as to be most acceptable to the delicate stomach
For general use Eppirs Cocoa is distieguished sa an invigorating,
grateful breakfast beverage, possessing a most delicious aroma.
Dr. Hassell. In his work, "Adulterations of Food," says
" Cocoa contains a great variety of Important 12Utralea prineb
plea--every ingredient necessary to the growth sail sustenance
of the body." Again As a nutritive, cocoa stands very much
higher then either coffee or tea" Directions—Two teaspoonfuls
of the powder In a breakfast cup, filled tip with honing water
or milk. Secured in tin-lined tlb., +ib., and labelled packet,
and cold at Is. lit. pm lb., by grocers. confectioners, and chemists
—(Adiverilesamat.