The Express.
London, England, 1865-03-02 00:00:00

COLLISION ON THE GREAT NORTHERN

IL4ILWAY.

DONCASTER, FIDNISDAY.

This morning, shortly before 2 O'clock, a most ,
alarming collision occurred upon the Great Northern Rail- ,
way, about midway between this town and Remington, the
drat station to the south. An ene-driver in the employ
of the company has been killed and 16 persona more or less
injured, bet no limbs are broken. It appears that an
engine had been with several goods trucks to • point be- I
yard Retford, and shortly after midnight it Left Raiford to
return to Doncaster, to run into the locomotive sidings
there until main wanted. The driver, a man named Robert •
Seddon. re r at Donesetee, proceeded in safety as far as ,
that portion of the has where the Osurebortnigh Extension •
will leave the main line, when he ascerlaioed that something '
was out of gear is his engine and pulled up. Knowing .
that the Scotch express down train starting from London at
9 p.m., and timed to pass Doncaster without stopping at
L 27, was dna, it then being beyond that time, he directed
his fireman to go up the hoe and warn the driver of the ex-
press that he must pull up. Sadie* then wee; under-
neath his engine, and from the fact that he was afterwards
found with a screw-key, hammer, and lamp close to him '
it is 'opposed that he had ascertained something was
wrong, and bad cone under to repair it, in the hope that
his fireman would be able to stop the approaching train.
If this was his calculation be was in error, for before the
stoker had proceeded 40 yards on his way the mail trein
came in sight, and in another minute, at a speed of 20 miles •
par hoer, dashed into the stationary engine and knocked it
all to pieces, killing the driver on the spot. The collision
threw both engines sad two carriages off the litre, and the
engines were in such a position that both lines were
blocked. A messenger was despatched to Doncaster, and
as men as the intelligence of the sad accident was received
Mr. Robert Stone and Mr. Rages Sykes, the company's
surgeons there, were summoned, and a train was prepared
aiiapatched to bring down the wounded passengers to
Domeier, where it was thought the best attention could
be gives to them. After a delay of shout an hour all the
were got out of the carriages, and it was then
cad that 16 passengers had been very seriously injured,
and many others were suffering from the effects of the
violent shook they had received. At Doncaster the wounded
pamengen were attended to, and the rooms on both aides
of the platform were converted into temporary hospitals,
where the surgeons as well es the officers of the company
paid the sufferers every presible attention. The driver
and fireman of the mail Min had an extraordi-
nary escape of their lives, but beyond the shook
they experienced no injury, and no doubt many
of the passengers owe the preservation of their lives
to the promptitude of the men in charge of the telegraph
departments. The engine left Retford only eleven minutes
before the mail train, and its non-arrival at Doecester
canoed the man in charge of the signals at the corner of the
car about a mile from the station to announce to the night
signalman at Ramingtoa that the engine had
the
arrived.
mewed° tealsrfter'R:stigol station f reached is tiewmenlinuteae'behind itli It•
pointed time the danger signal was shown, and the drives
shut off steam and proceeded from that point to the scene
of the Milks at about 20 miles per hour. Rad the train,
which was unusually heavy, both as regards passengers and
luggage, been running at the usual speed of 45 miles per
hour the oomequenose would have been much more fatal.
The piessegere proceeded from Doncaster at 5 o'clock,
with the exception of six, who were considered by the sur.
pone to be too much hurt to proceed with safety. Subse-
quently two of these—Mr. Brown, of Rrentford, and Mr
Henry Roe, of Newcastle, were removed ; the former to the
Angel Rotel, and the latter to the Elephant Inn. The other
passenger were enabled to resume their journey in the
course of the day.

ROYAL GIINER/1. TIIZATILICAL FUND.—Teter-
day being Ask Wednesday, the general annual meeting of ;
the Royal Genteel Theatrical Fund was bold in the saloon ;
of the Lyceum Theatre; Mr. Backstone, treasurer, pre-
sided. Mr. Cullenford read the Wanes-sheet. Amongst !
the receipts the following were the principal items : —Mem- I
ben' subwaiptiosa, 7091. 81. 3d. ; dividends on stock, 3681.
14a. 11d. ; profit of manual festival, 2191. 3e. 6d. ; a dons- ;
Lion by Mr. Nationn 50/. ; and profit of benefit at the ;
Theatre Royal Drury-lane, 93/.oe. ; making with other
items total receipts of 1,6011. Is. bid. As regarded the
disbarment* the were for the funeral expenses of four ;
member,, 541. Bs. 11d. annuitants' allowances, 9871. 10a., I
leaving a balance in bend of 4691. 18e. Ofd. The funded
property of the 'mention amounted to 12,6961.9 a. 7d.,sod :
With the balance in hand a total In favour of the fund of :
13,1651. 7a. Bd. He mid. as many were then present who '
were not on the committee of dirsoten, he thought it j
would be as well if be were to give in detail some account
of the benefit which bad taken place on behalf of the funds
at the Theatre Royal Drury-lane. Amongst the receipts
were 25/. from the Prince of Wales for his box, and a
demotion from Mesas. Falconer and Materna of 501.
The total receipts were 21551. 16..1d., and the *spewing
1721. ss, ,Bd. leaving a profit to the fund of 931. Os. 911.
After a brief discussion the report wee
DILAYALTIC, EQUIERRIAN, ANDadcrtICAL SICK
Funo.—The ninth anniversary festival of this useful use-
Minim was held at Willis's-rooms last night, under Unable
of Mr. John F. Maguire, Y.P. Ash Wednesday
riltivy day la the year, with the exception of Christ.
mu-day, on welsh sateen and actresses can attend a festival
of this tied, end the pthering of Indies and gentlemen of
" the profession," as it is somewhat curiously called, was
unusually large. The chairman advocated the ataeliold
claims of the simociatien to the attention of the beekevelest
Is a seetible sad practical speech. Mr. Tem Taylor
the health el the ladies, which wee remoulded to iePraciZt
epoch, edrairably delivered. by Um Seirtliag. Mr. Lager
ter Boeldashein eaapeeld the Neal* of the araelleet peel•
dart of the reeolailita Bentaiste Webster ; sad W.
Webster etiramlollioed the compliment very feelingly.
Ilia Is the lest moiety which admitted ladies to these fedi-
vela, sad added the aWactious of a ball to the 'Undies of
• Mawr.

THE SHOCKING BOAT ACCIDENT AT
EMIL
• -4,--

Further partieulars of the shocking accident,
berefly described in yesterday's Express, are new published.
It seems that on Tuesday daemon, a little before 5 o'clock,
two long boata belonging to the training ship Woreseter,
which lies off &nth, went sailing up the river manned by
twenty-two sedate each, Cashman, the boatswain, sad a
man earned Locke having charge of the cos, and Cooke,
boatswain's mats, of the other. It appears that when about
to reach the southern outfall, the works of which they were
going ashore to examine, one of the boys in Cushraaa's boat
lost a cap overboard, sad Cushman called out to slack the
fore-shut to bring the boat round, and the boy socideat-
ally let the sheet "fly loose," but just aa several hands
reached over to get the cap, a puff of wind caught the sails,
and she capsized, instantly plunging all haulm in the river
to struggle for life at a distance of about two-thirds of the
way from the Essex oosst. Cushman struck out directly,
and called upon the boys to do so too, and reach the boat,
which they Dearly alt did, and hang on to her, as she
floated lightly, having very little ballad, but unhappily the
weight was ono-sided, and she heeled over on to the poor
lads, who by this time were both cold and exhausted. Several
of them were drifting down the tido, and calling upon Cush-
man for aid and asking what to do, and he, bidding
them keep up their spirt* struck out and saved two
who could not eaan, whom he swam ashore with. By
this time Oook's boat came dug under sail and rescued five
by throstiag out therein. Cullman spin plunged in to
save the third, but in endeavouring to pt his out off, he
nearly lost his life, and would have done so had not a boy
seized his sleeve cuff, and by pulling at it, dragged one arm
out. By this time nine poor fellows had rank to rise no
more, chiefly clinging to each other, and Cushman bad no
fewer than five lads clinging to him by the neck and loth
Getting free with difficulty he caught one little fellow by
the hair, as he was shaking for the last time, and herd him
breast high out of the water till a waterman's boat took the
lifeline body chore. A lad, Denton, was seen upholding
two of his comrades, and was swimming ashore with thefts
but a third, catching hold of the brave boy's feet,
they all sank together almost within reach of acne,
Another lad, named Beckwith, stimulated by Cathasn's
gallantry, dived in again after having recovered a little ed
his exhaustion, and brought one boy ashore who was sink-
ing for the last time. AA soon es possible those rescued
were taken ashore, where there happened to be two medical
MOD who applied! every restorative, with t'.• aid of Dr.
Tipple, from Erith, who had driven off to the spot on
bearing of the disaster, the result of which was that the
poor boy last brought ashore was the only one pronounced
beyond the power of man to read to life. Cushman himself
was so exhausted that on regaining the shore for the last time
he fell forward into the mud. Mr. Webster and Mr.
Houghton, of the sewer works, sad the other officials, vied
with the workman and navvies in doing their utmost to re-
lieve the sufferers. Indeed, the DAVTiOII pulled off their
clothing without hesitation, and wrapping them round the
bodies of the halt-drowned poor boys, carried them as
tenderly aa if they were their own ; and it wee mainly
owing to the untiring friction of their honest rough hands
that the live. of those fast ebbing away wen saved. Cush.
man, in speaking of their attentions, said that "Messrs.
Weimar and Houghton, with the other officials, and the
labourers, were se kind and attentive that the recollection
of it unmanned him," which it certainly did. This calamity
has out • heavy gloom over the inhabitants of the
neighbourhood, equal almost in intensity of feeling
to that of the late explosion, and Captain Whitbey,
of the Worcester, is in a very distrawedetate of mind. Ia
fact, he and the whole of those connected with the Wor-
cester are seriously indisposed by the shock. Some of the
cadets were brought to Erith in Dr. Tipple's carriage, and
he is attending them at i private house, where they will
remain for • time ; others are at his house, and some have
gone on board again. The boat was a very large OWN and
powerful u a man-of-war's pinnace, pulling twelve oars.
being 6tt. Tin. in the beam, and 28ft. is length, with •
double back.
Exertions Ant at once made with • view of reouseing
the bodice of the nine boys, and that part of the neck
where the catastrophe occurred was dragged, but with no
satisfactory result. The ebb tide was running strong at the
time, but it is hoped that they will be east up in • day or
so. Mr. Bullivant, the hon. secretary of the school, visited
the ship in the course of yesterday, and having conferred
with Captain Whitby, arrangements were made for
the reception of the bodice as they ware found
at the Pier Hotel, Frith; and as an inducement to
the fishermen, dredgermen, and others employed on
the water to recover the remain. at as euly • period se poor
able, it was intimated that the committee for managing the
school would give • reward of It. for the finding of any one
of the bodies of the missing boys. In the course a yester-
day telegrams were being conetantly received on board the
ship from the parents sod relatives of the coda', inquirieg
the names of those who had perished. Oa lousing SO
names of the little sufferers on the previous ovule& Cap•
lain Whitby at ODDS wrote to their relatives and coninitud-
toted the sad intelligence.
The following is &correct list of those who were drowned:
Henry Barber, Alfred Henry Menders, Hayter Bessemer
Waeoetrocht, William Powell Stanton, Erington Ord Den-
ton, Walter John Strickland, James Waller, Charles
Rupert Johnstone, John Newman Harris" Joseph Ward
Leigh, All the other cadets on board are quite well.

SACRED HARMONIC SOCIETY. —The thirty-seoond
annual meeting of this society took pla.ie at Exeter-hall,
on Tuesday ; Nr. J. N. Harrison. president, in the chair.
The report, Insides passing in review the operations of the
society during the past twelve mouths, contained allusions
to several other matters of musket iotenst. After stating
that the society bad even fourteen concerts during the peat
year, and that the subsaiptions were greater in amount and
amber than in any previous y also that n morons
donations had been made to the library, it alluded to the
hearty commendation bestowed on the performances from
all quarters during the mason. The report then careen eh-
strain of the years accounts, whereby it appeared that the
general receipts have been 6,451/. 9s. 74.; and the 107-
mints 5,1&5/. 12e. ltd. ; leaving a balance in hand of 3151.
16s. Bd. The aoconnes of the society show that the expense
of the great choral meetings specially maintained for the
=of improving the metropolitan choir of the triennial
festivals has again been a charge on the society's
hada-411/. 2s. 24. having been disbursed on this account
during the peat year. Raving in view the triennial festival
of 1865, the committee have recently caused the several
ta of the choir to be carefully revised, and ad-
, time have bean made thereto—after individual trial
of competency—of several hundreds of ladies and
gentlemen who had applied for admission. The
first meeting of the choir in the present season
; will be held at Exeter-hall on Friday, 3rd of March, and
this, as well as the subsequent meetings, will be devoted to
rehearsal of music for the coming festival. The programme
of arrangements far the festival will soda be published, and
• the issue of vouchers securing seats will commence on Kos-
! day, 13th inst. The committee, in their report, yam briefly
in review the more prominent operations of the society in
connexion with choral music, and remark that those who
I have taken an active part in their proceedings for a series
of years may reasonably derive considerable gratifieatioo
from the reflection that their labours have not only
; yielded plainer* to themselves, but have *stowed like
I enjoyment upon an immense number of other parsecs,
lof whom the audiences have been emposed ; while
. everyone will feel it to be a pleasurable airennastaeos
: that the interests of the musical protonic. have also bees
' largely promoted by the operations of the society, which,
I amoupt other advantages conferred, has been the medium
of disbursing, for professional engagements and for the pur-
-1 chaos of music, nearly 100,0001. It is well to bear is
, mind that, in these lengthened and important labours of
the society, neither personal private advantage, nor large
accumulation of funds by the society, has been the
object of its members ; as amateurs, they all render musical
maim is a purely honorary spirit, and the heeds of the
misty are such merely as are considered neemnary
.to its stability. It may be also milled to remembrance,
that the benevolent inclinations of the society—frequently
celled into exercise—have led to the formation of a " bees-
whet fired," with a capital of nearly 2,5001„ and that the
very valuable, and in many respects minus, library of
Memos% Wangle to the moiety, may eluding, sum.
grime with any eollsetioa of similar character sad pleading.
A hearty vote of thanks was carried to Mr. Costa=
, with an expression of anxiety on the part of the
I of the society to exert to the utmost In etiiq
' in the prodection af his 11•11. embarks Somata, eltertly
after Easter. The retiring sambas of the eemarides
Wag unanimously elected, thanks were gime tithe teem
of the society, that to the president being warmly spoken to
by several member, who took that opportunity of anodise
to his well-knows 11141.631111 to onavinse—enfortsnately for
, the society sad the paid* without isnsam—bin eadismiless
'at Exeter-ball of the =seed of &Midgard sow of
Wiry and exit in that

[Stamped, ld. Additional .1