The Express.
London, England, 1853-03-07 00:00:00

111. HORRIBLE RAILWAY ACCIDENT AT

DIXON FOLD.

We gave a short telegraphic announcement on
Saturday, of a very serious accident at Dixon Fold,
sit milesi mirth of Manchester, on the Lancashire and
yorkshire Railway, by which three persons were killed and
many ethers very dangerously, if not 'mortally wounded.
The details we have to add are of a very sad and painful
character. The train was an express composed of three
carriages and break van from Edinburgh, and two or mom
carriages and break van from Liverpool. The first-named
carriages had left Edinburgh at • quarter to II o'clock in
the: morning, and the others had left Liverpool at 20
moat,. past •in the afternoon. They bad for ned • june-
eimi at Bolton, 12 miles from Manchester, about a quieter
or ten miuutes before 6, and were due at Manchester by
ten minutes past 6. On leaving Bolton, the Edinburgh car-
-6re,.4 were plated hest, the Bolt.° nest, and the two break
vans.eith &guard in esch,in the rear of ell. The train usually
only trice benefit's Bolton and Manchester. It left
Bolton on this ceessioe a very few minutes behind time,
'ilter stopping at Halshaw Moor, passed Stoneelough
and Dinen Fold stations at great speed. It is estimated
Mist the speed attained on passing the latter Beaton was
from pi to 5... miles an hour. At Dixon Fold the line enters
a Jr, p cutting nearly at the end of a double curve, giving
it a form at this point something resembling the letter
but the are of rather large radius, and not very
sharp. The carriages are described by some of the peg-
scorers as reeking from tide to side in palming these curves
p. that persons had • difficulty in keeping their seats, and
M 360 to 100 yards beyond the Dixon Fold station the en-
gine ieit the rails, and, tearing up a deep (rem in the lon•
imi,eal wood sleepers oa which the rails rested for some
distance, turned almost round, with its head pointing
back tewards Bolton, and fell across the rail-
way on one of its side'', so as to block up
the dwell a. wall as the up lines of rails. In doing this, it
appears to hsve jerked itself loose from the train, and the
three miceteding carriages were hurled completely off the
line, smashed to pieces, sad their various parts, as well as
their pawner', metered far and wide. The accident
happened about is o'clock. The wreck of the train pre-
muted • most extrw.rdinary spectacle. The cutting is
about 12 feet deep, with banks sloping at an inclination of
about one in three. Midway up one of these banks (that
on the up side) was the body of • composite car-
riage deeply imbedded is the soil, with the tender
sticking in the hank below it ; and across the line,
on the slope of the opposite bank, some yards
further on, was the body of a first-clam carriage. The
under frames of these earnests had beau forced off, and oc-
cupied separate pieces, whilst the wheels of the earnests,
still coupled together, were scattered in different directions.
A woad-class carriage was lying in fragments about the
line, having been dashed almost to atoms. One of the
drivine•whels of the engine had been broken short off
fees its axle, and the machine itself woe a mere wreck.
The loss of life and limb under sack eiremastaaces, amens
the human freight which the train had borne, will be little
matter of surprise, however It may boons for deep reret. There had been three persons on the engine, and Thos. res-
tos, the dnver, was found under it, after the occurrence, badly
insulated, and quite dead. Henry Wood, the stoker, bad
one of his arms broken, and received a contusion on the
head. The third man, Richard Simmons, a night eokeman,
who was on his way to work at Manchester, was killed. The
wounded passengers, like the wreck of the train, were
thrown about in all directions. In the first-class carriage,
which, we believe, had been placed next the engine, was
Mr. 0. F. Barbour, of the Grange, Edinburgh, who is the
brother and partner in business of Mr. R. Barbour, the well-
known Manchester merchant. This gentleman, with his wife,
three children, sad two female servants, was on his way
to visit Miss Barbour (Mr. Barbour's sister), at Plymouth-
grove, Manchester, on their way to Alderley, where Mrs.
Barbour was to spend the spring, having been 10T some
time in very delicate health. Mr. Barbour was taken up
in a state of insensibility from • slight candelas of the
brain, but recovered consciousness &bast two hours Knee-
l/WI!. Mrs. Barbour was thrown Inn the carriage, and
after remaining insensible for a time, likelliag herself on re-
covering consciousness lying shah the min and fearing
that in the 'Whams some trek might ease ep and run
over her. she succeeded, aotwitlestanding a frac-
ture of the collar-bone, and several contusions on the
chest and the left leg, in crawling to one of the
banks. Here it is said she lay upon the damp, cold earth,
perfectly sensible but unable to rise, for mei), a couple of
hours before any assistance could be rendered her. By her
side the meanness lady found the dead body of her
second child, George, • boy about flee years old, which had
been removed ben the wreak of the carriage, its head so
crushed that it is ea mimed that the child mast have been
killed instantly. The ablest boy, Frederick Barbour, aged
7 years, was founisearthe (*Win, with severe scalds on the
right leg, thigh, mitillimemet part of the abdomen. The youngest
child, an infant sem minis old, war taken out of a deep
drain by the side of Ike by Mr. Hill of Charlton-upon-
Medial, • pee r who pie it into the clung of • poor
woman, a ,Wager
lfrlof ow the line. This wane. having
taken When% its wet clothes; dried, warmed,
sad fed it; esti Melt are ef it foe some killitS with truly
maisrael mesa* Mims. Mr. Harbour's sister left Man-
desks &est selleighen as 'spree train, to search for it,
mil was musk relined to find it so well eared for. Mr.
lesebear's two sensate were both found to have received
mush injury : the youngest, Betsey Iffseartney, a
maw, was suffering from • compound dislocation of
ref the ankle Josue, astessitating amputation at • later
ctyof the night, when in the Manchester In-
whilst the other servant, Ellen Hogg, was
found to have received • contusion of the spine, but not
of a serious character, it is believed. There is some doubt
Macartney will recover. Mr. Constantine Caratti, •
Greek merchant, residing in Glasgow, who was on
his way to Manchester, to be present in a trade
arbitration ease to be settled between himself and
Mr. Carta, was taken from the wreck in a state
of great ruff ag from compound fractures of both
legs below the bass., and the usfortanate gentleman
suffered nub from subsequent exposure to damp and cold
from lying nearly two hours on the bank before he could
De removed to Manheater. On Saturday he appeared to
n sinking rapidly, sad it was feared he would not
recover. Another sufferer was Mr. Vincent Martin, a
traveller, from et. Aside, Cornwall, who had his right arm
and two ribs broken, and sustained a severe laceration of
his right head. He was eabsequsatly conveyed to the
Manchester Infirmary in • dangerous state. Mr. Robert
Fitton, cotton spinier, of Shaw, near Oldham, had one leg
broken, sad seetensd internal injuries. Mrs. Barracks,
wife of Mr. John Herroske, &palter, of Middleton
Dale Hasse, was also fined much hurt, having sus-
mined a composed fracture of the left ankle, which raw
dered immediate amputation inaissary.
Mr. Henry Kay, of Preamble, salesman, was taken
trot the train with his left thigh brakes, and the tees is
annexed a serious one. Henry Pugh, shoemaker, Beg-
ley-elnei. !Salford, had both bean of lb left leg broken.
Amain many p7zers las sem* bust nay bs eau-
mermaid Mr. Cam Ist Dragon Guards, a good deal
benne; Mr. mush shaken ; Mr. Coleman, a good
deal limbo ; and Mn. and Miss lielleao, the wife and
dinghies, of a Greek merchant residing In Manche-
ter,
hie. who nosived some severe cuts aad bruises about the

A good deal if blase was thrown apes the railway
company sa Ike proud that the isafectunato pampagers
were **Us" left exposed to the oast sad wet belles amok&
aaee was losught, sad they .sad be removed to IlwoolawAw.
balk am= that there wen se moot et &Ad*.
Inas aroma flea Kr nuke, sad the Wales whlsh aim
is la diet Andes frees Bohn meld sat pa beamed to
Wu • nenierr. Under these eleseseleasse, a nes
used Ina Ilifier who wastreaseing dna Warne sa She
bowl. woo espooliod as NASIAISON4 sad weld ban to
walk erne of is seen..
We era did net arrive until
1111111MOI felt *Mea sea by the time Norm
ng' sad Chinn nailed 'Mon ef the essopeey, sad Herri-
the
he Hof the lin, Mr. Illmintere and Mr.
Grimly, weeneary Inge senplenset ef workman,
;wall be get Wisner mai mend by a spiel train to the
place, it was eppesesidap Veleok.
gleTheam seine pestialed esp
by Meek antral is the dark and
Mtn& NOW li only a bw biasing
the
ney .1y ns with thin ani6l no keeps of the wreck, the
reaps of dead eel iesended, with many of the latter
sousila plianak valor Mar searlags, was angst extre-
aNieey me. WIII As realest manna that weld be
was seedy sin Venn whoa the tuna span
amrasw„
Norlitolor stab the same% bang wady three
his eftw Ihs .eldest. Hearty ell ef then amp! Ur.
barmen est lids 2 (who wen bewarded le Pirenth
Move), wise at dm Royal Inanney. The
lodise of ne were taken is ass lens Oen Inn
Curine le await ne whisk bassleet bseei
Ina In this day. Tbswsslmaan were employed the when
et the night mad darks Salneday is dents, the Ina, sad
is Wayne She sixty reas et yen. w.up. The one of
the ended bee use, sal reliably sew will, be sadder
ullastened. sins the seas and deepen have Ind t-
he runnel le Menne the i.e. The railway Mei& map
Nor think that it resells beet the denim whet of the
oscine helm bones of bet as the wheel is fined te ban
rat with the earns (thesph the axle la bream Wenn to
the wheal), beet when the tar get *di!. Ilse le lbe piste
where the engin epee; Me is badly WAIF It seam
noes probable that the theft of tie drinei sited ems
*ekes with the strain apes It when the earn tented
fond and fell across the railway.
The Point when the wheels appear to moo ant let Um
rails it 'boat N yards hen when the earn lay. Here
there Ism hese • seaddeselle Nang ef tb• *Wu co tit' se ride of the Ike, sal this entlased a red ow two.
The" is thee, tot a distaste ef 93 yards, be ark of the
wheels either apse the sleeper er oa the pain bowie*
the Ws. All., net distaste, the IlOrks of the
wheeh oa the WM 111111 es are very dislioak then WWI
a perfect rem abase is task deep, sal sere led for two
or three peede. • her yards farther se, the sleepers on the
other tide ban ben natient away ; sad sheet thirty yards
from where 11111 ant of the mean any he trend.
the 6 ett rap bee hers It is a rail ea the snide
et the bus, end hes been the wed inwards sine behee is to
font yaw Twe we these eneesithe kerbs of rail
on this tide have bees is &plead ; sad we this seine to •
rail on the off side which has hen breed gene Mosame of
on that side of the line. The hooks of of the reds es this
Aide ht been continued for MOO yards, after which it
anew; and son afterwards the =eels appear to have risen
nee the bulk, which is deeply plauthed uP by thin.
The tanks of this piowildos. armee about a yard behind
Om lam
thaw, nay be trend almost up to the point
won* rriages wen standing. The went is at first
very alight, end for see me distance the marks run very near
the bottom of the bank at the side of the cutting. After-
wsed...‘ie ascent mutt have been more rapid, on order to
nosh the point where the carriage. ultimately remained ;
bat, owine !o the rubbish which was about last night, tEs
marks hem weld sot be traced. The engine (No. 13) lay ,

upon its side, completely covering the down Use,
and with its frost part towards Dieu Fold step
Hon. The general account given by the workmen and
others was that after it had vaunted nearly to the top of
the beak, on the up side, it turned a sot of bath seater-
sault ; but the position of the carriages which remained
upon or near the line renders it almost impossible to con-
ceive that this we. the case. The funnel was knocked
completely off, all the rivets seeming to have yielded; it
lay • little beyond the engine, ea the down bank, the dome
being a short distance lower dowel. The off driving wheel
was lying upon the up bank. The coupling chains between
the engine and tender having broken, it would seem that
the latter continued its way literally into the embankment.
The body was torn from the carriage and the former
lay considerably behind the latter. The wheels, dtc., in
fact all the lower part of the first-class carriage
(which appeared to have been next the tender),
were lying mixed with the wreck of the tender.
The body war very much shattered. The second carriage
in the train was • "composite," or mixed first and second
class. It evidently passed over the wreck of the tender and
the first-class carriage; and the offside of its front was
driven several feet deep into the embankment, very nearly
at its top, and it stud supported principally by the remains
of the tender. Internally, this carriage was aot much is-
jared ; and the coupling chains between it and the shat-
tered first-class carriage unbroken. It would appear that
the third carriage in the train was most completely swished.
The remnants of it were left in front of the remaining
' carriages which remained upon the line, and which were
almost uninjured, and the only suggestion as to the mode in
which it was destroyed is, that it was torn and ground
between the ruins of the engine upon the one side,
and the tender and carriages upon the embankment
on the other. We could not leers how many passim-
, gore were in the three carriages we have described,
but from their extraordinary positions and breakage,
it would seem more than probable that most of the
injured persona were in them. The two carriages in the
front of the remainder of the train remained tolerably near
the rails ; one being off to the right, and the other to the
left. Next to these was • luggage van which was com-
pletely off the rails, awl close in t& bank. Nearly opposite
the luggage van was the circular top of the break from the
tender ; it lay halfaay up the embankment, and a short dis-
tance from it, towards the end of the train, was the screw,
and other portions of the fittings.
A great deal of complaint is made of the advantage taken
of unfortunate passengers in these cases to plunder them.
The servants of the company my that when an accident
takes place. the country and other people who come to the
spot, like the wreckers anther sea coast, when • vessel has
come ashore, carry off every thing they con lay their hands
on. In the present ease articles of clothing, carpet bags,
and other property were miming, which mast have been car-
ried off in this way.
MAXCEUSBIL., 81/NDAT MOZMNO.
It appears there are fur or Ave cases, arising out of this
terrible accident, which may yet prove fatal. Mr. and Mrs.
Barbour are going oa favourably this morning. Their
eldest boy, however, is suffering a good deal, and is yet in a
precocious condition. Medical aid was summoned also,
very urgently, at an early hour this morning, to their
youngest and only other child. This child war not braised
or maimed in any way, but had suffered • good deal from
exposure in the wet before it was picked up, as above
stated. The two mines, Hogg and Macartney, lying at the
Infirmary, have passed a favourable night, and are as well
as can he expected. Mr. Caratti has also bad a few hours'
sleep this morning. He is very low, however, and will re-
quire to rally considerably before any operations, that may
be Receseary for his dreadful fractures, can be undertaken.
The other patients in the Infirmary are reported without
change.

MIDLAND GREAT WESTERN (IRELAND)
RAILWAY.

The fifteenth half-yearly meeting of the directors
and shareholders of this important Irish Company wee held
is Dublin on Friday ; John Ennis, Esq., chairman of the
company, in the chair. The report of the dire etm was read
by Mr. usire, the secretary, and unanbaonsly adopted.
It stated that :

1
------ -- -
.. The directors feel great pleasure in being able to report
a progressive improvement in the revenue of the railway
in all its branches:
sivz MONTH/ =DINO 31ST DECIWIZE, 1851.
1 Ist Class .... 15,336} £4,1300 19 1
2nd „ .... 42.056 10,166 15 6
Pasmaigers 3rd
..
....
46,629} 6,633 10 3
4th ~ .... 48,502} 5,348 14 6
Horses, Carriages, Parcels, *e.
Goods and Cattle

Total £38,296 3 4

HALF-TZAR INDIXO JOWL 1862.
t let Clan .... 14,233 £ 4,927 18 11
2d „ .... 42,942 10,168 10 4
Penesgen 3.1 ~ .... 62,632 7,622 18 7
4th „ .... 48,8174 6,718 9 11
Hentee,
CarrCiages, Parcels. .he 2,541 2 3
Goods sad

Total £42,077 9 10

HALT-111AZ INDING DICINEIIit, 1852.
let Class .... 18,412 .... £ 6.780 9 2
2nd „ .... 53,5711 .... 13,043 2 7
Pialiclien 3rd 0 .... 62,4961 .... 9,150 11 8
4th „ ... . 53,610 .... 5,927 7 .3
Hones, Carriages, Pareeb~te
Goods and Cattle

The receipts from all mums daring the past hairiest
between Dublin and Athlone, including the canal, were
62,7661. Bs. 10d., and the total disbursements, daring sane
period, 31,0211. 14e. bd. ; which leaves a nett revenue of,
31,7331. 14s. 5d., together with the surplus from last half-
year, 6,3691.6 a 11d. ; staking together, 38,1021. oe. 4d.
Prom this anionat the board propose that the sun of
8,6521. arising from interest on arrears of calla, be
added to the meetsl redone, which will make that fund
amount to 26,9231.6.. 104., available for any pampas to
which the company may hereafter be disposed to apply it.
That a dividend at the rate of Ave per cent. per annum be
paid on the capital of the company, which will amount to
21,2741. 16s. 9d., smiths movies, 8,1741. 14s. 11d., be carried
to the credit of the nest half-year's amount.