The Express.
London, England, 1853-03-12 00:00:00

DIXON FOLD.

THE FATAL RAILWAY ACCIDENT AT

The adjourned inquest on the bodies of the persons
killed by the accident at Dixon Fuld, near Manchester, on
the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway, on Friday evening
last, was held yesterday, at 2 o'clock in the afternoon, at
Clifton.
Captain Wynn, the !government inspector, arrived during
the afternoon. Mr J. P. Cobhett, barrister, attended on
behalf of the contractor for the permanent way.
Joseph S. Platt, of Chapman-street, Manchester, said—
! was in the list carriage but one of the train to which the
accident happened. After we left Bolton we went at a ra-
ther quick speed, then stopped at Haisban Moor, and then
went at the usual si.ecd till we got to Dixon Fold, when
I thought the speed increased very much. There was
much oscillation off the carriage in which I was; then
I felt a sudden jerk, was thrown off my seat, and
then I jumped out of the carriage. When the speed in-
creased I should think it was not less than 9J miles per
hour. I have often travelled that way, genera:ly by ex-
prow train, and always ',shied the part where the acci-
dent occurred with fear and trepidation, because I always
feared we should pass the Clifton Junction before the
East Lancashire train came up. The express trains have
always gone quick at that point, and I complained some
time back of the speed we passed the Caton points at.
I don't think the speed was slackened there. I examined
' the line after the accident, and I measured 70 strides from
the end of the train to the place where there was the first
mark of the train pin; off the line. '1 ha mark began at
a joint, and the holt of one of the chains was loose. The
two rails which joined here were close together, and seemed
secure, but 1 thought the bolt ought not to have been loose.
There was an indent on the outside of 20 odd yards, then it
broke off suddenly, and the sleepers on the other side began
to be broken up.
Thomas Copeland and several others gave evidence of a
similar nature, and the proceedings had not terminated
wheu our to;:•_rt was despatched.

VIOLENT HURRICANE AND GREAT LOSS

OF LIFE AT CORFU.

The correspondent of the Malta Mail, dating
Corfu, Feb. 20, writes:
During the night of Friday—Saturday, 19th inst., at
about half-past 11 o'clock, • fearful hurricane burst upon
the country, and has everywhere ravaged it, occasioning the
most lamentable misfortunes. The wind blew with such
violence that the houses were agitated as if shaken by an
earthquake. To the noise of the tempest was added the
crashing of the tiles, which fell like hail into the streets,
and the windows, violently torn from their hinges, which
flew through the air, and fell with loud noise into the
street below, or on to the tiles. fiercest housu in tho town
fell, and buried in their ruins the unhappy inhabitants.
Last evening five people have been reckoned among
the dead, en town, and • considerable number of wounded.
Two OHM houses of the 49th regiment have been thrown
down in the Citadel ; luckily all had time to save them-
retiree, and there is no misfortune to deplore. But the news
coming in at every moment from the interior of the island is
more and mere alarming. One village is spoken of as en-
tirely destroyed; the number of deaths known in the envi-
rons amounts to 29, some even speak of 80. All the ships
at anchor in port have more or less suffered ; several have
been wrecked. Several Louses have lost portions of
their walla, and others have been entirely unroofed.
Upwards of one hundred trees on the Esplanade have
been uprooted and encumber the walk with their trunks
and branches. A portion of the walls supporting the laud,
has been demolished by the waves of the sea. The magni-
ficent forest of olive trees, which was the pride and wealth
of Corfu, is entirely des'aoyed. The country is literally
sacked. The few trees which remain standing may be
s counted, but it is impossible to reckon the thousands which
are torn up and broken to pieces. Never here I wit-
nessed such • deplorably desolating scene, of whose
bonen description is impossible. All the roads are
blocked up by trunks of trees—the country no longer
has the appearance of a land inhabited—it hes the as-
pect of a chaotic overthrow. The loss occasioned by the
disaster is incalculable. A number of families have been
ruined, without shelter, without bread. Public and pri.
rate charity must do miracles to relieve the numberless un-
happy beings, for I do not see how they are to escape the
frightful misery which is about to devour the country. The
Fairy yacht was on shore with loss of rudder—several
merchant ships are dismasted, and three foreigners were
blown over, and sunk at their anchors. the trees in the
palace garden, and a unicorn, and part of the roof of the
palace, the roof of the general's house, and that of the pro-
testent church have b:eu blown off, and all comiderably
damaged.