The Express.
London, England, 1853-09-07 00:00:00

ACCIDENT ON THE LONDON AND NORTH

WESTERN RAILWAY.

PIISTON, TUMIDLY.

An accident of a character fearful to contemplate,
though providentially unattended with loss of life, occurred
yesterday afternoon, at the Ruston junction of the London
and North western and Lancashire and Yorkshire Rail-
ways, situated about six miles frogs this town. The cir-

connected with the caenalty are u follow.

About a quarter of a mile on the Preston side of the
Euston station there is a side line of rails, belonging to the
London and North Western Company. Ytsterdaf four
passenger carriages, two first-class and two second-else,
had been turned upon this siding, which communicates
with the down line of rails bye pair of points. It seems
that there is a man stationed at the junction, whose duty it
is to attend to the point., ■od also to an adjacent signal.
The Scotch express (from London to Edinburgh sad
Glasgow), due in Preston at 2.3.5, approached Euston
yesterday afternoon, at the rate of between 35 and 40 miles
an hour; the train consisting of three first-class earriages,
one second-class, and a break van. There were two guards
is charge of the train : one, James Cobb, in the van next
the engine ; the other on the last carriage. The engine
driver (John Baxter) states that the pointsman already
mentioned lowered the Usual, to intimate that all was right,
and the train proceeded on its rapid cones past the station.
Immediately afterwards, a sudden jerk apprised t►e driver
that the train was entering the points leading to the siding,
instead of continuing on the main line. He instantly
shut off the steam, and blew the whistle for the guards to
apply their breaks, and then, conscious of the imminent
peril in which he was placed, leaped off the engine, followed
by the fireman, Wm. Hardstaff. In another moment the
express came in contact with the carriages on the siding,
and a fearful crash took place ; the danger of the collision
being enhanced by the close proximity of a steep embank-
ment. The front par. of the engine was demolished,
but, marvellous to state, the carriages of the expreu ens.
tabled little or no injury, the passengers being found almost
unscathed, although of course in a state of great conster-
nation. The inapt, carriages on the siding were shivered
to atoms, two wheels belonging to one of them being subse-
quently discovered in the smoke-box of the engine. Baxter,
the driver of the expreu, was found lying by the side of
the line, covered with blood and dirt and in a state of in-
sensibility, having several severe cuts about his head and
back. The Bresnan escaped with comparatively little in-
jury. Cobb, the guard, states that he perceived the danger
at the moment the engine-driver blew his whistle, sad that
having put on his break he threw himself on the floor of the
vas, to which he attributes his safety. The breaks are de-
scribed as being of a very powerful kind, and it is said that
they materially checked the speed of the train between the
moment of alarm and the collision, or the consequences

would, in all probability, have been much more Serious.
The distance between the points and the empty carriages
on the siding is estimated at 160 to 200 yards. We
have been informed that an examination of the points, sub-
sequent to the accident, showed them to be in so dirty a
state as to prevent their closing of themselves, as they
ought to have done, when the empty carriages wire turned
epos the siding. A Lancubire and Yorkshire train came
up soon after the accident, and took the express passeagen
forward to Preens, where they arrived about an hour after
time. Baiter was conveyed to the Station lan, in this
town, where be now remains. The Scotch express, we be•
Bees, was the Ant train to pass the Buxton Junction after
the train conveying her Majesty and suite to the north,
and which passed through Preston station at half past 12.
It would thus appear that the empty carriages had been
turned apes the siding and the poin s left open shortly
after the Queen west by ; had it been dose a little sooner,
the royal train must have mitered the alarming collision,
instead of the express.

ON THE NORTH UNION RAILWAY.

On Monday an alarming accident occurred to the
6 a.m. train from London to Edinburgh, on the North
Union line, in Leaeashire. The portion of this line from
Eutos junction to Preston is in the charge of the Lanes-
shire and Yorkshire Company, whose trains ran over it
between these points. Near to the juseden, es the down
side of the line, is a aiding for shuttle( coal trains, with
facing points. These pints had been allowed, by the 'fr-
eest of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Company, whom duty
it was to keep them in order, to become clogged with dirt,
so that they did not set properly. Thu station-mater at
Prestos had seat some empty carriages to be shunted there.
for which there was net sulkient accommodation at the
staties, and after these carriages had been ran tato the
siding, it appeare that the points had never properly closed,
as they ought to have done if they had been elms.
When the train from London arrived, therefore, it ran
into this siding against the empty carriages, and the 1
collision was of wane very violent. The engine went of
the line and was entirely disabled, the driver was thrown
off the engine and sustained a very revere cut setae the
forehead, bat was not dangerously kart, and two Grit-dam
carriage, were smashed, bat the paalenpre escaped without
serious injury. There was no telegraph by which to COM-
stunk:au with a station where an engine could be procured,
and the train was detained for nearly an hour, until a Lan-
cashire and Yorkshire excursion train owning in the seine
direction its mese was taken off and attached to the *s-
pur train as far as Preston, where the Loudon and North
Western Company have a station, and where the guard was
enabled to pt a fresh engine to take the train forward to
Scotland.

WRECK OF THE GLENDOWER, LIVERPOOL

AND BRISTOL STBAM•SHIP. •

.11u.roim, Elan. 6.

Some anxiety has been created here by the wreck
of the Glendower, Capt. W. J. Beckett, Liverpool and
Bristol steamship, which took place in the course of yester-
day afternoon, • few miles to the southward of this port.
Providentially the whole of the passengers and crew were
saved. The Glendower left the Mersey on Saturday morn.
ing for Bristol, having to call in here on her way. We are
not aware of the particular course she was pursuing, or who
were the officers that had charge of her at the time
of the unfortunate mishap. The weather was remark-
ably fine, and about three o'clock in the after-
noon she ran on to the Crow-rock, a somewhat
formidable reef situate between five and six miles to the
southward of this place. As may be imagined, the
event created no little consternation amongst those on
board. It wu quickly ascertained that her bull had sus-
tained some serious injury by striking on the rack, and that
she was rapidly filling with water. The neesmary precautions
were taken for tke preservation of life, and the crew
exerted themselves very creditably in endeavouring to get
the ill-fated steamer into shallow water if possible before
she foundered. They contrived to keep her afloat, although
a very difficult and perilous task, until she drifted a short
distance on to the sand at the point known as Freshwater.
creek, where she sunk in three fathoms. Tnoee on boar.'
had previously taken to the boats, and were safely landed.
Doubtless attempts will be made to recover the ship, but
whether sueocalful remains to be sees. The damage to her
cargo, machinery, fittings, and hall will amount to a con-
siderable sum, but she is reported to be insured.