The Express.
London, England, 1860-11-17 00:00:00

(Stamped, ld. Additional.)

THE FRIGHTFUL ACCIDENT ON THE TRENT
VALLEY RAILWAY.
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GARIBALDI AND raw SNOLISH NEWSPAPBB

PRAM.

ATHEINTONE, IIMAT EVIDIEW. I Before leaving Naples General Garibaldi sent to
From informatra we have been stabled to obtain from the gentleman who for twelve years has been the correepon-
the officials and others with whom war reporter has come dent of the Erpreu in that capital his portrait by lira-
in contact, and which, from the excitement which prevails, let, with an inscription in his own handwriting, expressing
is neceseuely of a very imperfect cherccter, it appears that his deep sense of the service oar correspondent had ren-
s cattle train from Ho:yrood was proceeding along the dared So the Italian canoe. In paying this deserved oompli.
line en route to Peterborough ; and about 2 o'clock meet, the General shows as much magnanimity as discern-
this morning the driver was in the act of shunting en to went. Our oorrespondeut has indeed been a firm friend to
a siding situated on the down line, sad about a quarter of Italian freedom and independence, but he has never
a mile above Atherton., in order to allow the Scotch hesitated to express a frank opinion on the leading actors
mail, which was then due, to pass, when, before the goods of the revolution whenever their conduct ham seemed
carriages were clear of the main line, the mail train tame to call for censure, without regard to any man's favour or
up at a tremendous speed. A fearful collision ensued. Four wave.
of the hind carriages of the cattle train were shivered to
pieces, the fragments being strewn shoat in every dim'
tion. The engine and tender of the presager train were I
also easigletely smashed, and wens thrown aver into the
ditch, thamarive coupling chains being snapped asunder as
thank they were mere wire.
are presented immediately after the collision wee,
of the most harrowing description. The line was strewn
on both the up and down rails with the debris ; the frog.),
manta of the broken carriages were lying about literally
in splinters, together walla the reroutes of • number of
bulloolo, which had been crushed to death.
On removing some portion of the debris, the bodies
of no leas than nine persons were recovered, nearly all at
whom were quite dead, the others only surviving a short
time. It "'rinser, WS awes of lb. ileums* were the I
drovers in charge of the cattle, who were in the break at
the end of the train, and it is believed were asleep at the
time of the collision. The break was one of the carriage.
which were broken to piper, and there is no doubt most of
the poor fellows were killed on the spot, their injuries
being of a shocking character.
It is a most providential circumstance that none of the
passengers in the mail train sustained any injury, with the
exception of a few braises and doubtless • severe shaking.
We are enabled, positively, to state that none were so seri-
ously injured ea to be unable to proceed on their journey
whet the line could be cleared.
The aroma attached to the engine oonnected with the
Mail inlay the only 'armlet of the company who lost his
life, was, at first, supposed to have escaped ; but as he was
not to be found a further search was instituted, and the
body was eventually got out from under the engine and
tender, together with the eansee of • bullock, both being
nearly roasted by the fire of the eaglet% and dreadfully
raided by the hot water.
The exact nature of the injuries received by the deceased I
men has not yet been eacertairied. Their names are : John
Macdonald, Edward Macdonald, Jamee Talons, John
Talons, James Hickey, Andrew Darby, Alem, and one
person whose &me is unkeown. All the foregoing are
drovers, and were in the break at the tiros of the collision.
The name of the fireman ia James Cherry.
The following are the injured, sad the nature of their
injuries : Patrick Foy, 34, cattle owner, of Bing's County,
Ireland—contusion of face and left breast, and fracture of
leg; not dangerous. Thomas Cooning, about 60, cattle
drover —erre scalp wound, with concussion of the brain
and probable fracture of the skull ; also fracture of ribs ;
not likely to recover. William Hill, 24, post-office clerk
eatineeted with the mall train—severely shaken. George
Smith, Zi, also post-oar clerk connected with the mail
traiu--severely shaken. Mr. Hawker, post-office clerk—
slight concussion of the brain and generally shaken. Seve-
ral other persons ware also severely shaken, but were able
to proceed upon their journey.
Mr. Oliver Pemberton, surgeon to the General Hospital,
Birmingham, and several other gentlemen, particularly
Mr. Fox, of Atherstone, were unremitting in their atten-
tions to the sufferers.
In addition to the damage done to the property of the
company above stated, three other cattle trucks were much
broken, as well as the van in which the post-office clerks
were engaged in sorting letters. About 29 beasts were
killed, or so injured as to reader their immediate slaughter

• v-
The accident is supposed to have arisen from the detwer
M the r." 111 train not having observed the signal'. The
chief signal is so plead that, supposing hg pad gem it,
theee would not have been time to lave avoided a col.
Ilion, the oiditif on which tae pttle train WY
.being shunted being situated round a ,:r°
the line, so that the train could hardly have been
visible to the driver until he bad approached within
• short distance. The 'iced-nun avers that be put
on the auxiliary signal about a quarter of a mile further
down the line. Whether this be so or not will doubtless
be a matter of inquiry at the inquest. In any owe gross
carelessness must have been committed either by the en-
gine-driver or the signal-man. It is most certain that the
train was being driven at • very rapid rate at the time of
the collision. It is also a matter for inquiry why the cattle-
train was not detained at Tamworth, to which station the
advance of the mail train wee doubtless telegraphed, in-
stead of being allowed to proceed without sufficient time to
get safely shunted on to the siding at Atherstotie.
Mr. Cswkwell, the traffic imager of the company, to-
gether with other officials, inspected the wine of the seed.
dent in the course of the day ; ae did Mr. Alfred Carter,
the coroner for the district, and we have no doubt a strict
inquiry will be instituted.
A number of railway labourers were employed dining the
morning in clearing the line, and removing the debris on to
the eintenkmcnt, both the up sad down lines being re-opened
fur traffic by shout 10 o'clock.
Among the passengers, we understand, were the Duke
and Duchess of Montrose, who were, of course, very much
frightened by the ocearrence, though we are informed that
such was the instantaneous nature of the shock, that the
passengers were UIIIIWO/0 that anything half so serious bad
happened.

(From the Staffordahire A deo( Wer.)

As slay began to dawn, the extent of the damage be-
came more apparent. Melina and embankment were strewed
with the wreck of the 00ilia100. The top of the break
van was thrown on the top of the engine.
Axlekrass, wheels, springs, the sides and tops of
trucks, and splintered wood were found mingled in
strangeconfusion with dead and dyingbeasta, several of the
latter of which were slaughtered where they lay by the
butcher. Twenty-nine fine animals ware disposed of during
the day to the butchers of the town at a noruitud price, and
the remainder of the herd were taken on to Nuneaton,
where another died, making 30, in addition to others, which
it will be necessary to slaughter. Considering the extent
of damage done, the general debris was perhaps less than
usual on such occasions, and before nine o'clock in the
morning both lines were cleared.
. . _ . . .

The eogine-driver of the mail is stated by poliee-officer
Blimow, who witnessed the collision Irons the bridge, to have
jumped off the engine to the embankment, and although
much shaken, thus saved his life. He, however, states him.
self that he was thrown off, and hut consciousness of what
took place until he was trodden on and braised by the cattle.
The guard of the cattle train is injured, but not seriously.
During the day, Dr. Pemberton, of Birmingliani;the nom.
pany's medical officer, arrived, and visited the injured par-
ties, and every possible effort was need to alleviate their
sufferings and tend to their consfortiunder the sad circum-
stances. Too much pram cannot be rendered to Mr. W.
Pox, whoa' residence is near the top of the embankment
where tht collision took place, for the hospitality and kind.
nem be showed to the Injured and other pamengers until
they could be removed or sent on.
Amoopt the passengers in the mail train were the
Duchess of Menthe* and the Dake of AthoL The duchess was
entertained at the house of Mr. J. Baker, the steward of
C. H. Bracebridge, Seq., until a chaise was procured from
the Lion Hotel, in which, accompanied by her maid, she
drove to Nuneaton, and telegraphed to her noble husband,
who was to have met her at the Easton Station.
Alderman J. Bancroft, of Manchester, and Matthew
Lyon. Seq., of Stafford, two of the directors of the can.
pay ; Mr. Oawkwell, Übe general manager,; Mr. MeOomodl,
looovoothre member ; Mr. Drew, superiatendeat of W bask
Mr. Woodhouse, engineer of the permanent in,; sod Mr.
Dudley ParSOUL foamier of the plods' depeetweat, were
es the spot during the greater part of WI 411 h lee the pu-
pa. ot inquiring into the cause of the neediest. awl WNW-
lag general superintends's*, in the seouwery
An inquiry into the cause of the accident will Lks place
immediately, and uutil that is done it would be impeoper to
mat blame oa mums. We may state the signal-ma
at the atatiou 1111•111i4 that he signalled the driver of the
mail train, which statement is corroborated by others,
whilst the driier himself denial that such WWI the cam.
Meet serious blame must attach somewhere in allowing •
tattle train to precede the mail at so short • distance as to
preclude the ia edibility of its being shunted before the
latter ran into it.

HARMONIUMS-NEW MODEL.--. MAYER, !MALI. _d On. 331, kerei4gleel
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ST. JAMES'S HALL RESTAURANT,
Dagenf alert sad Tkeadilly.
Ors, Dhows, N lay Lidarda tr.. lee laminar. Wier.
and (ue, WM. DONALD, ?reverter.