The Express.
London, England, 1867-03-08 00:00:00

GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY.-(THIS DAY.)

The half-)early general meeting of the share-
holder, of thin company was held at the Paddington sta-
tion this day. Sir DANIEL Gooch, Bart., in the chair. The
meeting wan numerously attended. On the directors
entering the room they were greeted by cheers, which were
immediately o.erpowereil by hires.
The report, which has already been published, was taken
us read.

The Una iRMAN said it was with great regret that he was
not able to offer them a report of a more prosperous cha-
racter. He had yesterday the opportunity of discussing
with some fifty large shareholders the course to be
adopted, and he agreed with them in a proposition that
the meeting should be adjourned to the 29th instant,
when they would be able to go more fully into the
financial affairs of the company. The company had
been brought into its present condition by the con.
duct of other companies, by the want of confidence
of the public in debentures, and by the decision
of Sir Hugh Cairns on the law relating to deben-
tures. This company owed a great amount in tempo-
rary loans, and he h►d foreseen and told them at a former
meeting that when a change took place in the money
market they wouldget into difficultim, but he did not ex-
pect those difficulties would come so soon. Hail the 6
per cent. preference stock been taken to the ex-
tent that he had expected, they would now have been
in au easy financial position. They had, however, been
able to reduce the temporary loan from 1,300,00 W. to
800,000/. There was an excellent security for the deben•
tures, and he could, if he had time, show that their
revenue must be a paying one. Looking forward to the
future, their liabilities for lines not yet corn•
plend would not amount to more than 125,0007.,
and as their revenue was increasing at the rate
of 1.4,000/., he could not but look on the future with
hope. But the matter immediately before them—the dif-
ficulty with regard to temporary loans—must be got rid
of, sod that could be effected only by the Six per Cent-
Preference stock. With regard to debentures, as they
became due, more had to be paid off than had been
renewed since the decision of Sir Hugh Cairns.
But they roust meet these difficulties in
a manly way. He, therefore, proposed, that
there should be no discussion today, but that they should
adjourn till the 29th of March, and negotiations would be
continued. It would depend very much on these nego-
tiations whether they would be able to pay the preference
dividends in each. He moved that the meeting be ad-
journed till the 29th. •

Mr. T.tv Lon said, if they adjourned their meeting they
adjourned their difficulties. The best way was to meet
their .lifficulties in the face at first. He saw the announce-
ment in the report with sorrow, but not with surprise. It
was quite better to make a present sacrifice than to con-
tinue the dodge of temporary loans. Mr. Taylor was pro-
ceeding to addrem the meeting on the subject of recon-
struction, when he was met by loud cries of " Time." He
suggested that the services of the consulting engineer
might be dispensed with, seeing that they had deter-
mined to make no new lines.

[The hon. proprietor was still speaking when our report
left.)

ANOTHER ACCIDENT ON THE GREAT

WESTERN RAILWAY.

A collision between • passenger train belonging
to the Great Western Railway Company and a Metro-
politan passenger train occurred yesterday (Thursday),
close to the Green-lane-bridge, Paddington. A train for
Hammersmith left Bishop's-road station three minutes
beyond its time, and seeing the danger signal up at
Green-lane-bridge, the driver inuuediately reversed his
engine and stopped the train, which two minutes after-
wards was dashed into by a train which had been de.
spatched from the Paddington terminus, and which was
bound for Birmingham, the result being that twelve per-
sons were more or less injured, but none of them very
seriously. Two of them were taken to St. Mary's Hos-
pital, and after having had their wounds dressed were sent
to their home.

Mr. Superintendent Durdle, with a staff of men, soon
cleared the line, and then the ordinary traffic was resumed.
The accident originated through the breaking albs
wire at Green-lane-bridge, which prevented the danger
signal being taken off, and the driver of the Great Western
engine was unable to am another danger signal, which
was near the Paddington station because of the snow,
which was falling heavily at the time.

FATAL COLLISION IN A TUNNEL OF THE
LANCASHIRE AND YORKSHIRE RAILWAY.

Yesterday a dreadful accident occurred in the
Bowling Tunnel on the Laniashire and Yorkshire Railway.
The tunnel is a short distance beyond the junction of the
Great Northern line from Leeds to Halifax, and little
better than • mile out of Bradford. Yesterday the 1.15
p.m. train from Bradford to Huddersfield left the Lanca-
shire and Yorkshire station, with twenty-one passengers,
and probably a few more who had return tickets, and
proceeded all right until about half-way through the
Bowling Tunnel, when something went wrong with one of
the valves of the engine, and the train was brought to
• standstill. The passengers became much alarmed, as it
was known that two other trains were due from Bradford
in 15 minutes, but their fears were much allayed from
the knowledge that the signalman had strict orders not to
allow a second train to enter the tunnel until he received
word from the other end that the tunnel was clear. Ca-
fortunately in this instance these specific instructions
were disregarded by the signalman at the Bradford end, •
man of the name of J. Macquillen, and while the tunnel
I was filled with steam, and darkness reigned around, •
Leeds train for Halifax entered the tunnel, dashing into
and smashing up the Bradford train. The crash was
fearful. The engine-driver of the Bradford train, Charles
Goderich, had gone under the engine to endeavour
to ascertain the cause of the stoppage, and was so
engaged when the collision ensued. The poor fellow
I was so much injured that he died while being con.
veyed from the scene of the disaster. Ten or twelve
passengers in the Bradford train were severely injured,
I and many of them were shockingly mutilated. The engine
of the Leeds train was smashed, and the two trains were
so wedged together that there was considerable difficulty
in getting the carriages asunder and clearing the line.
Mr. Harrison, the Bradford station muter, who had occa-
sion to leave Bradford by the 1.30 p.m. train, arrived on
the scene of the disaster soon after it occurred, and at once
took active measures to have the sufferers removed and
cared for. Mr. Rawson, surgeon, of Lowmoor, was at
the station when the news of the calamity arrived, and
at once went forward with the clerk in charge, and
attended to several of the injured people. Mr. Lodge,
surgeon, also was sent for and rendered valuable
aid. The scene in the tunnel is described by one of
the passengers as being fearful, and for some time after
the accident neither light nor signal, guard, nor any of the
officials could be seen or communicated with. All the 1
while the piercing cries and wailings of the injured were
hard. The steam gradually subsided, and the passengers
began to be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
They left the carriages and walked—some to the Low-
moor station, others to Bradford. At both those places
great excitement had been caused by the news of the
accident. Some four or five of the injured persona were
assisted to reach the Lowmoor Station, and subsequently
were forwarded to their places of residence. Among these
were Mr. Eli Wilkinson, oil merchant, Lindley, Hudders-
field ; Mrs. Hardaker, Moody-street, Bowling; Mrs. Mor.
ton, of Cleckheaton ; and Mrs. Booth, of Hollingworth-
All traffic on the line was stopped for at least an hour and
a half, owing to the dibris strewed upon the line.
The only fatal result of the accident, so far, has been
to the engine driver of the Huddersfield train, who was
injured in the manner described above, and who died
while being removed to Bradford.—Leeds Mercury.

ADMIRALTY, MARCH 7.—A P POl NTM 'NM —Sub-
Lieutenant A. W. Hamilton, to the Wyvern ; Assistant-
Paymaster R. H. Hansen, supernumerary. to the Fisgard ;
Assistant Surgeon Dr. H. M'Laurin, to the Im-
pregnable.