The Express.
London, England, 1861-08-26 00:00:00

GREAT LOBO OF LIFE.

One of the most terrible arnidents which we
believe bee omearred lan the isitrodatikm el our railway
systems took place yesterday en the London sad Brighton
Railway, as a spot about five miles from the Brighton ter-
minus. There is here what is called the Clayton Tunnel,
and the sensation caused by the dreadful aecurrenes was
intensified by the fact that the train in which the paimpagere
who have unhappily lost their lives were traveling was in
the tunnel at the time of the collision. It will be neciessary
at the outset, in order to enable the public to arrive at a
' correct knowledge of the exact circumstances, to Mate that
an esounios train leaves Portsmouth for London at 6 am.,
calling at all the stations an the South Coast line, and
is made due for departure from Brighton at 8.5 aro. There
is also an excuram train which takes its ensnare from
Itrightoo every Sunday incoming at 8.15, which rum through
to London without stopping at any of the Manor. The ne
mike parliamentary morning train, stopping at all statima,
leans Brighton at 8.30, being due in London at 10.40. It is
seeessary, however, to state that there are oecasionaily ad-
animal examinee trains from Brighton ; bet whomever
these trains are put am, special instructions are seat out to
the mama statioemesters, signalmen, and Mier sisher
chaste einem mina whom province it may come,
that the this shield be duly kept dear for Quo
regular traits, and peeper motion observed as to
the special tans refereed to. It will be meted bane
after that there has been SONO marphined failure of a
portion of the arrangements, sad to that einsansibusse may
be attributed the terrible calamity whin bee takes
pima It men be added that all excursion, like other trans,
are timed, sad that every precaution seems to be used by
the tease meager for the careful and regales conduct of
the duties covhded to his charge.
The details of the accident may be thus eawskid. The
Portsmouth train, which as previously stated puns through
Brighton for London at 8.5 a, m., left the station about its
appointed time, and duly arrived at the Clayton
tunnel, where tbdl "all right" signal was displayed,
and the train pared through without iuterrup.
hoe. Directly afterwards the 8.15 from Brighton nine
within sight of the signalman, who, remember-
ing that the Portsmouth excursion had only gone by a very
short time previously, alleges that he attempted to put se
the " stop signal," which he found would not act, and he
then showed a red deg, indicating danger to the driver of
the Brighton train, who, however, was close upon the
signalmau's box neer the tunnel's mouth at the moment be
exhibited that sign of peril. The engine-driver, however,
with great presence of maid, thinking doubtless from the
signal shown at the mouth of the tunnel that the train
which he knew had preceded him had not got clear, imme-
diately reversed his engine, but the impetus with which he
had been travelling prevented the train bang pulled up
before it had proceeded SOON distance into the Simnel. Of
mane the nun.ber of tunnels between London and Wines
readers it necessary that extra precautions should be
adopted for preventing accident., seal there is a mar
stationed at each end of each tunnel, when duty it is to
telegraph the eutry and egress of all trains, be eider that
two trains shall not be in the tunnel at the came theses the
mine bus of rails. The signal man at the Brighton end of
the Clayton tunnel perceiving that, in spite of the red Sag,
the second train did not stop, imagined that tine driver had
not seen it, and immediately telegraphed to the ens, end of
the tunnel to know whether the train bad maned through,
and received for answer that it had, sot knowing
at the time that the driver of the seermd Iran
had seen the red signal, had reversed hie
engine, and that thetrsin wad in lackward motion towards
the south or Brightonend of the tunnel. At this moment
the 8.30 stopping regular parliamentary train cans in sight,
and the signalman having received Measurer above referred
to, pre the semi signal for the train to proceed, which it did
at its ordinary speed. Within a very short distance of the
mouth of the tunnel a frarfulizash ensued, the mooed train
hacking, having come into violent collision with the other
train which was rushing formed. The shrieks and cries
are described as being of the most fearful and heart-rending
character, and the pervading gloom tended considerably to
heighten the terror of those who were uninjured, and left
them powerless to aid the agonised wounded.
After a sheet time some of the passengers La the first class
carriages prowled the lights from the roofs and proceeded
to reuder every assistance in their power. The extent of
the fearful estestrophe became partially apparent. The
engine of the putiameetuy train had forted itself literally
over the last terriers in the excursion train, which had
covered sompertimeen for luggage at one end, passenger
seats in the middle, and the guard's break at the other end,
emapheely smashing it. The locomotive then broke in at
the heck of the last carriage but one, and shivered
that into fragments. This carriage comprised four
gempartnienta, each containing ten persons, and the con.
sequinees may possibly be imagined, but certainly they
amen be adequately described. The unhappy passengers
were scattered and mutilated in all directions ; several were
scalded with the boding water from the engine, and their
yells of agony were pitiable in the extreme. The telegraph
was immediately set to work, cmuulunkatieg the terrible
nature of the calamity to liiightem ; and as speedily as
passible Mr. Hawkins, the traffic manager, Mr. Dosed, his
▪ iltbr sat, Mr. Craven, superiutendent of the locomotive
department, with a numerous body of workmen and Milers,
proceeded by special engine to the spot. They were ac-
impaled by Dr. Burrell, Dr. Hall. Messrs. Furrier, Pocock,
Tatham, dowers, Judd, and other eminent medical men, in
order to alleviate as far as possible the sufferings
of the wounded. Unfortunately in too many came all
medical aid was unavailing ; and upon the debris of the
carriages being removed upwards of twenty persons were
found to be dead. The engine, as our reporter was informed,
had literally sunk upon the second carriage, and the bodies
of several of the sufferers were undenieath. They had
either been crushed or scalded to death. One untenured*
woman had both her legs cut off just above the knees, and
she was quite black in the face. Another female bad
her scalp torn completely off sod both her arms
broken. One man had his face crushed in such •
manner as to force his eye-balls from his bead,
while in newly all the other emote the injuries
were of an unusually terrible character. A strong body Of
men, under the direction of Mr. Craves, proceeded I clear
the line, which was comparatively uninjured; sod Mr.
Hawkim, with careful forethought for the feelings of the
sumeetant frieuda of the massagers, despatched the unin-
jured part of the train to London.
The bodies of the deal—twenty-two in number—were
earefully placed in carriages which had followed the special
engine from Brighton ; and the wounded received the most
careful and unremitting attention from the medical gentle-
men who were in attendance. As soon as possible, the
wounded, the dying, and the dead were conveyed to
Brighton, where the unhappy sufferers who had
died were placed on tables and forms in the
library of the company's officials, there to await
identification. The wounded were taken in carriages
and eye to the Seance County Hospital, where Mr.
Furrier, who accompanied them from the scene of the die-
, aster, attended to their necessities, assisted by Meows
Mollies, Cana, Lowdelh Blinker, and other medical gentle
men. Nine of the passengers bad been taken into the hoe-
I pink and two of the cases were at once seen to be of such a
dangerous nature as to require surgical operations. ID one
instance a man named A Ken, • tailor, residing at 54. Gos-
welbroad, Condom, had his left leg amputated, and William
Arnold, of New England Farm, near Brighton, had his right
leg amputated, the left leg being fractured. In the sue of
Kean, be was stated to be in a sinking condition, the
diseased Mete of the femoral artery rendering recovery
warmly possible. The other patients at the hospital ire :
Thomas Noble, of No. 5, Richardson-street, Bermondsey,
who has a severe wound on the right temple ; George Noble,
of No. 8, Frederick's.place, Brighton, severe worm& on the
head; Timothy Tester, of 15, Frederick's-place, Brighton,
severely bruised : • child about two yeses and • half old,
name unknown (supposed to be a child belonging to One of
the deceased), much scalded; Thomas Parker, 26, Bruns-
wick-place, Brighton, knee and right arm seriously injured ;
Elizabeth Wescott, leg broken In two places ; and her
daughter contusions on both thighs, and also much scalded
on bar legs.

Besides the above, other wounded persons were conveyed
to thew own residences to Brighton. Asooopt these were