The Sun.
London, England, 1852-12-03 00:00:00

---------_-_-- St. I
FRIGHTFUL AND FATAL ACCIDENT NEAR 250,
LIVERPOOL, ON THE LONDON AND NORTH-
t,''
WESTERN RAIL WA P. —A N ENGINE-DRIVER
"-
AND STOKER KILLED.

LIVERPOOL, THTIRSDAT NIGHT, 12 O'CLOCK.
This afternoon, a shocking accident occurred on the
London and North-Western Railway, at Huyton, near
this town, by which the engine-driver and fireman of the
express train from Liverpool to London were killed.
The express train for London left Liverpool, as usual,
at a quarter past five o'clock this afternoon, and pro-
ceeded at its usual rapid rate of speed. On arriving at
Huyton, a distance of about six miles from Liverpool,
and whilst going at the rate of about 40 miles an hour,
the engine suddenly ran off the line on the near side of
the railway, and rolled down on to the side of an em-
bankment. The engine ran across the rails with tre-
mendous force, tearing up the train-way and sleepers to 1
the extent of nearly 100 yards, leaving, in its course, the 2
broken fragments of the iron railing scattered in every
direction up and down the line. The train consisted of lASt
four first-class carriages, and a luggage van and 5
break waggon. The coupling chains by which
the carriages were attached to the engine were St.
broken, and whilst the engine was driven off the up line of rails, and embedded in the earth on the St.st.,l
left embankment, the carriages were forced
from the
up line, and thrown in an oblique direction, partly upon 6i
the down line, the effect of which was that both the up 60 and down line were blocked up and the trains were
stopped. On an inspection, immediately after the St.
accident, it was discovered that both the engine- 16
driver and the fireman had been pitched off
the engine, and no doubt killed on the spot. When the St.
mangled remains of the poor fellows were discovered, a2O frightful sight presented itself. The with was
20
lying on the side of the embankment with his head com-
-20
pletely severed from his body, and the fireman was lying 12,
some yards from him, the body being cut into two St
pieces, just below the stomach, and otherwise shockingly
mutilated. The guard fortunately, but almost mitacu- S
lously, escaped injury, and on looking into the carriages 50 it was also found that none of the passengers had suf-
fered. Their escape is attributed to the coupling chain St. 10t.
of the engine having broken at the moment when the St. 100 Lon
engine flew off the line. This was a providential circum-
Nu]
50 c
stance, for had the engine dragged the carriages
OE
after it down the embankment, it may easily be imagined
12i 10 Ln 5 Lon
e'
that the destruction of human life would have been still
S 1
more fearful than it was under the circumstances of 12i all Loud
the catastrophe.
Si
The news of the disaster was almost immediately tele- 25_ all Maui
graphed to Liverpool, and in a few minutes an engine i Sl
and a number of waggons, containing about 100 work- 1., all Do.
men, were despatched to the scene of the accident to ~ 6 3 IT.,
assist in clearing the line, which was now impassable 4
1.2 i all Doa.r3
either way. Meanwhile several trains to and from
12, 8 Do..
Liverpool had arrived at Huyton, and could proceed no
St. 100 MM.
further—the line was thus blocked up both on the Liver-
St. 100 Do.l
pool and Manchester side. The first object was to
Bir
dispatch the express train to London. It was not deemed 16 5 Do..'
safe to send on any of the carriages which had been de- 20 all Non
tached from the ill-fated engine, and therefore, on the 5 all Do.
arrival near Huyton of the half-past five o'clock first- 2 all Do.
class train from Manchester, the passengers of the last
St. 100 Nso;.
named train were transferred to the train from Liver-
-20 all Nort
pool which had followed the express, and so sent on St. 100 Oxfo7
to Liverpool, while those of the passengers by \Vol
the express who chose to go forward, were placed 15 6 Do..
in the Manchester carriages, and these went for- 8 all Shre'
ward to London after about two' hours' delay. In the Nei,
meantime, the trains from Manchester, London, and the 10 all Shre,
North, continued to arrive in quick succession at the (NO
scene of the disaster, but were unable to proceed on their
1025 all Sout] 10 Do. I
, journey in consequence of the line being still blocked up.
10 14 Do.
Several of the trains from Liverpool were detained at
1.0.6 all S. E
that station for several hours, until it was ascertained
Am
that the line was clear. Eventually, the line was cleared St. 100
Do..
about ten o'clock, and the trains which had thus been 20 all S.Yc
detained proceeded after a delay of upwards of five hours. 121 all Stoc]
The London train, which is due at Liverpool at a quarter 5p.,
before eight o'clock, was the first train which passed over
Wat,
that part of the line after the accident, and it arrived in orl
5 3
Liverpool at eleven o'clock. At the time I write (1 St. 100 Yorl
2
o'clock) the over-due trains are still being dispatched to Bel
25 10 Yoe
Manchester, London, and the North. 17 5 Do.,
&
In the hurry and confusion of the moment, it is diffi-
cult to ascertain how the accident occurred, but it is --------
supposed by many that it was owing to the slippery
state of the rails. There was a heavy fall of hail
just --45---zl--
before the express lent Liverpool, and it is conjectured
100 all Britt
that this may have had a prejudicial effect on the rails. 100 25 Cohn
No doubt the matter will be fully investigated
at the in- 100 20 iCom3
I
quest.—Correspondent.

tut]

•..
I COURT OF COMMON COUNCIL 4 Engl
Aus
Yesterday —Yestday a Court 20
was held for the dispatch of business, when the new Lord 2
Land
Aus
Mayor took the chair for the first time. A vote of thanks 50 20 Gond
to the late Lord Mayor, for his conduct while in office, was 50 10 Nand,
unanimously passed. Mr. Deputy Corney requested to be 100 20 Lend
informed whether a day had been fixed for the entertain- 100 35 Natio
went at Guildhall in lieu of the feast of the 9th of Nevem- 20 10 Do. b
ber, postponed on account of the death of his Grace the 50 211 Natio
Duke of Wellington ? The Lord Mayor said he felt plea- 25 all Orien
sure in stating that invitations had gone out for the Bth instant, and that he had every reason to believe that the 25 5 C.
/
Coq
City would be honoured upon the occasion by the presence
100 25 Pro
yi
of a number of distinguished guests. In answer to a gees-
10 all Do. /
tion from Mr. Deputy Harrison, who doubted the right of 5 1 Roya
a committee of the court to appoint a deputation without & C
the consent of the court itself, to represent the corporation Com
at the funeral of the Duke of Wellington, Mr. John Wood 25 all uniel
dated that the committee had, as it would be found when ... 23 Do. I
the report should be brought up, acted upon the precedent 50 10 Unic
,f the proceedings on the funeral of Lord Nelson, and com-
pletely protected the civil privileges.--Adjourned, 'lO all Unit