The Sun.
London, England, 1864-02-12 00:00:00

Dreadful Railway Accident,

GOTHLAND, Thursday.—The long incline of the Malton
and Whitby branch of the North-Eastern Railway was the
scene of an unparalleled accident between 9 and 10 o'clock
last night. The last passenger train from Melton, consist-
ing of two third-class carriages, one second-class and one
first-class carriage, with the van, travelled safely as far as
the bank top in Gothland. Here the'engine was detached,
and the train, as is usual, was hooked on to a brake van, to
which a rope of wire is attached, and was pushed over the
bank on to the incline in the usual way. The trains are
lowered by a stationary engine at the top, and last night all
was considered to be in proper working order. When pro-
bably about 150 yards on the descent the rope suddenly
broke, and the train was left to its career down nearly a mile
of incline of which the gradient is lin 14. The velocity
likely to be attained under such circumstances may be more
readily imagined than described, especially when the rails
were frozen and slippery, which rendered the two brakes of
the vans comparatively useless. At the foot of the incline
the line curves rapidly to the right, crossing the Elderbeck
in the Beck Hole. Round this curve and over the bridge
the train shot with terrific speed, and a few yards further
left the rails and rolled over into the ditch. The first-class
carriage was quite upset, and out of one compartment two
commercial travellers were taken out dead. Strangely
enough they bear no marks of injury beyond a slight black-
ness on one eye of one of the deceased. Up to the time of
writing the names of the killed are not known, but it is be-
lieved they are Scotchmen from Dundee. In the next
compartment of the first-class another commercial gen-
tleman, a Mr. Nichols, also from the north, was got
out somewhat seriously injured about the head. The
confusion in the dark was extreme, but eventually all the
other passengers were extricated, when it was found that
although 14 were more or less injured, their injuries
were slight. The engine which was waiting for the train
at the foot, had steam up,
and was at once sent to
Whitby for new carriages and assistance. The whole of
the passengers, and the bodies of the gentlemen killed
were taken there, where the coroner will hold an inquest, it
is believed, this afternoon. Similar accidents have previ-
ously occurred on this line, but never previously with a
passenger train. The company—,s chief engineer, Mr. Cebu,
arrived this morning, and will cause a searching inquiry to
be made. A force from York has rendered the line passable
again, but passengers all manifest a desire to walk the in-
cline part of the journey. The danger which it has long
bean admitted attended long inclines worked by ropes led
the North-Eastern Company to obtain a Deviation Act, and
the new line is fast approaching Completion, when the old
line, forming the scene of the present disaster, will be finally
abandoned.

_
THE RIGHT HON. NICHOLAS RIGBY; THE MAN
WHO KNEW EVERYTHING.--The late Mr. Croker,
at a dinner party at which the late Duke of Wellington was
present, was enlightening the company with several details
about the battle of Waterloo. The Duke tried to speak
several times, but there was no putting down the loud and
dictatorial "Mr. Rigby," and at last the Duke smiled, and
gave it up for a bad job. Rigby settled Waterloo his own
a
way. Later, there arose a discussion on percussion caps
for muskets, and here Mr, Croker was again omniscient,
Againand tried
he to
wouldn'tsett h
thee
amtt
r
the e ras
Duke. h
But this time Welling-
had settled Waterloo.
Welling-
ton was not to be snubbed by Croker. 44 No, -it I "
said the Duke (it was a pity he used the vulgarism, but it
mwauschtheabfoaushtiothne baofthttele odaVW, " I will speak. I mayn't know
aterloo, but I do know some-
thing about percussion caps."

AN ANCIENT TOMAHAWK.—of Great Historical
Interest (unless our informant is "Flinging the
Hatchet" at us I)—The Ngatipamoaua and Ngatihine
(Lower Wanganui hapus) have sent the Governor a nume-
rously signed address, accompanied by a gun, two full
cartouch boxes, a bag containing 250 bullets, and an axe or
large tomahawk, to which the following history is attached :
—lt was given by Captain Cook to Manaorongo, a chiet at
Queen Charlotte's Sound, who gave it to ono Manarunga.
His wife nawa gave it to her brother Kowha, a Wanganui
native, and it is said to have been the first iron implement
ever seen here: From liowha it has comp down to his son
Parau and grandson Komcne, the last of whom has sent it
to the Governor. From the ancient appearance of tho
and the broad arrow deeply stamped on both its faces, the
history may not unlikely be true.
We have to announce the death of Mr. John
Drummond, formerly a partner of the well-known banking
firm of Messrs. Drunimonds, and whose son, Mr. Harvey
Drummond, is still a member of the firm. Mr. Drummond`
who died on Wednesday at Brighton, was born in January,
1791, and married Miss Georgiana Augusta, fourth daughter
of Admiral Sir E, Ifarvay, G.C.8,, by whom he has a nu-
merous family.