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

FRIGHTFUL AND FATAL ACCIDENT NEAR
n 25,
LIVERPOOL, ON THE LONDON AND NORTH- 4a
WESTERN RAIL WA T.—AN ENGINE-DRIVER St.
AND STOKER KILLED.

LIVERPOOL, THURSDAY 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
the extent of nearly 100 yards, leaving, in its course, the
broken fragments of the iron railing scattered in every
direction up and down the line. The train consisted of
four first-class carriages, and a luggage van and
break waggon. The coupling chains by which
the carriages were attached to the engine were
broken, and whilst the engine was driven off the
up line of rails, and embedded in the earth on the
left embankment, the carriages were forced from the
up line, and thrown in an oblique direction, partly upon
the down line, the effect of which was that both the up
and down line were blocked up and the trains were
stopped. On an inspection, immediately after the
accident, it was discovered that both the engine-
driver and the fireman had been pitched off
the engine, and no doubt killed on the spot. When the
mangled remains of the poor fellows were discovered, a
frightful• sight presented itself. The engine-driver was
lying on the side of the embankment with his head com-
pletely severed from his body, and the fireman was lying
some yards from him, the body being cut into two
pieces, just below the stomach, and otherwise shockingly
mutilated. The guard fortunately, but almost miracu-
lously, escaped injury, and on looking into the carriages
it was also found that none of the passengers had suf-
fered. Their escape is attributed to the coupling chain
of the engine having broken at the moment when the
engine flew off the line. This was a providential circum-
stance, for had the engine dragged the carriages
after it down the embankment, it may easily be imagined
that the destruction of human life would have been still
more fearful than it was under the circumstances of
the catastrophe.
The news of the disaster was almost immediately tele-
graphed to Liverpool, and in a few minutes an engine
and a number of waggons, containing about 100 work-
men, were despatched to the scene of the accident, to
assist in clearing the line, which was now impassable
either way. Meanwhile several trains to and from
Liverpool had arrived at Huyton, and could proceed no
further—the line was thus blocked up both on the Liver-
pool and Manchester side. The first object was to
dispatch the express train to London. It was not deemed
safe to send on any of the carriages which had been de-
tached from the ill-fated engine, and therefore, on the
arrival near Huyton of the half-past five o'clock first-
class train from Manchester, the passengers of the last
named train were transferred to the train from Liver-
pool which had followed the express, and so sent on
to Liverpool, while those of the passengers by
the express who chose to go forward, were placed
in the Manchester carriages, and these went for- t
ward to London after about two hours' delay. In the
meantime, the trains from Manchester, London, and the 10
North, continued to arrive in quick succession at the
scene of the disaster, but were unable to proceed on their 1025
journey in consequence of' the line being still blocked up. 10
Several of the trains from Liverpool were detained at 1.0.(
that station for several hours, until it was ascertained
that the line was clear. Eventually, the line was cleared St.
about ten o'clock, and the trains which had thus been 20
detained proceeded after a delay of upwards of five hours.
The London train, which is due at Liverpool at a quarter
before eight o'clock, was the first train which passed over
that part of the line after the accident, and it arrived in
Liverpool at eleven o'clock. At the time I write (12
o'clock) the over-due trains are still being dispatched to 1725
Manchester, London, and the North.
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 before the express left Liverpool, and it is conjectured 100
that this may have had a prejudicial effect on the rails. 100
No doubt the matter will be fully investigated at the in- 100
quest.—Correspondent.

COURT Or COMMON COUNCIL —Yesterday a Court
was held for the dispatch of business, when the new Lord
Mayor took the chair for the first time. A vote of thanks
' to the late Lord Mayor, for his conduct while in office was ,
unanimously passed. Mr. Deputy Corney requested to be
informed whether a day had been fixed for the entertain-
ment at Guildhall in lieu of the feast of the 9th of Novem-
ber, postponed on account of the death of his Grace the
Duke of Wellington ? The Lord Mayor sai 1 he felt plea-
sure in stating that invitations had gone out for the Bth
instant, and that he had every reason to believe that the
City would be honoured upon the occasion by the presence
of a number of distinguished guests. In answer to a ques-
I Lion from Mr. Deputy Harrison, who doubted the right of
a committee of the court to appoint a deputation without
the consent of the court itself, to represent the corporation
at the funeral of the Duke of Wellington, Mr. John Wood
stated tint the committee had, as it would be found when
the report should be brought up, acted upon the precedent
of the proceedings on the funeral of Lord Nelson, and com-
pletely protected the civil privileges.—Adjourned.