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

THE SUN, LONDOX, FRIDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 3, 1852.

MONUMENT TO THOMAS hOOD.

A meeting of the subscribers to the fund for the erec-
tion of a monument over the grave of Thomas Hood, took
place yesterday afternoon at the Whittington Club ;
James Wyld, Esq., in the chair.
The report of the Committee, which was read by Mr.
J. Watkins, the hon. secretary, stated that the subscrip-
tions amounted to 3421. 3s. 6d., of which 101/. 16s. had
to be collected. The expenses already incurred were
only 231. 4s. 11d. The Committee recommended, as the
funds were likely to remain in hand some time, that they
should be deposited at interest with the London and
Commercial Bank in the names of Miss Eliza Cook, Mr.
J. Watkins, and a third trustee to be appointed by the
subscribers. The Committee had resolved that, previous
to any appropriation of the funds, another meeting of
the subscribers should be called by advertisement. The
hon. secretary explained that the smallness of the ex-
penses was owing to the generosity of Mr. Murdo '
Young, to whom they were indebted for the free insertion
of advertisements which would have cost 801., and
also for having collected among his private friends nearly
1001. In the course of the discussion which ensued
upon the report, allusion was made to an accusation,
that the names of no literary men of note appeared
upon the Committee ; and it was observed, in reply, that
a monument to the memory of such a man as Hood,
would come with quite as much grace from the people
of the metropolis and the country, who appreciated his
genius ; and that, probably, if they had not taken the
initiative in the matter, the poet's grave would have re-
mained without any record of him who rested below.

The recommendations of the Committee were approved
of, and, on the proposition of Mr. Hart, seconded by
Mr. Hibbard, Mr. Murdo Young was unanimously
elected third trustee.

Mr: YOUNG observed that the wish of the meeting
had been, anticipated, as upwards of 1001. had been
already paid into the Commercial Bank, another
1001. would be added to it in a few days, and interest
would accrue on the amount deposited until it was
withdrawn.

On the suggestion of Mr. Young, it was determined
Int the subscription list should be kept open until the
[st of February.

A vote of thanks to Miss Eliza Cook, and the two
other trustees, for the great exertions they have made to
increase the amount of the fund, and also to the Com-

mittee, was carried unanimously.
A resolution was then moved, That a general Com-
mittee be appointed to manage the raising and appro-
priation of the subscriptions, selected from the general
body of the subscribers.
Mr. BALFOUR opposed the resolution. He would ask
the mover whether any of the long list of subscribers,
from the Duke of Devonshire downward, had expressed
their dissatisfaction at the present composition of the
Committee ? For his own part, as one of the Com-
mittee, if there could be found any body of gentlemen,
literary or otherwise, who could do better than the pre-
sent Committee had done, he was quite willing to retire.
He thought they had all done their duty, from Miss
Eliza Cook, who had gone to Kensal-green and stood in
the damp—(laughter)—to write a poem on Hood's grave,
down to the humblest Committee-man. There would be
one inconvenience attending this proposition, and that
would be, that they would have to introduce into the
Committee not only the Duke of Devonshire, who headed
the list, but also the " poor needle-women," who
came at the bottom ; and he left it to gentlemen who
were acquainted with public business to say how a
Committee of that sort would act. (Hear.)
Mr. MAGUIRE opposed the motion in an eloquen
speech.

The SECRETARY said, that he had within the last few
days received a letter from Hood's daughter, evpressing
her extreme gratification that the intention to place a
monument over her father's grave should have origi-
nated where it did, and assuring him that both herself
and her brother felt as much pleasure in that simple fact
as in the design itself. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. ESPINASSE defended the Committee. Looking at
what had been done for Moore, who, socially speaking,
stood much higher than Hood, he thought the present
Committee had done much more than any other which
had ever been formed for a similar purpose. (Hear,
hear.)

After some further discussion the motion was nega-
tived almost unanimously, only the proposer and se-
conder, and two other gentlemen, voting for it.
The meeting then separated after a vote of thanks to
the Chairman.

[Want of space prevents our giving a fuller report at
present, and doing ample justice to the manly eloquence
of the several speakers—Mr. Hart in particular.]

FRIGHTFUL AND FATAL ACCIDENT NEAR
LIVERPOOL, ON THE LONDON AND NORTH-
WESTERN RAIL WA Y.-AN ENGINE-DRIVER
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-
ward to London after about two hours' delay. In the
meantime, the trains from Manchester, London, and the
North, continued to arrive in quick succession at the
scene of the disaster, but were unable to proceed on their g
journey in consequence of the line being still blocked up.
10
Several of the trains from Liverpool were detained at 1.0.1
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. 12
The London train, which is due at Liverpool at a quarter
before eight o'clock, was the first train which passed over 5
that part of the line after the accident, and it arrived in St.
Liverpool at eleven o'clock. At the time I write (12
o'clock) the over-due trains are still being dispatched to 157
Manchester, London, and the North. 2
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 lett Liverpool, and it is conjectured loalo
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 OF 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-
' meat 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 said 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-
tion from ➢ir. 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 that 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.

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