The Sun.
London, England, 1863-01-08 00:00:00

Alarming Railway Accident at Knottingley.

THIRTEEN PERSONS INJURED.
About half-past eight o'clock on Tuesday morning an
accident of an alarming and destructive character occurred
near the railway station at Knottingley. At a distance of
ab ut 200 yards from the Knottingley station there is a
junction of two lines of railways, one of them being from
York and the other from Leeds. Parliamentary train
leave York and Leeds for London every morning, arriving
at the Knottingley station, where they form one train, at
half-prst eight o'clock. Up to about ten minutes past
eight o'clock yesterday morning the weather was fine and
clear, but at that time it became suddenly foggy, and at
half-past eight o'clock, the time at which the trains were
duo, the fog was so dense that it was impossible to see
more than a few yards. It was at that time that the acci-
dent which we are about to describe happened. At about
130 or 140 yards from the station there is a bridge spanning
the rails, and immediately beyond this there is a points-
man's and signalman's box. The junction of the lines
referred to is some 30 or 40 yards beyond, and at some
distance down the lines there are signals by which the
drivers of the trains are informed whether they can with
safety approach the station. Whether the signals were
wrong, or whether the drivers of one or both the trains
were negligent in their duties in not properly observing
them, or whether in consequence of the dense fog which
prevailed the signals were misunderstood, we are not at
present able to say, but at all events the trains met with
an accident which is of serious consequence to the company
and to several of the passengers. The two lines of rails are
joined into one at a distance of a few yards from the
pointsman's box, and it was just at the junction where the
accident occurred. As was perfectly regular, the Leeds
train proceeded towards the station first, and in the usual
course the York train would have been signalled to
approach when the line was clear, but unfortunately it ran
forward before its time, became en'-angled with the Leeds
train, and caused serious mischief. Neither of the trains
was moving very rapidly at the time or the consequences
would have been most disastrous. As it was, when the car-
riages came into collision two or three of them were thrown
off the line, and two of them were turned over and smashed.
One of these carriages was empty, but several of the occu-

pants of the other were very seriously injured. The screams
of the injured and frightened were of the most alarming
character. One person, Mr. Leatham, of Higham Ferrers,
attempted to escape from the carriage, but in doing so
his leg was jammed between it and a stout signal post.
Just at that point where the leg was caught there was
an iron lever and other arrangements for the working of
the signals above, and a small projecting iron ledge on
which the lever rested was crushed into the leg in a fright-
ful manner. A woman named Mrs. Robinson, of Hull, was
also cought between the compressed timbers, and was rather
seriously injured. The driver of the Leeds train, whose
name is Knapton, attempted to save himself from injury by
jumping off the engine, but ho unfortunately broke his leg.
The stoker, who remained on the engine, escaped without
injury. In addition to the smashing of the carriages, the
line was injured to a slight degree, and the levers of the
signal and that connected with the points were broken.
The brickwork of the signal station was also much
damaged, but the accident did not, fortunately, interfere
with the traffic on the line. As soon as the accident
happened Mr. Abbott, the stationmaster, sent for all the
medical men in Knottingley, and for as many as could be
had from Pontefract, and then proceeded to see to the
comfort and convenience of the injured passengers. The
persons injured were—

Mrs. Brooke, Doncaster, fractured jaw, and otherwise
seriously injured.

Mr. Leathern, Higham Ferrers, right leg crushed, and
since amputated.
J. Myers, Southampton, slight concussion of brain.
Maskill, Milford, small bone of right leg splintered.
Rebecca Allen, Eckleeby, contusion of body.
Thomas Knapton, driver of the Leeds train, right leg
broken below the knee.
Walter Robinson, ship steward, Hull, slight bruises.
Mrs. Robinson (wife of the above), much bruised about
the body, and seriously injured internally.
Jacob Friedman, Templar-lane, Leeds, bruised and
shaken.
Robert Davies, Hampton-place, Norwich, slight bruises.
Mary Woodforth, aged 13, Brattleby, Lincolnshire,slight
bruises.

Mrs. Boulby, Barnby Moor, near Retford, slight bruises.
Wm. Munby, Brattleby, slight bruises.
Other persons were shaken, but as far as we could learn
none seriously. As the injured persons were extricated
from the debris they were removed by Mr. Abbott's orders
to the neighbouring hotels, where every attention was paid
to them, and everything was done which could contribute to
their comfort. They were told that everything which the
hotels could provide was at their service, and for those who
wished it telegrams of the occurrence were forwarded to
their relatives and friends. The medical men were unre-
mitting in their attention to the requirements of the
wounded. In the afternoon Mr. Beckett Denison, the chair-
man of the company, went to the scene of the accident and
ordered that the sufferers should have everything they re-
quired, and that no expense should be spared to make them
comfortable. So serious were the injuries of Mr. Leathern
that it was found necessary to amputate the limb. Amongst
the medical men in attendance upon the wounded were
Messrs. Bywater, Simpson, Atkinson, Braddon, Oxley, &c.
The injured persons sent home were Mrs. Brooke (who was
accompanied by a medical man), Friedman, Davies, Wood,
Boulby, and Munby, and it is expected that some of the
1 remaining persons will be able to return home to-day. Mr.
Smeathen, of Retford, and Mr. Symonds, of Leeds, district
superintendents, and Mr. Troward, engineer, Doncaster,
were sent for, and rendered valuable assistance. Steps were
taken for the speedy removal of all danger, and in a com-
paratively short space of time all was clear. An investiga-
tion into the cause of the accident is being made by the
company, and if it is found that any of the servants have
been guilty of negligence they will be punished.
A Pontefract correspondent, referring to the cause of the
accident, says :—" There being a great fog the distance
signals were put on, and it appears that the distance signal
on the Leeds 1 ne was thrown off-- that is, for the train to
pass on. It co sequently did so, and the driver of it did not
observe the York train approaching until it was too late to
avoid a collision. Before the York train could get clear of
the points the Leeds train ran through it, smashing two of
the carriages to atoms."