The Sun.
London, England, 1865-06-08 00:00:00

Dreadful Railway Accident.

A most frightful accident took place yesterday at
Rednal, a station on the Shrewsbury and Chester
Railway. A large excursion train consisting of 32
carriages and drawn by two powerful engines was
proceeding from Liverpool to Birmingham, the rails
had been newly relaid and a portion of them, we
understand, had not been ballasted, and on ap-
proaching that portion of the line the carriages be-
gan to oscillate fearfully. The train was proceed-
ing at great speed, and the drivers, seeing the dan-
ger, attempted to draw up, but were unable to do
so, and both engines dashed off the line, proceeding
in opposite directions. The scene that ensued baffles
all description. From 800 to 900 persons were in
the train, and the shrieks, cries, and groans of the
poor creatures were most heartrending. The engines
and a great portion of the carriages were smashed
to atoms. One of the stokers was killed, and one
of the drivers was seriously injured. When the
mangled bodies of the passengers were got out it
was found that seven men and women and two
children were killed, and about 50 persons, includ-
ing men, women, and children, were more or less
injured, the greater portion of them very severely.

The bodies of the dead, who in most cases were
frightfully disfigured, were removed to the goods
shed, while those who were injured were sent on to
Shrewsbury. The news in the meanwhile had flown
like wildfire through the town, and when the train
bearing the wounded passengers arrived at the sta-
tion many thousands of persons had congregated
there and in the vicinity, some to look after friends
supposed to be among the list of killed or injured,
while others were attracted thither in the hope of
being useful to the sufferers.

A large number of stretchers were put in re-
quisition, and the great bulk of sufferers at once
carried to the Salop Infirmary ; but it was found
that accommodation could not be had for the
whole, and several were taken to hotels and pri-
vate houses. Most of the medical men in the
town at once went to the infirmary and offered their
services, and the regular staff of the infirmary were
engaged during the whole of the night in dressing
the wounds and otherwise alleviating the agonies of
the sufferers. One person died almost immediately
after being taken to the infirmary, and several are
in a most precarious, indeed almost hopeless,
position.

An inquest on the bodies will be opened this after-
noon at Rednal, before Mr. E. Blackburn, the
coroner for that division of the county.

(FROM A PASSENGER.)

A fearful accident took plaee yesterday at 2 15
p.m., to an excursion train, near the Rednal station
of the Shrewsbury and Chester section of the Great
Western Railway.

The train, consisting of about 36 carriages and
two engines, left Birkenhead about 11 a.m. for Lon-
don. Shortly after quitting Whittington station,
and while proceeding at about 40 miles an hour, the
passengers experienced an extraordinary bumping
and oscillation of the train, and immediately after-
wards they were enveloped in a cloud of dust, steam,
and smoke. I scrambled, I don't how, from a first-
class carriage in which I was seated, and reached
the door. I found that a dreadful accident had
taken place. The dust soon disappeared, and I then
saw that several persons had been wounded, and
heard women and children screaming. The first
portion of the train had left the metals, with both
engines, and had been broken to pieces. The frag-
ments were strewed about in all directions. One
engine, without a funnel, lay on its side, while the
other had taken an opposite direction and buried it-
self in the ballast. The steam was still hissing from
the engines.
The spot where the accident occurred is about a
mile and a half from the village of Rednal, half a
mile from Rednal-station, and two and a half from
Whittington-station, to all of which places messen-
gers were despatched for assistance, there being no
telegraphic communication. In the meantime those
who had been uninjured endeavoured to ascertain
what had, happened to their fellow-passengers.
Many were found to be dying from the injuries they
had sustained, and they were at once removed into
the adjoining field and attended to. Messengers
were at the same time sent up and down the line to
warn approaching trains. This precaution was not
taken too soon, as a goods train soon came up. It
was, however, fortunately stopped in time to prevent
further mischief.
It was found that ten of the passengers had been
killed, and the bodies were placed on a trolley, and
conveyed to a shed at the Rednal station to await
the coroner's inquest.

As soon as medical aid arrived the wounded were
placed on fragments of the broken carriages, and
lifted into luggage vans, which were promptly sent
to the spot. In these they were conveyed to the
Shrewsbury Infirmary, where it was stated last even-
ing that two more deaths had occurred.
The accident is said to have been caused by sonic
platelayers, who were repairing the line, having been
unable before the accident to replace the keys they
had withdrawn, allowing the rails to sway to and fro.
The total number of the wounded is from 30 to 40.

A letter received from Catania, dated 28th ult.,
says that the eruption of Mount Etna continues. In fact, it
had broken out with renewed violence a few days previ-
ously, and bad done some damage, •

HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE.

Tuts DAY.—Morning, Ih. 18m.—Afternoon, Ih. 40m.
To-Monnow.-Morning, 2h. Om.---Afternoon, 2h. 20m.

• 44:t
It AC/U‘ k Sum