The Sun.
London, England, 1865-01-25 00:00:00

RAILWAY BILLS.

Yesterday the examiners, Messrs. Smith and Frere,
declared the following railway bills to have complied
with the standing orders of Parliament :
LONDON AND SOUTH WESTERN.—For making six new
lines of railway in Surrey, and for deviations; additional
capital £120,000; loan £40,000. The company's second
bill is for a line from Bideford to Great Torrington; capital,
£BO,OOO ; loan, £26,600.

NORTH LONDON, HIGHGATE, AND ALEXANDRA-PARR.-
For railways from North London to Alexandra-park and to
the Edgware, Highgate, and London Railway ; proposed
capital, %£315,000 ; loan, £105,000.

ALTHORPE-ON-TRENT AND LINCOLN.—To enable the
West Riding and Grimsby to make a railway from the
South YOrkshire Railway to Lincoln ; capital, £450,000;
loan, £150,000.

CHESTER AND WEST CHESHIRE JUNCTION. For
branches; capital, £150,000; loan, £50,000.
SAREWSIITJILIC AND POTTERIES.—For railways in the
county of Salop; capital, £400,000; loan, £133,000.
SEVERN JUNCTION.—For railways in Glocestershire, to
connect railways on the east with railways on the west of
the river Severn ; capital, £420,000 ; loan, £140,000.
LONDON, WORCESTER, AND SOUTH WALES.—For a rail-
way from Stratford...fp-Avon to Woicester ; capital,
£320,000 ; loan, £106,000. _ _

• . . .
EAST AND WEST JUNCTION.—To extend the line to Bed-
ford; capital, £350,000; loan, £116,000.

„ •
COVENTRY CENTRAL STATION AND SOUTHAM JUNCTION.—
For a railway from Coventry to the Southam Station ; capi-
tal, £220,000; loan, £66,000.

SCARBOROUGH AND WHITBY.—For a railway between
lese points; capital, £275,000; loan, £91,600.

SHREWSBURY AND NORTH WALES.—To make deviations
and alterations, and to /also £lOO,OOO ; loan, £33,000.
MOLD AND DENBIGH.—For deviations; capital, £lOO,OOO ;
loan, 33,000. And for extensions; capital, £280,000; loan,
£93,000.

MID WALES.—For extensions to the westward; capital,
£380,000; loan, £126,000. For eastern extensions, and a
railway to join the Central Wales Railway ; capital,
£120,000; loan, £40,000.
EAST AND WEST YORKSILIRE.—For railways from Sed-
bergh to Leyburn and Melmerby ; capital, £5OO, 000 ; loan,
£166,000.

HALESONVEN AND BROMSGROVE.—For branch railways in
the county of Worcester; capital, £120,000; loan, £40,000,
Bum DOCKS, CARDIFF.—To confer on the trustees of the
Marquis of Bute powers to reclaim land, and make docks,
railways, and other works at Cardiff.

Partial noncompliances with the Standing Orders in-
cluded the

No= OF ENGLAND UNION.--For nine railways in the
North and West Ridings of Yorkshire ; capital, £900,000 ;
loan, £300,000. The Standing Orders were declared com-
plied with in the case of three of the proposed extensions
out of nine, and the promoters
abandoned the other six.
The bills withdrawn were those for the Radnorshire
Railways and the Brighton Central Railway.

The consideration of the following opposed cases was
further continued :—Crystal Palace New Railways, Brecon
and Merthyr Tydfil Junction (various powers), and the
North Surrey Railway.

Destructive Collision on the Great Western

Railway.

Yesterday morning another collision, more serious in its
results than either of the accidents of a similar character
which have happened during the last few weeks at Pang-
bourne, Slough, and at Wallingford-road, occurred near
the Didcot Junction. To avoid the curve in the line to
Oxford, immediately after leaving that junction, a loop line
was constructed some time ago, and the Northern trains,
which are not timed to stop at that station, pass along the
loop, which is about half a mile in length, and commences
just as Didcot Station is reached. It appears that yester-
day morning, between 2 and 3 o'clock, a narrow gauge
goods train passed safely down the loop line at full speed,
and when it had reached the main line it ran with immense
force into an up narrow gauge goods train, completely cut-
ting the train into two parts, and causing an amount of
damage which will entail a considerable loss to the com-
pany.
The up narrow gauge train was also proceeding at full
speed, and should have been turned on to the up line of the
loop,but from some unaccountable cause the switchman sent
the train along the main line,. and the consequence was
that the down train ran into it. As it was dark at the time
the drivers of the respective trains wore quite ignorant of
the approaching danger, and therefore the collision was
most fearful. Several trucks were thrown upon each other
and shattered to pieces, occupying not more than the space
of one truck. The engine itself was forced completely over
one of the trucks, and seven bullocks, which were being
conveyed to the London market, were dreadfully mangled,
the poor beasts being jammed in among the fragments, and
their groans were pitiful to hear. In this shocking state
they were compelled to remain until daylight, when they
were drawn out and put to death. Besides the trucks that
were piled high in the air 11 or 12 others were smashed,
and the engine and tender were considerably damaged and
bent about. As in the case of the previous collisions on
this line it is marvellous that the accident did not cause the
death of the engine driver and stoke; who were bruised
sesve;rtaflrohmundred
and greatly shaken but not seriously hurt. Immediately
the collision became known telegrams were despatched to
Paddington, Oxford, Swindon, and Reading, and a large
Paddington by a special
men were engaged
at the spot clearing the line, under. the direction of Mr.
Tyrrell, superintendent of the line Mr. Ridley, the district
ey,
superintendent, and. also the superintendent at Paddington,
tforariene, oafndlabbyoudareyrsligwhats
but the work was difficult, and the whole of the northern
traffic was worked upon the down line, and the trains were
of course delayed. The switchman, whose name is Allen,
is spoken of as being a steady, respectable man, and since
he has been is the company's service he has received a
gratuity of £5 for good conduct. He served in the army
during the Crimean War. He possesses several medals,
and is in the receipt of a pension from the War-office. The
contents of the trucks were scattered about and damaged,
and there was quite a pool of brandy, wine, and other
liquors, which had been thrown out at the spot.