The Sun.
London, England, 1854-08-18 00:00:00

RAILWAY COLLISIONS.

The following circular has been issued by the
railway department of the Board of Trade :

"Whitehall, August 12.
" Sir,—The Lords of the Committee of 'Privy Council
for Trade are desirous of calling the attention of railway
companies to a system of working the trains, which is in
use on some rsilways to a limited extent, and which
promises to afford security from accidents, occasioned
by collision between trains following each other upon
the same line of rails.
"This class of accident has been hitherto very nume-
rous, as compared with other classes. In 1853 the total
number of accidents to trains reported to this depart-
ment was 103, of which 30 occurred to trains following
each other upon the same line of rails ; and, in the six
months ended the 30th of June in the present year, the
total number of accidents to trains which came under
the cognisance of this department amounted to 47, of
which 13 occurred by collision between trains following
each other upon the same line of rails.
"The system under which trains are ordinarily worked
is, that trains ehould not be allowed to approach each other
within a certain interval
of space ; and, to effect this
object, signals are exhibited during a certain time after
the passage of a train, and no succeeding train is allowed
to follow until such interval has elapsed.
" Experience, however, shows that this mode of endea-
vouring to secure a certain interval of space between
succeeding trains will .occasionally fail, in cases where
the speed of the respective trains varies, or where acci-
dents occur to the machinery of trains ; and when, from
any cause, a train becomes stationary on a part of the line
away from stations; its safety from a collision with a suc-
ceeding train is dependent unon the chance of such suc-
ceeding train being at such a, distance as to allow time
for the guard to run back with a signal.
" With the view of effectually securing that an inter-
val of space shall, under all circumstances, be at all tunes
maintained between the trains following each other upon
a line of railway, the South-Eastern Railway Company
have, on portions of their railway, placed electric tele-
graphic stations at intervals along the line ; and no train
is allowed to pass one of these stations, and to move upon
the line between it and the next station, until a notifica-
tion has been received from the next station that the pre-
ceding train has passed off that poi tion of the line.
"On portions of the line where the trains are nume-
rous and the intervals between them are neceessarily very
short, these stations have been placed at little more than
a mile apart ; hut, upon parts of the line where the
number of trains is more limited, the distance between
the ordinary passenger stations has not been found too
great an interval.
"Into the detailed arrangements my Lords purposely
abstain from enterine. ; they would, however, add, that
in order that the system should be effectual it is neces-
sary that a telegraphic wire be exclusively reserved for
this service ; and that the instruments used should be
simple, and should exhibit the signals with sufficient
clearness for the signalling to be carried on by a person
of ordinary intelligence.
"My Lords are aware that, from considerations of
expense or otherwise, this system has not been generally
adopted ; yet, in parts where a single line only has been
laid, or where peculiar difficulties exist in the working,
or in tunnels, directors of railway companies have re-
sorted to it with the most beneficial result 4.
"My Lords are, therefore, desirous that the subject
should receive the careful consideration of the directors
of the different companies, in the hope that that con-
sideration may lead to the more general adoption of a
plan which experience seems to have proved to be so
well calculated to diminish the risk of danger.
"I have the honour to be, Sir,
" Your most obedient servant,
" DOUGLAS GALTON, Captain Royal Engineers."

Tlti ECCLESIASTICAL COMMISSIONERS.—By an order
in council, dated Auguet 11, 1854, her Alajemty ham
heen pleased to approve a scheme of the E.calu,iastical
C,mmisioorers for authoriping tlie:gale of certain pro-
', pertyforrocrly Ixdonging to. the "f Giv"l4l°,
irr the cathedral chui'ch of York, now vested' in Wed the
said commissioner,.