The Sun.
London, England, 1854-08-22 00:00:00

FURTHER PARTICULARS.

Another corre-pondent writes :
For a moment or two after the fearful and fatal shock,
those who had witne-sed it from the platform were
panic-stricken ; but the cries and groans proceeding from
the different carriages clearly indicated that several per-
sons were hurt, if none, were killed. The station-master
without a moment's delay sent messages both up and
down the line, to stop all other trains from approaching
near the spot, so as to avoid any further accidents, and
having obtained assistance, he commenced extricating
the inmates of the different carriages. Upon going to
one carriage, the occupants were found thrown from
their seats upon each other in terrible confusion ; some
were bleedin4 from the nose ; others were suffering from
severe wounds and contusions in different parts of their
bodies. In another carriage a gentleman was found
pressed between the timbers,of the centre with his legs
almost cut off. He was extricated, and removed to the
station, his legs actually daugliug► along the platform an
he was carried away.
The station-master, thinking that probably there
might be other persons in the train similarly injured,
telegraphed to London for surgical aid, and at the same
time messengers were despatched over the town of
Croydon for the attendance of all the surgical assistance
that could be procured there. During that time the
men employed on the line continued at their work in
getting the passengers out, but very few, if any, escaped
without receiving bruises or contusions, more or less
severe.

A young woman, named Caroline Harrison, was got
out, but she was so badly injured that she was unable to
stand. She was examined by the medical men present,
when it was found that the poor creature had received
a compound fracture of the right thigh, a compound
comminuted fracture of the left leg, and scalp wound,
and was also internally injured, to such an extent that
it was deemed advisable to have her removed to St.
Thomas's hospital, which was accordingly done, but
she remained last evening in such a precarious condition
that little hopes can be entertained of her recovery.
In one of the carriages was found most frightfully in-
jured the Rev. Mr. Wallace, the rector of Horsemon-
den, in Kent. The medical gentlemen at once saw that
there was little, if any, hopes of his recovery, but the
rev, gentleman was quite sensible, and at his request be
was also sent to St. Thomas's Hospital. Mr. Ailing-
ham, the house surgeon, attended upon him and did all
that was necessary, but he never rallied, and died in 20
minutes after his admission to the hospital. The un-
fortunate deceased was only 20 years of age, and had
been married about six or seven weeks.
From the general appearance of the rev. gentleman's
body it seemed that the whole of the abdomen and
Epinal chord had bean pressed together by the two seats
powerful vice. Before he ex•
holding him as in some
pired he despatched by telegraph a message to his wife,
saying that be had been hurt in the train, and request-
ing her to come up to the hospital immediately. He
therefore did not think he was so near death.
Another person, named Ann Saunders, was also found,
anon being got out of the wreck of one of the carriages,
hi a most pitiable condition, besides various bruises
internalcahandneei
any, o
injuries, she had received a compound frac-
turedherlife,She leg. She was removed on a truck to Guy's Hospital.
Toe house surge,ms there st once saw that the only
was.s
bu
taoaoint 40 pl4atetiie
leg, which was quicklyyears
of age, and is supposed to be an inhabitant of Deal.
A lad, named Win. Sladden, about 15 years of age,
'as next got out of the satne carriage, one of his legs
being fearfully cut. This sufferer was likewise sent to
Guy's Hospital.
One or two of the carriages were so splintered that it

was necessary to pull them to pieces to get the sufferers
out. A number of persons, although much shaken, in
one of the carriages that suffered the most severely by
the force of the collision, escaped, with one exception,
without receiving any broken limbs. Mr. James A.
Forster, however, who was nearest the door of the car-
riage, had the bones of his legs fractured. The injuries
were considered of.such a dangerous character that this
sufferer was also sent to Guy's Hospital.
After considerable time and trouble the whole of the
excursionists were liberated from the carriages, when
the wreck that presented itself was such as to astonish
every one present that any person had escaped an
instantaneous death. Some five or six carriages were
forced one upon each other and smashed in places into
pieces like fire faggots.
Mr. Slight, the secretary of the Brighton and South
Coast line, on being informed of the accident, at once
proceeded to the ill-fated spot, taking with him a num-
ber of men, in order to clear the line of the obstruction,
and to see that the -offerers had every attention paid to
them. A great number of those who had received inju-
ries of a minor character were taken to their destiliation,
but it was some hours before the line cculd be perfectly
cleared, during which time the traffic over this portion
of the railway was necessarily stopped. In the course
of the afternoon, the line, however, was got into working
order, and the traffic was again resumed.
The unf ,rtunate man who was taken into the Croydon
station, died in a few minutes after his removal. His
name is not known for certainty, but he is believed to
have been a master miller at Dever.
A gentleman who was a Croydon at the time of the
eccurrence stated that he perceived the train coming in,
and that he noticed the signal for the same to stop put
up, indicating that an engine or a train was at the sta-
tion, but that the driver paid no attention to it, or, if he
did, could not stop in time ; for his train dashed in at a
furious rate, when the crash that succeeded was like a
clap of thunder. He ran to the station, and saw about
six second-class carriages smashed into in❑umerable
pieces, and one of the engines turned on its side. The
engine-driver saved his life by jumping off the engine the
instant before the collision took place, and then ran
away. A most painful sensation has been caused in the
town of Croydon by the melancholy occurrence.

We have received the following communication from
the secretary of the South-Eastern Railway :

" TO THE EDITOR OF THE suN.

" London Terminus. August 21, 1854.
" Sir,--I regret to inform you that a collision took
place this day at the Croydon station, between an excur-
sipn train from Dover proceeding to the Crystal Palace
and an engine belonging to the Brighton Company,
which has resulted in the death of two of the passengers,
and in injuries of a more or less serious nature to seve-
ral others. The drivers and firemen of the engines are
in custody.—l am, sir, your obedient servant,
" G. S. HERBERT, Secretary."