The Sun.
London, England, 1847-05-26 00:00:00

(From the Liverpool Times.)

Immediately' upon hearing of this dreadful calamity,
we dispatehed a reporter to the spot, who returned this
morning, after witnessing the scene of the melancholy
occurrence.

The scene of the accident is the noble bridge over the
river Dee, close to the race-course. The river is there
crossed by an iron bridge of three spans, each 100 feet
in width. Each span is composed of massive iron
girders, supported by stone of the most firm and durable
construction. There are four of these girders in each span,
one on each side of the nre and down lines of rails,
Strong wooden beams were fixed across the girders, and
along these the lines were laid. The girders themselves
were formed of two pieces of iron firmly rivetted in the
centre, and seemed well adapted to sustain an immense
weight.
The train which left Chester at a quarter past six last
evening consisted of one first-class carriage, two second-
class carriages, and a luggage van; but it is stated that
there were not more than two dozen passengers. The
train was proceeding as usual along the line, had already
crossed two of the arches, and was in the act of crossing
the third, when, without one moment's warning, all the
carriages were precipitated into the river, a depth of
about 120 feet; the engine and tender, which had crossed
the bridge, pursuing their course along the line. The
consternation of the passengers at this time must have
been frightful; and some individuals who witnessed the
accident from the Rhoodee, describe their shrieks as
being of the most heartrending description. But even
this terror was merely momentary; for the sudden shock
and concussion rendered almost all the persons in the
carriages totally insensible to their situation. One man,
indeed, named Proud, recovered himself almost imme-
diately; he found himself in a carriage turned upide
down in the river, and being fully sensible of the horrors
of his situation, he exerted himself to the utmost, and
succeeded in getting through the carriage window,
whence be precipitated himself into the river, and swam
ashore. The crash was heard at a great distance, ami
assistance was promptly on the spot, Mr. Jones, the
holm-surgeon of the Infirmary, being very active in
rendering every aid to the unfortunate sufferers. In a
brief space of time four dead bodies were taken ant of
the river, and twelve or thirteen of the passengers, who
were more or less wounded, were extricated from their
perilous situation and conveyed to the Infirmary.
As soon as the agi scion conteq Lent upon such
dreadful occurrence had subs►ded, attention was oireetee
to the fallen arch; but, strange to say, only one of tin
girders, that on the outside, had given way, while the
other temained perfectly firm sod entire. Of tours,
the weight of the carriages bore doe n the rails and the
horizontal beams, w hich with the girder, new broken
into several pieces, fell into the river. It also tore with
it a no: Lion of the stonework in which it was fixed on
the Welsb side of the river. Very fortunately, how-
ever, nothing seemed to have fallen upon the carriage•,
and though. they were crushed one against the otht 1,
they did not appear so completely smashed as would
have been the case had the arch been built of stone.
Any conjecture as to the cause of the accident would be
idle or misplaced; but doubtless that will be sufficiently
investigated before the coroner.

01 those who escaped unhurt—comparatively few con-
sidering
the number in the train—the fullowing are the
only names we have yet learned, and we believe it cow.
priscs all, with one or two exceptions:—Mr.
of Liverpool, who was proceeding to Llangollen; a youLg
man named Proud, connected with one of the railway
offices; Mr. Lloyd Wynne, of Mount Zion, near Os•
westry, and his son, also escaped almost without
bruise.

There seems to be one man still missing, for a hat has
been found, marked with the name of Ashelford, for
which there is no owner, but this is supposed to be the
only body that has not been recovered.
Mr. Jones, the house surgeon, seemed to think the
heads of most of the sufferers had come in contact with
the stone wall, as the wounds were filled with sand; bill
this might be caused by the quantity of sand which
would be disturbed as the carriages fell.
We have spoken to one or two gentlemen who heard
the crash of the falling mass, which was heard at a great
distance, and who were on the spot immediately after
the accident, but the relief of the wounded absorbed
their whole attention, and they were almost unable to
form the slightest idea of the cause of this dreadful
calamity.
It was stated that the engineer was so horrified at the
occurrence that he went on his engine in an almost in-
sensible state for a distance of about two miles.
One of the coachmen who was killed had 1501. in his
pocket, which was taken charge of by Mr,
superintendent
hurried details which we have
Hill, the I
this accident, •
• e
the records of lraialwia;tThese,then, oaf r
ep otl ihcee .
nmabolreedftroigchotlfluelc
than
sphraenaeon tyin ing
nbeaetunree
history. The inquest, however, will unfold
information, and, in all probability,
that . some further
to-morrow. take place

DEATH 01' WILLIAM B. HARcourr, Esq.—We re-
gret to have to announce the demise of the above much-
respected gentleman, which took pbce suddenly at S'
Leonard's Hill, near Windsor, yesterday morning earl).
Mr. Harcourt was seized with an attack of apoplexy on
Monday night, from which he never rallied, and ex
pined at five o'clock yesterday morning. The deceased
was eldest son of the late Marquis D'Harcourt,
daughteri
of Major-General the Hon. 1-1,-nry Cavendish.
A Supplement to the Gazette of last night
her contains
mr:
a notification from Downing-street, that her
sub,
had issued letters patent under the Great_ b ~
ißnagtb3.7 orders for the government subjoin
of the Order of the

ETON MOIiTEM.

WINDSOR, C 1 S,):.‘" teing 0-e.(lAy

, -
,tq • -u3 ela he
•, • n;: ,r t ,a;
Licit 4,1 i -tAI-brßif_d tie Ett,ri .fiallot been
the Fievost an' Lie cuilloi :lies of Eton,
considerallle excitement pnerailcd in vieinizY ct the
leoliege from an early hour this rnornine, in consequence
(from rumours which had been in circulation for some
tune past) of its being apprehended that acme " demon-
"ration" would be made by the boys, assisted by sev. red
old Etonians from Oxford and Caiabridx,e (ielo are
strongly oppesed to the abolition of the, ceremony),
which might led v.) a breech et the pence. Up to the
1; hour, however, of sendng off this ch4el:tela• evtry thing
hes passed off pretty quietly. With the exception of
about a thousand small squares of glass being demo-
( lished in the vicinity of the lower seheol, and similar
breakages, but to a much smaller extent, at the houses
of parties who were supposed to be in favour -cf the
detertnipation which has been come to by the Pro-
vost, we have heard of no demonstration of a rietous
character on the part of the boYs. This being a
" whole holiday," several of the head boys had
permission to proceed in boats up the Thames for
the day as far as Cliefden. Between 100 and 200
have also left for the Whitsun holidayi, thus thinning
the numbers remaining at College to a considerable
extent. As soon as " absence " had been called by th.
Rev. Dr. Hawtrey, the head master, shortly after twelve
o'clock, the boys, numbering between 200 and 300,
formed in procession in the playing fields, and marched
across the fields, preceded by a black flag, to the cele-
brated mount, at Salt-hill. They were joined by a great
many of the old Etonians from the Universities of
Oxford and Cambridge, who arrived at Eton this
morning. Each wore en his left arm a band and rosette
of black crape, and many had white hatbands and scarfs.
As they were seen wending their way towards Salt-hill,
they had till the appearance of mourners (merry though
they might be) in a funeral procession. Upon their
arrival at the Mount, the black flag was waved in solemn
silence, and afterwards placed on the summit, drooping
on the ground, typical of the lost glories of Montem.
The large party then proceeded to Botham's, at
the Windmill Hotel, whence, after partaking of
a luncheon, they again returned to the Mount,
and with the flag retraced their steps back to Col-
lege. A match at cricket was played during the day,
between the Oxonians and the present Etonians, in the
shooting fields attached to the College. A splendid cold
collation was provided in the evening for the players by
Mr. Clarke, of the Christopher Inn. The waiters who
attended upon the guests were compelled to wear black
crape around their arms, " in keeping," as it was ob-
served, " with the solemnity of the occasion." Such
were the fears entertained by some of the college autho-
rities that a disturbance might take place in the course
of the day, that a strong body of the metropolitan A di-
vision of police was stationed at Slough, in plain clothes
(as we are informed), to be in reaniness to assist the
local authorities in the event of their services being re-
quired, it being expected that a mob, composed of the
idle and lazy of the two towns, might in the course of
the evening show some disposition to create a disturb-
:ince. The abolition of Montem is not only considered
to be a most unpopular proceeding on the part of the old
and present Etonians, but also by the tradesmen of
Windsor and Eton, amongst the latter of whom a large
sum of money was triennially circulated both before and
during the festival.

ALARMING FIRE in MANCHESTER

MANCHESTER, MONDAY.—Great alarm was excited
about tbn o'c7ock on Sunday evening in the neighbour-
hood of Oxford-street, Chorlton-npon-Medleck, and
Oxford-road, liulme (townships immediately adjoin-
ing Manche:4er), by the cries of "Fire, fire ;"
uor was that alarm decreased when it wt.s
to-
e that th, y pt vet Eded from the elte 1-
:ive premises of Messrs. arley and Co. the ex-
tensive r' spinnerscotte who, though now willing short
rime, employ bctwven 1,400 sad 1,500 bands. It ap-
twars the, like many firms in an exteesive way of bu-
siness. Messrs. Birley aid Co. not only meuutacture
their own gas, but they have also a small foundry fur
soaking their o,bn castings. Immediately adjoining the
feuildiy was a long shed, over %ilk!) was aninln-r story,
used tartly as a workshop, end containit g a large quan-
tity of Hondura- mah,gan), or be wood, as it is called.
l lie leathern pipes or hose, toe, k-pt in cape of fire, were
unfortueately in this room. The shed underneath,
which was arched, was tr.ed for ariens Purposes, hut
the :Tat* under the arch at the extreme end was appro-
priated to the reeeptb,n of the v, ante cote •n from tte
which was the cause of the fire for, it appears,
that owing to its inflammable nature, assisted by the oil
:teed in the sparring, acid the emtn-tre heat of the day,
the waste ignited, and the flames, penetrating the floor-
ing, caught the wood lying upon it before they were dis-
covered by one of the private watchmen (of whom there
are four) employed on the premises. The first attempt of
the watchmen was to reecne the pipes from the room above
he shed; but the fire had already obtained too great
mastery to render this practicable. They then procured
two or three main pipes from the factory, and, by means
of these coromunieteing with the force-pumps, were en-
abled to play upon the flames. Three or the town an-
e 'ines were also speedily on the spot. In tLe meantime
the flames, rushing as from a flue through a doorway
opening from the shed into the foundry, and ascending
its roof, speedily caught the rafters; and by this time
the first floor of the shed, with the mahogany, having
been consumed, the roof of ,that also was in flames,
which rose up cintinuously the whole length of the
building, about 25 yards. By the exertions of the fire-
men, however, the fire was prevented from extending
itself further; for, though no fears were entertained
after the first alarm for the factory itself, which was
separated from the burning building by the river Med-
lock, it was with some difficulty that a lot of small tene-
ments in Little Ireland, immediately adjoining, were pre-
served from destruction. Thus this wretched district,
inhabited chiefly by It ish, having lately been visited by
an inundation, caused by the overflowing of the Medlock
(and the inhabitants of which are now suffering from
extreme destitution and its attendant, fever) but nar-
rowly escaped being pertly consumed by
flames were eventually subdued by twelve o' fire. The
clock, and it
is hoped that the damage does not exceed 500 L or 6001.
The property, we understand, was not insured. Being
Whitson week, the mill would have bean closed this
week for repairs, even if the fire had not occurred. We
learn, however, that the works will not be further re-
tarded by the accident.