The Sun.
London, England, 1848-02-28 00:00:00

FRIGHTFUL ACCIDENT ON THE

CALEDONIAN RAILWAY.

CARLISLE, FRIDAY NIGHT.—An accident of a
most serious character occurred last night on the
Caledonian line of railway to the usual London mail
train, which, in addition to the loss of two lives, has
caused the most serious, if not fatal injuries, to
several other passengers. The line in question has
only been opened a few weeks, and by it the distance
from the metropolis to Edinburgh and Glasgow has
been considerably shortened. In continuation with
the Lancaster and Carlisle Railway, it runs from
this city to the Carstairs Junction, where it joins the
Edinburgh and Glasgow line. It appears that, at a
quarter past nine o'clock last night, the mail train
left Edinburgh, and at the junction was met by the
mail from Glasgow. Being joined, the train con-
sisted of the engine and tender, luggage-van, two
first-class and two second-class carriages, and
proceeded- on its usual course until it ar-
rived at the Kirlbridge station, when between two
and three miles from the Ecclefechan, when the pas-
sengers were thrown into a painful state of alarm by
the violent motion and bumping of the train, and the
shock occasioned by its running off the line. The
night was very dark, rainy, and tempestuous, so that
it was impossible to see where they were, but instant
groans and cries for help soon told that some frightful
disaster had happened, and on some of the passengers
scrambling out of the carriages they found that the
ponderous engine had gone down an embankment by
the side of the line, and was buried sideways in mud
and water, having drawn the carriages titer it down
the embankment. It was soon found that the carriage
nearest to the engine had ignited, and in this awful
state of things those passengers who could move about
proceeded at once to exert themselves to extricate
those less fortunate, immediate assistance being im-
possible, there not being a dwelling near. Efforts
were first made to suppress the tire, which was
fortunately soon accomplished, when one of the
occupants of the first carriage, (Mr. Reid, of
Glasgow, a commercial traveller) was found
with his leg severely fractured, and directly
afterwards an elderly gentleman, named War-
wick, living in Oxfordshire, with his wife, was
tound jammed between portions of the broken car-
riage. So firmly was Mrs. Warwick fixed, that a
portion of the carriage had to be sawn away before
he could be extricated. It was ascertained he had
received compound fractures of both legs, and to be
otherwise extensively injured. Mrs. Warwick had
also one of her legs fractured. The next sufferer
picked up was the engine-driver, John Riley. He
was under the engine for some hours before he was
discovered, and was much scalded and bruised, besides
having his right arm fractured. The fireman, Joseph
Grey, has also sustained numerous injuries, and
ehristopher Armstrong, the guard, who was thrown
under the foremost carriage, was not found for three
hours, and died shortly afterwards, so extensive
were the injuries he had received. the non-
arrival of the train at the station in this city
induced the railway authorities to send a
pilot engine in quest of it, when the lament-
able accident was ascertained ; and Mr. Spears
superintendent of the Lancaster and Carlisle railway,
lost no time in for warding medical aid to the spot,
when the sufferers were with all speed possible, con-
veyed to this city, and taken to the infirmary, with
the exception of Mr. Reid, who preferred going to
the Royal Hotel.
In the case of Mr. Warwick amputation was im-
mediately resorted to, but he gradually sank ai.d
expired. .

Amongst the other passengers hurt were Mr.
Goodridge, of Bath, architect; Mr. Kaye, merchant,
of Glasgow ; and Mr. Douglas, of Cross-street,
Manchester.

The accident, it has been ascertained, was caused
b►' a slip in the embankment, arising from the late
heavy rains, through which the rails had sunk to a
considerable extent. Information of the accident has
been sent to the Commissioners of Railways, who
will send down one of their officers to make the usual
inspection.
The last accounts from the infirmary state that
some of the sufferers are in a very doubtful condition.

The Colonelcy of the 71st Foot, Vacant by the
death of Sir Thomas Reynell, has been conferred on
Lieutenant-General Sir Thomas Arbuthnot, K.C.8.,
who vacates the colonelcy of the 9th Foot, which has
been bestowed on Major. General Sir James Archibald
Hope, K.C.B. Sir James Hope has been much distin-
guished by his war services, Commencing with the ex •
pedition to Havannah in 1805-6, he subsequently served
at the siege of Copenhagan, and then went with the ex-
pedition to Sweden in 1808. 110 was in Spain and Por-
tugal in 1808-9, and was engaged at Lugo and Corunna.
In 1809 he proceeded to Walcheren, and afterwards
served in the Peninvzla from 1810 to 1814, being pre.ent
in every great battle and siege from Barossa to Tou-
louse, and receiving a cross and clasp for Vittoria, Ni-
velle, Nive, Orthes, and Toulouse.—United Service
Gazette.

.ALARMING FlRE.—Saturday morning, shortly
before one o'clock, the premises of Mr. F. G. Mayers, a
fur manufacturer, carrying on business at No. 7,- Char-
lotte-street, Fitzroy-square, were discovered by the po-
lie; man on duty to be in flames. The whole of the
residents at that time were in their beds asleep, and it
was with considerable difficulty that they could be
aroused from their slumbers. That having at length
been accomplished, the parties made an attempt. to
descend the staircase, but they had not got half way
down before they were met by a dense mass of smoke.
By great exertion they succeeded in getting
.back to
their bedrooms, and in escaping out of the back windows.
Several engines promptly attended, and owing to the
exertions of the firemen, the flames were extinguished,
but not until considerable damage had been done to the
building and the stock in trade.