The Sun.
London, England, 1870-10-06 00:00:00

THE LAST RAILWAY ACCIDENT.

It seems that it was not a mail train that met with the
accident at Whitmore, near Crewe, on Tuesday morning,
but the ordinary nine o'clock evening train from London
to the north timed to leave Strafford at 12.31. The train
punctually kept the hour and left all well, the usual goods
train preceding it by the customary time allowed. At
Standon Bridge, where the goods passed at a time it
would seem suggestive of danger to the officials, the
train was allowed to proceed at caution, the ordinary
blue light being exhibited. The driver of the train,
one of the most experienced on the line, Owen Jones, at
once slackened speed and reduced the rate at which the
engine was running from 35 to about 20 miles an hour. Ap-
proaching the cutting, the line at this point is at a slight
gradient and sharp curve, and the atmosphere being un-
usually thick and hazy, Jones failed to see what was
on before till within, it is said, 50 or 60 yards of
the rear van of the goods train. With a promptitude
which one and all the passengers appear to acknowledge,
he reversed steam and signalled to the break vans, so that
simultaneously with the application of those on the
engine those on the vans were put down. The shock,
fearful as it was, was thus in some degree lessened.
The rear van of the goods train, with three or four
trucks, was hurled off the line and shattered, and
the contents of the trucks more or less damaged.
'The brakesman of the luggage train, John Tassle,
resident in London, had a singular escape
framl injury. His van, turned completely over, was
so much broken, and covered with materials from the
other waggons, that escape was impossible, and a quar-
ter of an hour passed before he could be released from his
temporary prison. When got out, he was found to have
sustained comparatively little injury, beyond a strained
ankle and a slight contusion on the right leg. Close upon
the van, off the metals, and very much battered, lay the
engine and one or two carriages, displaced and
broken in various parts. General surprise, not unmingled
with thankfulness, is expressed that out of a heavily
freighted passenger train of about 15 carriages, so little
injury and loss of property was occasioned. The driver of
the engine was very much shaken and contused in the
back. His companion, the fireman, was uninjured, and inn-
mediately after the collision, ran down the line to Whit-
more, and succeeded in preventing further disaster by
blocking the line. Meanwhile some of the passengers,
profiting by experience in such emergencies, protected
themselves against the cold and further guarded against
the approach of other trains by making use of the splinters
of wood and other debris, and kindling a fire by means of
waste and fire from the engine.
Many of the passengers, after recovering from the effects
of the shock, proceeded on their journey, and only a few
remained at the Crewe Arms. The injured are—Mrs.
Hart, Inglefield-road, London ; Mrs. Spinks, Lon-
don; Mr. William Neville, Longsight, Man-
chester; Mrs. Morrison, Argyle-street, Glasgow;
Mr. Jude, 33, George-street, Euston-square, London ;
Mr. Pollok, Beaufort. street, Chelsea, London ; Mr.
Mearns, 47, Cochrane-street, Glasgow ; Miss Reilly ; Mr.
Alfred Miller, Newbury, Berkshire. Four sailors, en
route to Glasgow, two of whom, named James Clarke
and John Thompson, were badly hurt, but refused
to leave their mates, who were also classed among the
injured.