The Sun.
London, England, 1851-05-21 00:00:00

FATAL RAILWAY ACCIDENT.
OFFICIAL ACCOUNT.
The engine of the passenger train which left Derby
for Leeds at 9 5 P.M. On Monday evening, having broken
the pump-rod, near the Clay-cro..s station, the train
stopped, and the driver having taken off the broken part,
was in the act of starting, when a goods train came sud-
denly upon them and broke the two last carriages. Two
passengers were killed and rawly others severely wounded.
The inquest was to be held yesterday (Tuesday) at two
o'clock. The following are the names of the sufferers:—
Mr. Meynell, of Tapton—dead.
Mr. Blake, of Sheffield—dead.
Mr. Tennent, of the United States—bruised slightly:
his wife—fractured thigh.
Mr. Allan, of Derby—broken arm.
Mr. Bennett, of Chesterfield —knee and leg injured.
Mr. Broadbent, of Sheffield—bruised.
Mr. Elardcestle, of Sheffield—bruised.
Mr. Ashworth, of Sheffield—bruised.
Mr. Ward, of the United States—head injured.
Mr. Beebe, of the United States—head injured.
Mr. Blacklock, of Dumfries—head injured and leg
fractured.
Mr. John Todhunter, of Dublin—both legs broken.
Mr. Joshua Todhunter, of Dublin—injury to the
shoulder blade.
Rev. Hathie, of Dublin—ankle and leg severely in-
jured.
Mr. Fox, of Chesterfield.
Mrs. Meynell, slightly bruised on the head.
CLAY-CROSS, TUESDAY MORNING.
We regret to state that a most fearful accident oc-
curred at this place last night, by which the lives of two
gentlemen have been sacrificed, and many other persons
seriously injured. From personal inquiries made on
the spot, and also from information obtained from Mr.
Smith, one of the directors, and Mr. Mills, we have
learnt the following particulars, which may be relied
upon as correct:—
It appears that the express train, which starts from
London at 5 reg., leaves Derby at 9 5, rah About
five minutes after the express left the Derby station it
was followed by a goods train. The former pursued its
rapid course until it had passed the Clay-cross tunnel,
when, in consequence of the engine becoming disabled,
it was brought to a stand. Meanwhile, the goods train
continued its course, and about ten minutes after the ex-
press train had passed the Clay-cross station it followed
at a speed of about twenty miles an hour, and directly
afterwards ran with tremendous force into the passenger
train, then stationary. A scene of indescribable confu-
sion ensued, for amidst the crashing of the carriages and
the shrill whistle of the locomotives, rose the piercing
cry of the affrighted passengers. As soon as possible
attention was directed to the sufferers. Mr. J. Meynell,
of Tapton-grove, near Chesterfield—an active and intel-
ligent magistrate, whose death will be greatly felt—and
Mr. J. Blake, of the firm of Blake and Parkin, mer-
chants, Sheffield, were found to have received fatal inju-
-64; and most of the passengers were or more less se-
riously injured.
The accident was immediately telegraphed to Derby,
and about midnight several of the company's officials
arrived on the spot. Those of the passengers whose
bruises were not of a very serious character, were, after
a few hours' delay, forwarded to their respective desti-
nations; but those whose injuries were more extensive
and dangerous were accommodated at the station and in
the immediate vicinity. The catastrophe soon became
known in the neighbourhood, and the local surgeons,
with others from Derby, to the number of seven or eight,
attended and rendered valuable assistance in alleviating
the pain of the injured passengers.
The following is a correct list of the sufferers, toge-
ther with the nature and extent of their injuries:—
Mr. John Meynell, of Tapton-grove, near Chester-
field, one of the magistrates for the county of Derby—
dead.
Mr. John Blake, of the firm of Blake and Parkin,
railway spring, saw, file, and steel manufacturers,
Meadow Works, Sheffield—dead.
Mr. John Todhunter, Dublin—both legs broken.
Mr. Joshua Todhunter, Dublin (brother of the above)
—collar bone fractured.
Mrs. Tennant, of Charlestown, United States—frac-
ture of the thigh bone.
. Mr. Tennant (husband of the above)—seriously
bruised.
Mr. Hallam, of Derby—broken arm.
Mr. E. Broadbent, of Barrack-tavern, Sheffield—
bruised.
Mr. Horncastle, of the Royal Oak, Pond-street, Shef-
field—bruised.
Mr. Ashforth, Weldon-street, Sheffield—bruised.
Mr. Ward, of Boston, United States—bruised.
Mr. Beebe, of Boston, United States—bruised.
Mr. Blacklock, of Dumfries, fractured ankle.
The Rev. W. Ather, of Dublin, both legs injured.
James Ainsworth, a porter, in the employ of the
company, and who was in the guard's break of the
express train at the time of the accident—seriously in-
jured.
The officials of the company are extremely reluctant
to give any information as to the cause of this unfortu-
nate affair, but it is alleged by the passengers to have
arisen in consequence of the, guard of the express train
having neglected to signal the accident to the approach-
ing goods train.
The inquest is appointed to be held to-day.

ADDITIONAL PARTICULARS.

CHES TERFIELD, TUESDAY AFTERNOON.

You have already been informed of the occurrence of
an accident of a most fearful =and disastrous character
on the Midland line, near to Clay-cross. As yet the
immediate cause of the accident is enveloped in mystery.
The officials of the company profess to know nothing of
the cause of the accident, further than that the engine
of the express train fell lame, and was run into by the
goods train. They do not know, or at any rate will not
state, whether the guard adopted the usual precautions
othfeangeenngtlienmeefnalwlinhgo lwameree in
against
vv e l
eaacreni dfernotmi inseveral
a os et
the train at the time, and are sufferers from the accident,
that the train had not proceeded more than 400 yards
past the Clay-cross station when the engine fell lame,
the train came to a stand, and there was a noise of
ihn
cunt ebs
e,
gtahne t
oc r
my
oovf ''
at a
all
Trei gryh ts"l
owwa as
pheeeadr,d ,n
not
tn dm to hr ee
hammering about the engine. After a stoppage of about
five
ttrhat
unmone-fourth of the Fate at which it had proceeded
prior to the stoppage. The train had not been in mo-
tion above a minute or two, when a loud crash suc-
ceeded; the passengers 'were thrown with frightful vio-
lence from their seats, the carriages nearest the tail of
the train were shattered to pieces, and the cries of their
inmates were most terrific. All was at once a scene of
disaster and confusion. There were between twenty and
thirty passengers in the train, scarcely one of whom es-
caped without injury. The night was very dark, and at
the time of the accident a fierce storm raged impetu-
ously. The poor sufferers scrambled off the line as best
they could, some supporting themselves in a dreadful
condition against the walls of a bridge which crosses
the line, and others lying quite helpless on the side of
passengers give of their
a aTndhethdes:ti.iiitPell-oTtthheeline after tke accident is
ic communication was instantly transmit-
ted
procured Chesterfield,the andassi s
tt
ahne c
e servantsof
the
sufferings
fAg
rer
trat.i iernl
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an
pg.
h
attnaodwn. Dr. Walker, and Messrs.
raH ea
medical
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0- Clay-cross
and surgeons, immediately re-
spondedll,
to the summons, and were conveyed by special
engine to the scene of the disaster. On their arrival
they found injured-parties lying in all directions.• Mr.
Hall and the other gentlemen inquired of several per-
sons as to their injuries, but in a very magnanimous
spirit they desired them to proceed further, as there
were others who much more needed their services
than themselves. Mr. Meynell was found quite dead,
and on his back on the side of the line, between the
carriages and the bridge. Mr. Blake was discovered
against the bridge, and his back supported by a
'le" pain at his back, the spine having bsen severely
of wood; he was quite conscious, and complained
d. Mr. Blake, with the other injured passengers,
leaningoo.cgr e
injured. Mr.
in'a train and conveyed to Chesterfield. Mr.
Blake, however, died on the way. Mr. John Tedding-
• • to both his legs being broken, had re-
ceivedton, in addition
external bruises about the head and body.
many
,Mr. Joshua Teddington, was cut on the
His -
head and injured about the ribs and r blade, and
had also a slight fracture of the. scapula. They at at
pre-
sent lie at the Commercial Inn in a precarious state.
The persons who sustained the principal injuries were
all in one carriage.

THE INQUEST.
The inquest on view of the bodies of Mr. Meynell and
Mr. Blake was opened at the Commercial Inn, Chester-
field, this (Tuesday) afternoon, before Mr. Hutchinson,
Coroner, and a highly respectable jury. Mr. Macauley,
one of the solicitors to the Midland Company; Mr. W.
Smith, one of the solicitors; and Mr. Saunders, the
traffic manager, were present, representing the com-
pany.
The jury having been sworn, proceeded to view the
bodies, which lay at the railway station. They then
returned to the inn, and the following statements were
heard:—
Mr. Macauley, solicitor, said—Perhaps before you
commence taking the evidence in this melancholy case
you will allow me to state that I attend here on behalf
of the Midland Railway Company (being instructed by
the directors so to do) for the purpose of affording every
information and facility in their power to the elucidation
of the facts in this truly melancholy and unfortunate
occurrence. The directors beg me to state that they desire
that the case should receive the fullest and most niinute
investigation; that their best endeavours and best exer-
tions shall be used to attain that end; that all the ser-
vants who were employed on both trains, and every one
in their service who can give any information, shall be
forthcoming in order to elicit the truth. At the present
stage of the proceedings I will not say more than that
the company desire as much as any one present that
the matter should receive the fullest and fairest inves-
tigation.
Mr. Fretson, of Sheffield, solicitor, said be attended
for the friends of Mr. Blake, and asked permission of the
Coroner to put such questions as he thought requisite to
the witnesses.
The CORONER assented.
Mr. H. E. Walker was the first witness—l am a Bur-
' geon at Chesterfield. I knew the late Mr. Meynell.