The Sun.
London, England, 1856-10-08 00:00:00

ALARMING RAILTVAZ ACCIDENT,

A. sad accident occurred on Monday evening at the
Fisherton station of the Wilts and Somerset 'Railway,
whereby the lives of two men were sacrificed, and a
large number of sheep destroyed. Considerable damage
was also occasioned to the property of the company.
The facts, as far as they have been at present ascer-
tained, are these :—Special cattle trains run every fort-
night for the convenience of dealers attending the Salis-
bury cattle mark et, and it was to one of these trains that
the accident occurred. It consisted of 35 trucks filled
with sheep, oxen, and heifers, and on arriving at
Westbury in the evening it remained until the goods
train and 5.10 passenger train had passed that station.
The train was drawn by two powerful engines ; and
it is said that the foreman of the locomotive department
at Westbury specially informed the driver of the second
engine, who had not been down before, the gradients on
the line, and particularly these between Wilton and
Salisbury. John Mays, the driver of the first engine,
who has accompanied each cattle train since the opening
of the line, replied, " I know all about it : I'll take
care," and the train proceeded on its journey. It passed
Wilton at a rapid rate, and it is said that the steam was
not shut off at the proper time, as the train dashed into
the station at full speed, carrying everything before it.
The point-aa* saw the impending danger, and shouted,
but it was too late. Tile shock trap followed must
have been truly frightful. The foremost engine
broke down the immense wooden piles and buffers at the
end of the rails, carried away nine or ten feet of the plats
form, and burst through the station, crushing doors,
walls, and every other object in its progress ; even the
outer wall towards Fisherton was broken down before
it came to a standstill. Mays, the driver, escaped un-
/Act through the breach formed by the engine, but the
fireman (William Symonds) was not quite so fortunate ;
he jumped out, and, iu doing so, sustained a severe
blow on the head, which necessitated his instant re-
moval to the infirmary. The scene within the station
was appalling, the driver and fireman of the second en-
gine (Samuel Nicholson and Wm. Isles) lay smashed to
pieces between the engine and tender—the head of one
and a hand of the other being all that was perceptible
to the bystanders. The force of the concussion
heaped trucks upon trucks, and the mangled bodies of
the animals they contained were scattered in every
direction. Both engines continued to emit dense
volumes of steam, and fears were, at one time enter-
tained that the boilers would explode, or that tke sta-
tion would be fired. Mr. Duffet, the station-roaster,
acted with great coolness on the occasion ; and the
Board of Health waterhose having been obtained and
attached to a hydrant, a plentiful supply of water was
thrown upon the engines to extinguish the fires. This
was not accomplished without considerable diffic half,
for although the accident occurred about •
past eight, it was nearly eleven before all
up andd every
er was
over. Two engines were afterwards brought
effort made to remove the debris. The trucks which
escaped injury were detached, and the sheep released, and
ropes and chains were then attached to the injured trucks,
portions of which were removed, and all the injured sheep
that could be got out were at once slaughtered. Every
endeavour was made to rescue the bodies of the unfortter-
u-
nate men, but until between 4 and 5 locko'co yes
day morning without success. The
cated, and presented a fearfully were n extri-
y
They were conveyed to one of the station stores to await
a. coroner's inquest.
Several dealers and drovers were in the train at the
mangled appearance.
time of the accident, but fortunately received no in-
jury beyond a violent shaking. The ordinary passen-
ger train arrived about half an hour afterwards. It was
extremely fortunate that it was not in the stationbl at
the time, or a mush greater loss of life would prod
in abay
have been the result. Some of the sheep -escape
manner as marvellous as the engine-driver. After the
lapse of two or three hours several were extricated
from the ruins without having received the slightest in-
n
Wherever blame may rest, the station master and
officials must be entirely exonerated, as they were all at
their posts, and the usual signals were displayed. A
telegraphic message was despatched to Mr. Tarr, the
superintendent of the line at Trowbridge, who strived
during the night, and at once
gave Mays, the engine-
driver, into the custody of the police, to await the result
of the coroner's inquiry.
The statement of Mays is to the effect that after leav-
ihg Westbury he stopped. at Wyiye to take in water. He
told Nicholson that it was a dangerous place to go into
Salisbury, and that he was sure to be steady. He shut
off the steam at the usual place, but owing to the sharp
incline, the weight of the train, and the slipperiness of
the metals, he found it impossible to save it. He applied
the whistle, and heard Nicholson's engine working, but
whether with forward or back gear he could not say.
After being thrown from the engine he returned, and
let a quantity of water into the fire. After this, he
could do nothing.
Hundreds of persons flocked to the scene of the
disaster during the night, and at an early hour yes-
terday morning the station was besieged by crowds
of anxious inquirers. The effects of the accident were
in the morning rendered more apparent.
Superintendents Blake and Matthews, with a body of
police, were in attendance during tile night, and greatly
contributed to the maintenance of order.
At present we are unable to ascertain the number of
sheep killed, as many still rema:n to be extricated from
the overturned trucks, but they are estimated at about
100.
The ordinary traffic of the line has not been inter-
misted, trains haying been run clurthg the day u wool.