The Sun.
London, England, 1860-04-24 00:00:00

FEARFUL ACCIDENT ON TILE GREAT
XORTHERX BAIIII7-21

Yesterday morning the ten o'clock express train
from London to Manchester, on entering the Hat-
field Station met with a fearful accident, through
a portion of the train being thrown from the mcta's,
which, we regret to state, was attended with fatal

results, two persons being killed from the frightful
mangling of their bodies, and others more or less

injured, besides great destruction of the company's
property, Four passenger carriages of the train
were literally smashed to pieces, and a number of
coal-trucks belonging to a coal train which was

passing on the up:lin—c at the time, with WI-lielt the
9xpress came into collision, were much shattered,
and the coal scattered in all directions. One of the

deceased persons was a first-class passenger, Leslie
Pym, Esq., a magistrate of Bedford, and a member

of the well-known family of the late Francis Leslie

Pym, Esq., of Rad well house, near Baldock, and
Eaton-place, Brighton, who, it is asserted, had come

direct from there on his way to Nasal Grove, to
arrange some matters in relation to his late father's

burial.

The following are the particulars concerning this
deplorable accident, gathered on the spot, as ascer-
tained from disinterested persons, eye-witnesses to
the dreadful catastrophe :—About half past ten a.m.
the ten o'clock express train from London, consist-
ing of seven carriages, including a guard's-van, was
entering the Hatfield Station at its usual speed of
not less than 40 miles an hour, and as it was pass-
ing a number of plate-layers eagagcil in laying an
angle line abreast of the engine-sheds close to the
toot-bridge, the engine is supposed to have broken
one of the upward rails of the down line. The en-
gine and. tender and two carriages passed safe over,
separating from the rest of the train, which
swerved with such violence as to cause some
of the rails to give way, and, in conse-
quence, the break .a an and four carriages
left the rails, and ran off the road to
the down-platform, where one of the carriages
came to a stand, whilst the others, headed by the
engine, tender, and two carriages (which kept upon
the metals) ran on further, passing the station at a
frightful velocity, striking against a coal-train pass-
ing on the up-line with such alarming violence as
to knock out the sides of four of the trucks, and
scattering the coal to the distance of about 150
yards, and continuing their headlong course until
after they passed the level crossing, about half a
mile distant, where the carriage in which was the
unfortunate Mr. Pym capsized, and the others were
smashed to pieces, presenting a complete and hor-
rible wreck. The engine and the forward portion
of the train ran about 130 yards farther on, when
the engine came to a stand. When the accident
first occurred, a piece of the broken rail flew up and
knocked down one of the plate-layers, inflicting
terrible injuries, from which he expired about three
hours afterwards, at the Red Lion Hotel, Hatfield,
where he had been promptly conveyed. Poor Mr.
Pym was discovered lying on the right hand rail
of the down-line, frightfully mutilated, his body
being literally ripped open. Strange to say, he
was found breathing. He was conveyed as quickly
as possible on a door to the Red Lion Hotel. On
his way thither, two or three minutes after the oc-
currence, he was understood to say, " Bob, Bob, be
quick and immediately ceased to breathe. An-
other passenger, the Rev. William J. Tweddle, said
to live somewhere in Surrey, and described as a
Methodist preacher on his way to preach a sermon
at Oakham, was found to have met dangerous in-
juries. Immediately underneath hs ear was said
to he a terrible gash, with other cuts about the face,
both his thighs badly bruised, and one leg much
cut, besides other contused injuries on other parts
of his body. He was placed under medical as-
sistance without delay, and conveyed to London
in a, precarious state. Thomas Williams, one of
the guards, was slightly injured, and although the
other passengers received no material injury,
still many of them were contused or scratched by
the flying of the debris with their hats smashed,
and their clothes in some instances torn. Alto-
gether . it is astonishing to all the beholders
that more life was not sacrificed, and which can
only be in the least accounted for by the impedi-
ment of the coal train, as they described the scene
as being of a most alarming nature. The road was
much torn up in places from where the acciden t
occurred to the telegraph station, a distance of 210
yards.

- The inspector of the line, Mr. Williams, who was
a passenger in the next carriage to Mr. Pym,
escaped with a slight shaking, and in conjunction
with Mr. Coote, the Hatfield station-master, acted
with great promptitude in taking the necessary
steps to prevent trains from arriving from the North
or South, as both lines were obstructed with the
debris. A telegraphic despatch was forwarded to
London, and medical assistance, in addition to that
procured in the town, together with a large addi-
tional staff of workmen, were soon upon the spot.
About one o'clock, after great exertions, the up line
was cleared, and traffic was then resumed over that
line until about seven last night, when both lines
were again in working order. The driver and fire-
men escaped unhurt, but Ward, one of the plate-
layers, is said to have had a miraculous escape.
The account given by the company's officials does
not materially differ from the above, and the only
explanation they state they can give as to the ac-
cident is, that one of the rails was found broken.
The list of killed and injured, as far as have yet been
ascertained, are—Mr. Pym, dead; George Venables,
platelayer, dead; Thomas Williams, guard, slightly
injured; and others slightly injured, names not
known, who, after two hours' delay, resumed their
journey. Inspector English, of the Rural Police,
has charge of the books and valuables found in the
possession of Mr. Pym.