The Sun.
London, England, 1858-01-29 00:00:00

FATAL RAILWAY ACCIDENT AT

BOLTON.

An alarming and fatal railway accident occurred
yesterday morning at Bolton at the terminus of the
London and North-Western line from Liverpool to
Bolton. About half past 6 o'clock a heavy goods
train had come up to Bolton from the direction of
Liverpool, consisting of an engine, 14 merchandise
waggons, and 18 waggons laden with coals. 'This
train should have stopped on an incline near Har-
greaves' cotton factory, about 300 yards short of the
passenger station, in order that the goods waggons
might have been shunted upon branches and taken
into the goods yard, but there had been a frost dur-
ing the night, followed by a rapid thaw, and this had
left the rails so slippery that when the breaks were
applied on the incline they would not hold, and the
goods train by its great weight forced on the engine
at a rapidly increasing speed, into the passenger
station, carrying everything before it. Beyond the
bottom of the incline about 100 yards the line
crosses Crook-street on a level, and the gates on
either side this street, placed there to protect it, i
were dashed to pieces without impeding the progress
of the train. The passenger station in Great Moor-
street consisted of a booking-officeand waiting-room
for passengers, having a handsome portico in front,
supported by massive stone columns. Behind this
building, which was in two stories, was a shed about
50 yards long covering the line, and at the terminus
of the line, behind the booking-office, were six pas-
senger carriages, forming a train that was shortly to
have been despatched to Liverpool. The advancing
goods train ran into this train of passenger carriages,
driving them through the booking-office' demolish-
ing one-half of the station, and forcing two of the
further carriages across Great Moor-street. When
the station fell, about 25 yards of the shed behind
it also gave way, and came down upon the advanc-
ing train. The engine of the goods train did not
meet with sufficient impediment to stop its progre is
until it had run upon one of the passenger car-
riages, entit elydemolishing itand coming close upon
the ruins of the booking-office. In all there were
six passenger carriages, the engine, and three wag
guns laden with merchandise; shattered and nearly
knocked to pieces, besides the booking-office and
shed. A plate layer named George Royle was
standing on the step of the engine, and he was
killed by the ruins of the shed and booking-office
coming down upon him. Royle had got upon the
engine to go to his work, and while the train was
descending the incline he got down to the step with
the intention of jumping off, but the engine-
driver warned him that it would be dangerous, at
the speed they were goine, and he remained in that
d
position to the last. The bre tksuaan was jerked
off the train before get
ting thet station, a
the fireman also got off safely before the
train reached the station. The driver, Richard
Rigby, courageously stuck to his engine to the
last, and his life was saved by crouching
incumbent
down under a falling beam of the hooking-office,
one end of which fell across the engine above
the place where he stood, and prevented the super-
clean. mass from crushing him.
ng Out the bookino• when
iej tired by th© o-o ce the building
A woman WAS
- ..noeqed d
as Crook-street
and
should have been no person
inju, y. That
tohwn, but escaped with very slight
ordinary, crossing two such thorough-
faresas
mane and Great 141.00 r-street is ext a•
scree early as wasY
the 's
were traversing those
engineer, from Liverpool,
of the morning. Mr.
Mr. Bradshaw,
Norris, Vie company':
Nicholson, goods ag.‘nt, ler, Itianag4'r, and Mr,
accident, and under theirwde" sent for after the
aid of the police, barriers and with the
Great Moor-street to protect IT: thrown across
who proceeded as speedily as ody of workmen,
the wreck from the thoroughfarrsaVe remove
fare, however, up to 12 o'clock at noonhis thorougl.
a novel spectacle with the railway carr.ipresented
pro-
jecting across_it, huge masses of the stoneagcesl
of the portico lying about, and other debris, for
the removal of which some hours would. Le' re-
quired.o The passenger traffic of the line was cat ried
on notwithstanding the accident. An inquest on the
body of Royle was to be opened in the evening.