The Sun.
London, England, 1861-11-09 00:00:00

E.

7HE LATE ACCIDENT ON THE NEW.
PORT AND HEREFORD RAILWAY.

occurred Bin SIR,--Asa
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re EDITOR OF THE SUN,
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you whether I
with it. Not
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grdaivetnny. line, I beg to call your
state
evetnh by the magistrate,
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much shouldot
as
Hereford at B.4oand
mouth at 9 a.m. ; both are
at the same time, passengers afeerNew circumstances :---
~ another Mon-
mouth
Pontypool-road
olonly
leaving the carriages which proceed to Merthyr
Tydvil. This train, before it takes fresh inmates
for Merthyr, proceeds down the line to shunt on to
an off rail, that the Hereford train may pass and
returns to the station. On this unfortunate occa-
sion one of the most frightful catastrophes con-
nected with railways was in perspective ; the fire-
man left the engine unknown to the driver, who
turned on the steam, and left the engine also, with-
out ascertaining that his companion was absewc.
The train moved, gained speed, and shot away with-
' out returning up the off line, and to the dismay of all
on the platform the fireman made his appearance
amongst them. The position of the six occupants of
I the carriages was but too manifest ; fortunately, at
the identical moment the runaway train reached
the signal-house, about half a mile, a ballast-
engine was crossing the line; the consequence
was, a violent collision, throwing over both the
locomotives, snapping in two like glass the solid
iron framework, seventeen inches by six, tearing up
the rails in every direction, and damaging the six
passengers in the carriages. One lady had her nose
broken ; a poor servant girl was seriously injured iris
the face ; my daughter came off with a severe shor.dc
to her nervous system, while I gained a contusion
in the face that would have prevented my best
friend recognising me, a ruptured blood-vessel in
the head, a sprain in my back, and bruised legs.
Under the circumstances, nothing could have been
more favourable than the position of the obstructing
engine; 10 seconds sooner or later, and we should
have darted past like an arrow, and presuming that.
we might have escaped being thrown over a steep
embankment, we should have rushed into the New-
port Station at a rate, as computed by competent
persons, of 150 miles per hour, at the moment when
the Hereford train would have been prepared for
starting. Doubless, trains, station, and all around,
would have shown one enormous mass of destruc-
tion fearful to contemplate. On the other hand, had
the switches been turned for Merthyr, the train
would probably have gone over Crumlin Viaduct,
218 feet high ; and, escaping this peril, another
awaited it some miles lower down towards Cardiff,
where the line is divided in consequence of the
steep declivity. Over this railway precipice the ill-
fated train would have been hurled with the speed
of lightning; so that, from a network of traps there
was no escape but by that which so providen-
tially arrested its progress. The driver was taken
into custody, examined by C. H. Williams, Esq.,
the magistrate, and fined ten pounds (to mark the
public safety, giving no heed to character) ; in de,
fault of which one month's imprisonment. Is not
this a monstrous mockery of justice ? Is it riot
deserving the strongest expression of censure to
give such a punishment, if punishment it be ?
Why, the ten pounds, if not paid by the company,
would be subscribed by his mates in one day ; and
I and my fellow-travellers are to be content to know
that our lives and limbs are valued at an average
of thirty-three shillings and fourpence by this
Welsh justice, who, perhaps, thought it "tinted
us right for being there." Contrast the decree of
this sapient magistrate with that of his fellow,
who gave a poor woman three months' imprison-
ment for taking a rotten turnip ! Why was not
the scoundrel sent to take his trial at the sessions,
when he would, in all probability, have received a
just punishment; for, had not the ballast-engine
been where it was, not a soul of us could have
escaped, by any possibility, death in its most
frightful form. The law, so imperfectly admini-
stered and allowing such inadequate punishment to
offenders, requires to be reformed or better under-
stood than it appears to be by the Welsh magis-
trates.

Apologising for occupying so much of your space,
I beg to subscribe myself, yours obediently,
Weekly Dispatch Office. R. J. WOOD.

TRIS DAY'S MARKETS.

COVENT GARDEN.

The supplies of both fruit and vegetables are seasonably
good, and the trade, generally speaking, rules steady at the
annexed rates :

FRUIT.
S. d. s• d
• I s. d. ad.
Pine apples, perlb 6 oto 8 01 Cherries, per lb. 0 Gto 0 o
Colonial do., each 0 oto 0 01 Filberts, per lb .. 3 oto 4 0
Grapes,per lb 3 oto 6 01 Cobnuts, per lb 20to 2 6
Foreign do 1 oto 1 61 Almonds, per bus 0 oto 0
Melons, each 1 oto 3 01 Walnuts, per 100 1 oto 3 0
Peaches, perdoz 0 oto 0 Ol Figs, per doz 0 oto 0 0
Nectarines, per dz 0 oto 0 0 i Damson ..0 0 to 0 0
Apples, per # sievc2 6to 3 6 j Gooseberries hi sv 0 oto 0 0
Pears, per do .... 3 oto 5 0 ; Currants, per do. 0 oto 0 0
Oranges, per 100 6 oto 140 Plums, per do. .. 5 6to 6 0
Lemons, per 100.. 4 oto 8 0 Greengages, pr do. 0 oto 0 0
Apricots, per doz 0 oto 0 0 j Raspberries, prpt 0 oto 0 0

VEGETABLES.
Greens, dz bunch 3 oto 3 61 Shallots, per lb .. 0 Bto 0 10
Cabbages, pr doz 0 9to 1 01 Horseradish, pbn 1 oto 2 0
Savoy do., pr bh. 0 10 to 1 4 Parsley, per ditto 0 3to 0 4
Cauliflowers, pdz 1 oto 3 0 Celery, per ditto 0 Bto 1 6
Brocoli, per bun. 0 Bto 10 0 Beet, per doz. .. 1 6to 2 0
Potatoes, per ton 90 to 135 d Parsnips, per do. 0 oto 0 0
New ditto, pr ewt. 0 oto 0 0 Small salad. p. pn, 0 oto 0 3
Peas, per 1 sieve 0 oso 0 0 Alushrooms,p pun. 2 oto 3 0
Turnips, dz bunch 1 6to 2 0 Artichokes, pr dz 0 oto 0 0
Carrots, pr do 5 oto 6 0 Cabbage lett,score 0 oto 0 0
Cucumbers 0 6to 0 91 Endive, per score 0 oto 0 0
Garlic, per lb 0 6to 0 8 Radishes, dz hnds 0 oto 0 0
Sorrel, per sieve 0 oto 0 0 Tomatoes, doz... 0 oto 0 0
Spinach, hf.-sv 0 oto 0 0 Walnuts, per 100 0 oto 0 0
Brus. sprouts, h.s 1 3to 1 9 Chillies, per ditto 0 oto 0 0
Onions, ht. sv 2 oto 4 0 Capsicums, per do 0 oto 0 0
New Do., dz bun 1 oto 2 0 Rhubarb, per bun 0 oto 0 0
French beans, h.s. 0 oto 0 0 Asparagus, pr do. 0 oto 0 0
Leeks, per bunch 0 oto 0 0} Seakale. per pun. 0 oto 0 0
LEADENHALL.