The Sun.
London, England, 1861-01-31 00:00:00

TILE L,ITE FATAL ACCIDENT ON TDB

SOUTH-WESTERN RAIL WAY.

D'ariug the whole of yesterday Colonel Yolland, I
the Gor, ernment Inspector of Railways, with Mr.
Beat'i e, Mr. Godstone, and Mr. Strass, having
charge of the traffic, locomotive, and engineering
de-Liartments of the South-Western Railway, were
bgasily engaged at the scene of the late fearful acci-
Zent in endeavouring to discover the causes which
led to this mournful catastrophe. The result of
their inquiries and personal examination will of
course only be known in detail at the coroner's
inquest, to be held this day at Wimbledon, on
the body of Dr. Baly, F.R.S., and Phy-
sician Extraordinary to the Queen, who was Pilled
instantaneously. What particulars mad 'oe elicited
by the jury to find a cause for the accident, it is of
course impossible to say, but up to yesterday even-
ing, in spite of the most rigid investigation, not a
clue had been gained. which could in any manner
account for it. In fact, it seems to be as mysterious
and inexplicable as that on the Great Northern a
few years since, in which the Hon. Mr. Clive and
other passengers were killed. The rails and per-

manent way are so free front injury, that it has not
been necessary to repair or replace a single thing ;
the gauge was found to be perfect, the sleepers un-
injured; and, in fact, since Monday night the ordi-
nary traffic has passed every hour of the day over
the name spot where, but for the hideous ruin of
caYriages lying below the embankment, there is
nothing to indicate that one of the most fearful
railway accidents of the year has occurred there.'
The spot where the carriages were thrown over is
about the worst part of the line at which such an
aecident could have occurred, and the only wonder
is how any of the passengers escaped with their
lives at all. Aboat a mile and a half below
Wimbledon, and a half from Malden, the main line
is carried along an embankment, 25 feet in height.
.At this spot the branch line to Epsom and Leather-
head diverges to the left, of course on an embank-
ment of the same height. Close to the angle
caused by the junction of the two embankments a
high road passes from Malden to Kingston, so that
two railway bridges are necessary—one for the
Epson line, crossing the road; and one for the main
Ewa, close alongside. It was at this latter bridge
that the worst part of the accident took place, the
'cause of which still remain in such total obscurity.
For some 30 yards before the train reached the
points there are unmistakeable evidences on the
ballast and sleepers of one or two wheels being off
the rail on the inside. The deeply-cut marks place this
!act beyond a doubt. Yet, most extraordinary as it
may seem, though these marks are inside the rail
on the right, there are no marks to show that the
corresponding wheels were off on the other side.
ilow one or two wheels could have got inside the
rail on the right, yet all the wheels on the'left
-keep their places, is a mystery, especially as the
gauge remains accurate in its width. These marks
on the right hand side continue up to the points of
the Epsom junction, where it is evident that the
wheel or wheels which were off came in contact
'with the point, breaking off about 5 or 6 inches of
the iron, and the jerk caused by this, no doubt, threw
•several of the carriages off the metals, for after pass-
ing the points there are marks of many wheels being
off on both the right and left hand rails. Still the
train kept on the line on the edge of the steep em-
bankment for some. 50 yards further than the junc-
tion, and till abreast of the bridge over the Malden
and Kingston road. There the engine driver states
that he got a severe jerk, and the engine flew for-
ward, Looking back he saw that it had broken
from the tender, which was in the act of jumping
the parapet of the bridge down into the road. In
another second two first class carriages, one second
class, and a van were swung over the embankment
at different places, one after another, and were
smashed to pieces. The last first class carriage,
though not on the rails, fortunately did not go over
the steep embankment, but, after running on the
ballast between the up and down lines for some
little distance, at length fell over on the up line.
Under this carriage poor Dr. Baly was found muti-
lated in the most awful manner. His death must
have been perfectly instantaneous. The engine
driver, seeing the fearful nature of the accident,
acted with great presence of mind, and, without
stopping for a second, let his engine run on at full
speed for some few miles, when he pulled up, and
waited for the up express from Southampton, due
in London at 6 p.m., and then expected every mi-
nute. In a:minute or two it came up at full speed,
and was stopped by the engine driver with the red
signal lamp. But• for this in one or two minutes
more it would have reached the junction, and come
full upon the carriage lying across the up line,
and very probably have gone over the embank-
ment like the rest, when the loss of life would
have been aernetbing fearful to think of. Having
stopped this train, the engine driver again pushed on
his engine at sped to Kingston, where he pro-
cured .medical assistance, communicated with the
South-Western authorities at Waterloo by tele-
graph, and stopped the down traffic. The news of
the disaster, however, was not known in London
till after three other trains had been despatched.
Had there been a telegraph station at either
Malden or Wimbledon, it would have been known
almost directly. Fortunately, however, it was
known sufficiently early at Wimbledon to prevent
any down trains passing, and all traffic having been
stopped, the work of getting such of the wounded
as could be moved back to London was at once
commenced. Dr. Baly, as we have stated, was
found dead; under a first-class carriage on the up
line. His head was so crushed that the body is
scarcely recognisable. The flesh was stripped from
t hie right thigh, and the left thigh and leg fractured.
A piece of iron of some .1-;ed seems also to have
been forced through the head above, and into the
right eye, apparently crushing it in its socket. In
the presence of such awful injuries it is a gloomy
coneolation to think that death was instant and so
far without suffering. It is said that evidence will
prove that Dr. Italy, when he found the carriage
off the line, opened the door end jumped out. His
body was foend ander a first class carriage, all the
the doors of -which were locked. His untimely
death is a most severe loss to the medical profession,
of which he was one of the most eminent members.
He Was travelling to Guildford to attend a consul-
tation when the accident took place.
The number of those seriously, and some it is
feared fatally, injured by the unfortunate occur-
rence is unusually large.. Mr. Taylor, an extensive
lincndraper at Portsea, was so badly crushed about
the back and:ribs, that it was impossible for him to
bear the pain of removal to a London hospital. He
was, therefore, taken at once to the Mansell Arms,
a tavern close adjoining, the Wimbledon station.
Yeaterday he still remained in a condition of the
most intense suffining, and scarcely any hopes arc
entertained of his recovery. Miss Power, daughter
of Col. Power, of Talbot-square, Hyde-park, was
brought up to SL Thomas's Hospital with Mr.
Pullinger and Mr. Miall. Miss Power is most
seriously injured about the head, so likewise is Mr.
Pullinger, and Mr. Miall has several ribs broken
and is otbei-Wise dangerously injured internally.
All these are in a dangerous condition, though we
are glad to say that up to yesterday they were pro-
gressing fairourably. A Mr. Turner and a Mr.
Ford had each of them ribs broken, though other-
vise not too- much injured to prevent their being
conveared to their own homes. Mr. Pewtress, of
Graccchissh.street, has received some most serious
and dreadful scalp wounds, and, though able to be
removed to his own home, is still in a condition of
danger. Mr. ,Howell and Mr. Harris, both of Ports-
mouth, and Dr. Wyatt, of Southsea, were much
their homee.
contused mad shaken, has were able to proceed to
When the place where the accident occurred is
considered it is' almost marvellous how any escaped
with, their lives. All the carriages are nearly
smashed to 'pieces, and every one is turned com-
pletely round, facing towards Londonthe site direction to which they oppo-
were going at the time.
The tender of the engine is broken to
pieces, 'the
tank being completely separated from the wheels,
and both parts are turned round towards London,
like the others. From this circumstance it would
appear that, after leaving the rails, each carriage
swung completely round as it plunged over the
bank. It is an astonishing thing that neither the