The Sun.
London, England, 1868-08-21 00:00:00

FURTHER. DETAILS.

SUPPOSED DEATH OF LORD FARNHAM.
ABERGELE, Midnight.

The most extraordinary and fatal accident ever
known on an English railway occurred at midday
on the Chester and Holyhead line, near Llandulas,
about a mile and a half from Abergele. The Irish
limited mail leaving London at 7.15 passed Aber-
gele (Pensarn Station) in safety, about one; a
goods train had passed half an hour before.
Beyond Llandulas a portion of the goods train to
Holyhead seems to have become detached, and
ran back down an incline, meeting the mail
train, which was going about forty miles an
hour. There is a curve near. The driver of the
mail train, Arthur Thompson, of Stafford,
saw that a collision was inevitable, and jumped
off, escaping with slight hurt. The stoker, Joseph
Holmes, of Stafford, remained at his post. At
the back of the goods train was a waggon loaded
with petroleum oil. When the collision occurred
the petroleum exploded. The engine, tender, and
three first-class carriages were smashed up together
and burnt with petroleum. Twenty-three passen-
gers for Ireland were all burnt so badly that none
could be recognised. A watch was found with an
inscription showing it belonged to Lord Farnham,
who was accompanied, it was supposed, by his
two daughters. The Duchess of Abercorn and
Lord George Hamilton were on the train, but
escaped unhurt. Locomotives, cranes, and men
were sent from Chester an I Crewe, and the line
was cleared by about half-past five in the even-
ing. The telegraphic wires having been broken
prevented messages for assistance being despatched
early. Twenty-three bodies have been brought to
Pensarn station and placed in coffins by Mr.
Waite, undertaker, of Chester. They were then
taken to Abergele, and deposited in the church.
A large number of passengers who were hurt
are distributed about Pensarn, Abergele, and
places near. Their names cannot be ascer-
tained at this late hour. It is feared that none
of the bodies will be recognisable by friends, they
are so fearfully charred. Four doctors from Aber-
gele and Rhyl have been waiting upon sufferers by
direction of the railway company. The body of
the stoker was picked up under the broken engine.
Thompson, the driver, is at a cottage near the scene
of the accident, and will be able to give some
account of what he saw. The icquest will pro-
bably open to-morrow (Friday) and be immediately
adjourned.
The Duchess of Abercorn and Lord George
Hamilton proceeded to Ireland in the course of
the afternoon.

LATEST PARTICULARS.-THIS DAY.

DUBLIN, Friday.

The mail-boat Connaught arrived at Kingstown
at 1 a.m. A large crowd -was present of persons
seeking their friends ; great excitement prevailed.
The Duchess of Abercorn, with Lord George
Hamilton, and Ladies Albertha and Maud, pro-
ceeded to the Viceregal Lodge. Lord Castlerosse
and family, and Judge Berwick, have escaped un-
hurt. Lord and Lady Farnham and their three
children were killed. No other names as yet
known. Mails all saved. Among the destroyed
are several ladies ; 23 altogether were burned to
death.

(From the Times Second Edition.)

We are enabled to relieve in some degree the
terrible anxiety which will be felt this morning
by all persons having had friends travelling from
London by the Irish Limited Mail yesterday morn-
ing, by the announcement that, with the exception
of the Post-office van, none of the London carriages
were seriously affected by the accident.
The only carriages destroyed are the chief guard's
break, which immediately followed the tender, and
those coaches which were taken on at Chester,
viz., one composite, two first-class carriages, and
one covered carriage, consisting of second-class
compartments and a luggage box. lhese carriages
alone have been destroyed, but of their inmates it
is feared not one person has escaped.
The engine, tender, and guard's van alone left
the. rails. The four carriages enumerated remained
on the metals, and were burnt to cinders as they
stood.

Hinton, the surviving guard, states that not two
minutes elapsed after the collision before the whole
of these carriages were enveloped in flames, and so
sudden was the shock and its consequences, that
not a solitary cry for help was beard by him from
any of the burning carriages.
It will be apparent from the above statement that
unless any of the London passengers changed their

carriages at Chester, none of those travelling from
the metropolis have suffered.
We have received the following details from a
gentleman present at the scene of the catas-
trophe :

" ABERGELE, Aug. 20, 1868.

" The quietness of this summer resort has this
evening been broken by a railway accident, a
parallel to which can only be found on the Ameri-
can continent, where lives seem to have little value
set on them.

" A little before one o'clock, and after the down
Irish express train had passed, fire was seen to
proceed from a spot about two miles distant, as
to the cause of which various surmises were
made by those who perceived it. Conjecture was
soon set at rest by the return of an engine which
had been despatched to ascertain the cause, with
a number of carriages, part of the train which
had passed a few minutes before at a rate
of some 60 miles an hour. The occupants gene-
rally did not appear to have met with serious in-
jury, one gentleman alone being unable to wa'k
from the carriages, but many bore marks-of violent
blows.

" One elderly gentleman was severely cut on the
forehead, having, he informed me, been thrown.
against the opposite passenger, whose teeth were
knocked out by the collision.
" A. visit to the scene of the accident afterwards,
however, revealed more tragic features of the occur-
rence ; the debris of an engine, tender, mail and
luggage vans, and two or three passenger carriages
were emerging from the smoke which had before
obscured them ; the charred remains of several

passengers, the stoker, and guard of the Irish ex-
press said to be among them ; also those of Lord
Farnham and others in the same carriage, but
whether among these were any of his relatives I
could not learn.

"The Duchess of Abercorn, three sons, and
two daughters had been in the next carriage, but
succeeded in escaping before it took fire.

"But now as to the cause of the accident and the
circumstances owing to which it became so fatal,
one of which certainly should not pass unnoticed.
"It appears that some trucks containing paraf-
fine had become detached from a luggage train
and were on the down line when the Irish express
dash!ci into them. The trucks gave way before the
concussion, but the paraffin° barrels flew on and
about the engine, taking fire and exploding
with suai rapidity as to set on fire those car-
riages and vans which were nearest the point
of collision, and before the passengers, probably
stunned by the effects, had time to escape
through the windows—for no other means of
exit were left for them. All those who escaped
from the carriages which took fire informed me
such was the manner in which they escaped ; and,
had it not been that the collision in itself was so
slight, victims of this catastrophe would have been
still greater.

" The number of lives lost does not yet appear
to be, and perhaps never will be known. Before
assistance could reach those carriages nearest to the
engine they were in flames, with their unfortunate
occupants. _ _

" You will doubtless have full accounts of this
accident from persons deriving such from railway
officials ; but I think it well to set forth the fact,
that the fatality attending it might have been less
had the carriages not been locked at both sides."