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

LONDON, FRIDAY, AUGUST 21, 1868.

Seldom bas the public been startled by the news
of a more terrible and fatal disaster on our Eng-
lish railways than that which this morning ap-
palled the readers of the daily journals. The
nature of the accident at Abergele was so fearful,
the number of victims so numerous, and the
whole circumstances of the case so painful, that
the calamity has scarcely a parallel in our Yailway
annals. The Irish Limited Mail, leaving Loudon
at 7.15 a.m., was en route for Holyhead, and
passed Abergele station in safety about one o'clock.
Half an hour before a goods train had passed, and
this was the cause of the subsequent disaster. A
little beyond Llandulas, a mile and a half
from Abergele, a portion of this goods train
seems, from some unexplained reason, to have
become detached and ran back down the
incline, running into the mail train, which was
coming on behind at about 40 miles an hour. The
engine, tender, and three first-class carriages, were
smashed up together, but the climax of horror was
that a waggon laden with petroleum oil was at the
back of the goods train, and naturally exploded
when the collision occurred. The wrecks of the
carriages and the remains of their unfortunate oc-
cupants were all burnt in the fire, and twenty-
three passengers for Ireland were burnt beyond the
recognition of their friends. We may reasonably
hope, from the violence of the collision, that they
were beyond the reach of suffering from the flames,
but the incident in its least painful aspects is suffi-
ciently appalling. In addition to the fatal cases,
there are, of course, many more sufferers who are
more or less injured. The stoker was picked up
dead from under the broken engine. The chief
guard also was killed, but the driver, having seen
that a collision was inevitable, jumped off, and
escaped with some injuries. The Duchess of
ABERCORN and her family were among the passen-
gers, but fortunately escaped. Lord FARNUAM,
and two ladies who accompanied him, were among
the victims. A watch was picked up among the
ruins bearing his name, but it is not pos-
sible to identify the bodies. Twenty-three
coffins have been carried to Abergele charch, and
the injured aro distributed in the neighbourhood.
Such are the main outlines of this terrible story,
whose details will probably be shortly before us.
We have yet to learn the cause of part of the goods
train becoming detached ; but it would seem that,
in any case, the
.mail train was too closely on its
track. Railway travellers trust their lives and
limbs to the keeping of the companies, and they
have surely a right to expect that all possible pre-
cautions should be taken. They are perfectly
helpless to protect
,themselves, but they ought
to be protected by the companies from all
risks that can possibly be foreseen or gulrded
against. If this accident was due, as some others
have been, to any failure in the coupling chains,
it will be worth while to inquire whether some legal
provision cannot be made compelling all such chains
and irons :employed on railways to come up to a
Government standard. We all know that con-
stant habit familiarises danger to such a degree that
men grow reckless and indifferent to it, and the
risks of railway travelling are thus too often
greatly exaggerated by the carelessness of the men
employed on the lines. There will no doubt be a
full and searching investigation into the origin of
this appalling disaster, and we must hope that it
will at least be possible to guard against its recur-
rence, though at present the only prevailing feel-
ing is naturally one of sympathy for the living and
sorrow for the dead.

Nothing very particular has occurred in the
election movements, but the candidates are becom-
ing rather more on the alert as time goes on and
the day of decision draws nearer. A very large
meeting was held at Exeter for the purpose of hear-
ing addresses from the Liberal candidate, Mr.
COLERIDGE, the present member, who declared his
admiration of the Attorney-General, but at the
same time he considered that the constituency
should return Mr. EDGAR BROWNING, who is the
new candidate put forward. Mr. COLERIDGE
said little of the intentions and views
of the Opposition, and professed disap-
pointment that the Attorney-General had
not sketched out a distinct policy which her
MAJESTY'S Government might be likely to pursue.
He let out the secret of this when he said that it
was the duty of one side to suggest schemes, and of
the other to criticise them. This sounds very well;
but who does not remember the do-nothing policy
of the Liberal Gouernment for years, and if that is
compared with the decided progress made the last
year or two, the advantages are not all on
the side of the fault-finders. It is always easier
for an opponent to take up a cause if the
party he criticises has committed himself
to a particular phase of policy, and left
himself no loophole of escape. Mr. COLERIDGE is
evidently at fault, and does not know exactly what
error of judgment to fix upon, so be has to resort to
the expedient of saying that there is no policy in
the present Government. The hon. member fell
into a mistake, which has now unfortunately be-
come too common, with respect to his remarks on
the Irish Church. lie did not depend upon argu-
ments, but indulged in abuse, and if half of his
language were true, it was a reproach to Mr. GLAD-
STONE that he did not attempt something of a re.
formatory kind before. It does not advance any
course in reality to rush into dangerous extremes.

The opening day's work of the various sections
of the British Association promises well for the
practical utility of the discussions. The several
inaugural addresses of the chairmen of the deplrt-
meats were for the most part full of interest. In the
Economic, Science, and Statistics section, Mr.
BROWN, president of the Institute of Actuaries,
presided, and made special reference to the subject
of technical education. It was, he thought, highly
desirable that scientific education should be followed
by technical education in workshops, and a great
deal might be effected if employers would
require more proofs of practical knowledge.
Mr. Winrwoam's munificent gift might be
expected to give a great impulse to the movement,
but there are many points in connection with it
which require consideration, such as the attendance
of children at schools, the effect of such attendance
upon the labour market, and other questions.
Another subject of even greater importance was
commended to the notice of his section by Mr.
BROWN—the relations between labour and capital.
In regard to the solution of this great social pro-
blem some progress had, ho thought, been
actually made during the list year. Courts of
Conciliation are engaging more and more
attention, and the system of industrial
partnerships has worked well in some places. Mr.
BROWN then turned to a branch of Economic
Science with which, from his position, he was
thoroughly familiar, and he expressed his •satisfac-
tion at the progress of the three departments of

insurance—life, fire, and marine. It is a noticeable
fact that life insurance is making greater pro-
gress in the United States than in this
country, though the Americans are cer-
tainly not, as a rule, more prudent than the
English. Other topics of general interest, such as
the adoption of a uniform system of weights and
measures, the purchase by the State of telegraph
property, and the International Statistical Confer-
ence, were touched upon by Mr. BROWN, whose sec-
tion is likely to do some useful service if it follows
in the line he has marked for its attention.

It appears that all is to go smoothly in France
for the present, and the Constitutionnel declares
that the general election of deputies to the Legisla-
tive Body will not take place till 1869. This is
affirmed in the most positive manner, so that we
may put some faith in it. By next spring, it will
be remembered, the ordinary time for the duration
of the. Legislature expires, so that there will be
no extra preparation made and no undue excite-
ment raised in the matter. It is the more fortu-
nate that things should remain undisturbed
now, because, with one circumstance and
another, some anxiety has prevailed respecting
public opinion on certain points, and just now there
is a great deal about the Opposition oratory of M.
GREVY. Several of the journals comment on it in
very free terms, and especial notice is drawn to the
fact that the new Deputy belongs to the Radical
section, and will thus be a great reinforcement to
them and a drawback to the Conservative party.
Great stress is likewise laid on the fact that the
decision has taken place in the rural population, so
that the excuses cannot be made which generally
are found regarding the decision of the towns.
We doubt much of this is exaggerated, and, the
period being a dull one, the writers and
commentators are glad to seize upon any opportu-
nity that presents itself to make some political capi-
tal out of it. The "impassable inhabitants" of the
country are not likely to prove the correctness of
the definitions concerning them ; but, meanwhile,
many circumstances conspire to show the propriety
of leaving the.dissolution of the Chamber alone for
the present. It is not the thing itself so much as
the rumours afloat concerning it that renders the
election season a time of doubt and anxiety, and
especially in France, where so peculiar a tone pre-
vails with respect to public affairs.
The Debats has, apparently, adopted the pacific
policy of others, and in the long summary of events
which it has given recently it favours the notion
of general quietude prevailing. The great Cabi-
nets of Europe are all convinced, it says, of the ne-
cessity of maintaining peace, and the same opinion
is expressed at London, Vienna, and Berlin, all feel-
ing convinced of the wisdom of such a course being
pursued. St. Petersburgh and Constantinople seem
to be the exceptions to the rule, but we must wait
for the war, as there exists at present no cause for
its prosecution. The King of PRUSSIA and Couut
BISMARCK are declared to be of opinion that Prussia
requires to be let alone for the present, and this
suggests the notion that it would have been far
better had they entertained the belief before and
allowed others to enjoy their property undisturbed.
Time is expected to work great marvels in
Prussia, and in the new provinces attached
to the rule of Berlin statesmen, the Southern
States may yet be induced to unite thip-
selves to the North. The arguments which
show forth this are not altogether convinc-
ing ones, but it is certainly reassuring to learn
that no more aggressions need be expected on the
part of Prussia, for Europe has grown well-nigh
wearied of them, and indignant at the injustice of
their workings. The war fever has its partisans
both i❑ Paris and Berlin, but they are just now
in anything but the ascendant, and therefore their
views and intentions are not of much moment in
the general estimation of affairs. It is necessary
that the Government of the EMPEROR should be
enabled to take time to consider their policy, and
not be forced into the whirl and confusion of a
general election unnecessarily as it were. By the
time next spring comes much may have occurred
to tranquillize matters, or at any rate the policy of
Prussia may be more definite and settled.