The Sun.
London, England, 1850-10-17 00:00:00

--1.• z, -

..~-

~,--=-

',l .a

h 4
SERIOUS ACCIDENT ON —THE
NORTH BRITISH RAILWAY.
(From the Scotsman)
An accident occurred on the Haddington branch of
the North British Railway on Monday evening, of a
very serious character, though happily, and we may
say, in the circumstances, miraculously unattended by
loss of life. The train to which the casualty happened
left Haddington at ten minutes to seven o'clock, for
Longniddry, there to join the through train from
Berwick to Edinburgh. It was composed of three
carriages, a truck, and the engine and tender. The
truck was placed next the engine, followed by a third,
then a first, and lastly by a second-class carriage.
When about four miles distant from ,Haddington ,at a
point where there is a considerable incline, a sudden
shock was felt by the passengers. As afterwards
turned out, this must have arisen from the breaking of
the coupling between the tender and the truck, caused
by the sudden starting of the engine off the rails.
The engine, it appears, ran for a short distance al, IT
the side of the line, and then bolted down the em
bankment (which at this phlce Was only some two or
three feet high), into a field of turnips on the. farm
of Layerochlaw—ploughing up fte ground for al;out
forty or fifty yards, and finally coming to a stop when
it had imbedded itself to a depth equal to the height
of the wheels. The driver kept his place on the
engine , during the whole time, but the stoker was
suddenly swept off into the field by a piece of the
telegraphic wire, which bad been drawn out of its
place by the funnel of the engine. The stoker was
slightly injured about the head, but the engine-driver
•was unhurt.
After the engine and tender had become discon-
nected from the train, the carriages and truck ap-
pear to have proceeded fur about twenty or thirty
yards along the line. The .third -chum carriage
then seems, from some cause or or other, to have
fallen over on its side, when the coupling
between it and the truck gave way—the latter, like
the engine being precipitated over the embankment
into the field. The third-class carriage is supposed
to have been driven forward for a short way upon its
broadside, and ultimately, from the force of the other
carriages,, to have been made to perform a complete
somerset, so that the bottom framework and wheels
lay uppermost. Unlike the engine and truck, it did
not go over the embankment, but lay smashed in
pieces upon the side of the railway, with part of the
first-class carriage, which had been turned completely,
round, resting
j upon it. During all this time the pas-
sengers were jolted and huddled together in a fearful
manner. This was particularly the case with those
in the third-class carriage, whose escape amidst
its almost total demolition for the sides and
part of the roofing are said to have been torn
off—is truly wonderful. So far as we can ascer-
tain, there were only twelve passengers in the train,
and of these six are represented to have been in the
third-class carriage, all of whom were more or less
seriously injured. The passengers in the other car-
riages, we believe, escaped without injury.
Not a moment was lost by the passengers in the
first and second-class carriages, and by the guard,
engine-driver, and stoker, in proceeding to the assist-
ance of the unfortunate individuals buried, so to
speak, under the wreck of the third class carriage.
After a good deal of exertion, they succeeded in ex-
tricating them all except an old woman, who was so
firmly wedged in that she could not be got out, until
what is called the " dumb-craft" had been applied to
raise up the carriage.
A servant from a neighbouring farm was, from the
noise, early attracted to the spot, and kindly volun-
teered to ride for assistance to Haddington. On the
information reaching Haddington in this way, a
special train was immediately dispatched to the spot
with Dr. Martine, who rendered all the aid in his
power to the sufferers. He found four of them to be
in such a dangerous condition as, to render their in-
stant removal to Haddington a matter of absolute ne-
cessity. These parties were—
Mungo Kerr, collector of the customs, &c., Mus-
selburgh, who has several severe scalp wounds,
and some bruises about the back of the neck.
He is still in a very precarious state.
Mrs. Robertson, from Leith, who has a large wound
on the forehead, and is very seriously bruised
about the back and shoulders.
Miss Henderson, who has a small wound on the
forehead, and a severe sprain of the right ankle.
Miss Rintoul, belonging to Edinburgh, who is
bruised about the back, and has a cut on her
head.
The wounds received by the latter two are as cleanly
done as if inflicted by a penknife ; but in the case of
the other two they are broad and ragged. The two
other parties injured were a man and a woman.
They belonged respectively to Edinburgh and Porto-
bello, but their names we could not ascertain. Both
went home in a special train with the other passen-
gers, although very much injured—the woman being
considerably bruised aboui the back, and the man
having a severe cut on the loin.
The rail, at the place where the accident occurred,
were displaced for a distance of upwards of a hundred
yards, and some of them were broken, and others
twisted together. Several of the chairs and sleepers
were also removed out of their beds.

Men were employed all night in clearing away the
wreck of the accident, and in repairing the injury
done to the line. The engine, whioo is reported not
to havQ been much damaged, was only got out of the
field about nine o'clock yesterday morning. The
down line was put into a complete state of repair in
the course of yesterday afternoon, and the trains
pnssed along it as usual.
We understand that the authorities have ordered a

full investigation into the accident; and it is not im-
probable, from what we have heard, that some of the
parties in charge of the train will be taken into
custody.

SMITHFIELD-MARK ET.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE MORNING CHRONICLE.

Sir,—l am sure that every one who considers the
importance of the subject will appreciate the service
which you are rendering to the public by admitting
to your valuable columns a few words in defence of
Smithfield-market. A question affecting the supply
of food to the inhabitants of this great metropolis,
assuredly deserves free discussion, and whilst you
yourself have stated with force and ability the argu-
meats which may be urged on the one side, it speaks
well for your candour and earnestness in the pursuit
of the public good that you should publish also what
is to be said on the other, so that the public may have
the means of passing a fair and correct judgment upon
the question, There is one point, which it strikes
me, sir, you, in common with many who are opposing
the plan of the Corporation, have overlooked, and
which is still of the utmost importance in considering
the matter; and that is, that no one in the Corpora-
tion or out of it is satisfied with Smithfield-market as
it now stands, or is anxious to defend any of the evils
to which it seems possible to apply a remedy.
The space is too confined, and, as a consequence,
great cruelty is unnecessarily inflicted on the animals
which are there exposed for sale. This is admitted
on all hands, and the Corporation propose to open an
area amply sufficient. The existence of a thorough-
fare through the market-place is a double injury, the
thoroughfare interfering with the market, the market
obstructing the thoroughfare. It is proposed to con-
struct an enclosed market, and not only thus to re-
lieve the thoroughfares but greatly to enlarge and im-
prove them. The avenues to the present market-
place are confined and already overcrowded. It is
proposed to construct the new City market on a site
immediately adjacent to the "New Victoria-street,"
by which means a large part of the cattle traffic, that
passing north, would be entirely removed from
the existing thoroughfares. Another large part,
that passing south, would pass along one of the
broadest and most convenient streets in the metropolis,
Parringdon-street ; the other avenues would be
widened and improved to their utmost practical ex-
tent; and, in addition to this, the existence of a dead
meat market, together with slaughtering houses for
supply on the spot, will have the effect of preventing
a considerable portion of the cattle from passing into
the streets. It is thus seen that the proposed new
market would very much obviate the objection of the
passage of cattle through the streets. It may be
urged, that it does not meet it entirely; but neither
will any removal or alteration which is practicable.
The report of the Royal Commission, embodying the
result of every other inquiry into the matter, affirms
that, take the market where you may, "it would
be necessary that they should be driven through
the streets." This admitted, I conceive that very
little consideration would convince every man that
any removal from a central site (that which, on the
average, is the nearest to every other point), so far
from remedying, or even alleviating the evil, must
aggravate and add to it. Remove the market to any
of the proposed spots on the north of the metropolis,
and the vast numbers of cattle that pass to the
southern metropolitan districts, and to the different
railway stations on the south side of the river, must
traverse the streets from one end to the other, in-
creasing the nuisance in the metropolis itself, and ex-
tending it to the suburban districts, where those who
tt ish to avoid the noise and disturbance incident to
the trade of a great city have retired, and where the
only class liable to danger and alarm from the pre-
sence of t? .e cattle (females and children) are exclu-
sively to he found.
portance which demand men
There are many other points
otf)uttil litia!me °altreiandi;
tsrheospualdsseydou,tohoowmevuecrh, ull po own
in your p
uvr as
ol ue
the matter
1 i
further on a future occasion,l shouldliop:ntolo es,d
I,l7.3_vis-
cuss them in the spirit C
anEnglish
, FRPLAY.
that of
October 16.

CorTEE-SHOP Itonnußy.—A man named -William
Andrews was yesterday committed from Guildhall for two
months, for stealing three books from Mr. Worralt's eoffeo
house on Uolborn-hill.