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

TERRIBLE RAILWAY ACCID.ENT.

TWENTY-THREE PERSONS KILLED.

One of the most singular, and at the same time
most horrible, of accidents recorded in the history
of railroads, took place yesterday afternoon on the
line of the London and Nort-Western Railway,
near Abergele Station. While the limited Irish
mail, a train justly noted for regularity and speed,
was pursuing its journey on the down line from
London to Holyhead, at the rate of probably not
b ss than 50 miles an hour, a goods train was pro-
ceeding at the ordinary pace on the down line of
the same railway. A moment before the two trains
would pass each other, the axle of a waggon laden
with casks of paraffin broke, and the truck and its
load were thrown across the up line. The engine
and train of the Irish mail dashed into them, and
were not only thrown off the line by the shock, but
were set on fire by the paraffin which had instan-
taneously burst into flames on coming in contact
with the engine fire. So far as could be learned in
town last night nine persons were horribly burned
to death or killed by the shock ; but other
accounts put the number killed as high as
nineteen. Of these the majority were passen-
gers by the train ; but, in addition to them, the
stoker, one guard, and a Post-office sorter were
taken up dead. The body of the guard, it is
stated, was burned to a cinder. It would
appear that the paraffin spread as a stream of
liquid fire over the line, and, when once ignited
and scattered over the persons of the passengers
could not be extinguished. The mail bags were all
saved. A number of the directors of the London
and North-Western Railway met at the Euston
Hotel last night to decide upon such measures as
it might be necessary to take in order to mitigate
the effects of this awful calamity on their generally
fortunate line.

MANCHESTER, Thursday Night.

A very extraordinary and shocking accident
occurred yesterday, shortly after noon, to the Irish
mail train while on its journey from London. This
train was due at Abergele at 1.30 p.m. The acci-
dent happened about one mile beyond Abergele,
where some trucks loaded with paraffin, and which
had become detached from a luggage train, un-
fortunately blocked the line. 'rho engine of the
mail train dashed upon the trucks with terrific vio-
lence, breaking them to pieces, flooding the line
with paraffin, which was splashed over the pas-
senger carriages, and the fire of the engine set the
liquid in a blaze. The consequences were fearful.
Three of the passenger carriages and the Post-
office tender, were set on fire. Before the unfor-
tunate travellers could be liberated nine were
killed by the collision and the fire, and thirteen
were injured. The mail bags, it was reported, were
saved. By the collision the line was blocked for
several hours.

Thursday Midnight.

The accident caused a block of six hours. It is
now believed that the mail bags are destroyed. The
train was through from London.

ANOTHER ACCOUNT.

SIIREWSBURY.

At half-past one this afternoon the Irish mail,
from London for Holyhead, ran into some trucks
which were filled with paraffin casks, near Abergele.
The engine unfortunately set the oil on fire, and
ten persons were burnt to death, while many more
are reported missing.