The Sun.
London, England, 1845-06-23 00:00:00

THE LATE ACCII)ENT ON THE
GREAT WESTERN RAIL WA.Y.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUIT.
Stit,—Having been a passenger in the Great Western express
train, which left Paddington on Tuesday morning last, at a
quarter before ten, and heving read various accounts of the acci-
dent which occurred to such train, I deem it right to transmit to
you, for the information of the public, sundry particulars which
came under my notice-
We were travelling between Paddington and Slough, at a speed
of about sixty miles an hour, when suddenly I felt something
unusual in the motion of the train, and immediately we were en-
veloped in a dense cloud of dust. The passengers at each window,
by a simultaneous impulse, drew up the glasses. While they
were doing so I exclaimed " There is certainly something wrong;"
and scarcely had I utteted the words when our carriage began
to incline on one side ; it then fell heavily to the ground, and
toppling over settled ultimately at the bottom of an embankment,
with its wheels in the air. In a case of this kind it is impossible
accurately to measure time, or to give a very correct notion of
one's feelings. There was an interval, however, during which I
thought, and felt that I was in a state of extreme peril, but that,
bowever great the danger might be, I could do nothing to escape
from it. I sat quietly, therefore, without moving limb or muscle,
and, strange to say, without the slightest sensation of fear. When
the carriage fell I was dashed out of my seat, and as it turned over
I was turned too, and for a few seconds I lost the power of
vision. When sight was restored I found myself at the bottom of the
inverted carriage, looking through a broken window upon a grassy
bank. During the whole of this time there was no shriek, scream,
nor expression of pain from any one in my carriage. All was
silent—a solemn, awful silence, such as pervades the chamber of
the dead. The first words that met my ear were those of a soft,
sweet, female voice, exclaiming, " Thank God, we are not hurt !"
The voice was that of a lady who had been sitting opposite to me,
and who was now lying by my side, in a position which manly de-
corum forbids me to describe. Thinking she had been premature
in concluding no one was hurt, she said to me, " Are you hurt,
Sir ?" And on my answering In the negative, she repeated,
" Thank God I thank God !" Similar inquiries of others led to
repetitions of the same pious ejaculation on the part of the lady,
and is. which we all fervently joined. We then crept composedly
one by one out of the broken window. The scene that presented
itself ouiside baffles all attempt at description. The engine and
tender had altogether disappeared. Some yards in advance of us
was seen the luggage van, still on the line of road. The first
second-class carriage of the train had been forcibly wheeled round
in a transverse direction across the rails, and had there come to a
dead stand, deeply embedded in the ballasting. Three carriages
were at the bottom of the embankment ; two lying on their sides
broken and splintered; and the third (in a compartment of which
I had been) was completely turned over, as before stated, and
dreadfully fractured at one end.
All the carriages were soon emptied of their inmates, and we
ibund, from mutual inquiries, to our great satisfaction, that there
was no loss of life. I was deeply grieved, however, to perceive
many evidences of serious bodily injury. The faces of all were
begrirned, and their apparel covered with dust. One was seen
limping along, another complained of his arm, another of his side;
one was bleeding from the nose, another from the head, and the
face of one was cut and contused in a most frightful manner. All,
however, whetter injured or not, seemed actuated by one and the
same philanthropic desire of alleviating as tar as possible the suffer-
ings of their fellow passengers.
la a few minutes a great number of labourers wereseen running
to the spot, and several horses also arrived. I heard some one be-
longing to the Company beg of a labourer to assist in removing the
carriage which had got across the line. " Who is to pay me ?"
said a surly voice. I looked at the man, and indignantly mut-
tered, "The devil!" What else was said to him I know not, but
be seemed satisfied and went to his work.
In about half an hour an engine with some carriages arrived
from Slough, bringing a surgeon. He was pressed to attend first
upon a gentleman of wealth and high consideration. His answer
was characteristic of a humane, a noble, and a generous mind—
" Take me first," said he, " to him who is most injured ; I care not
what may be his name or station."
While we were detained at Slough I saw two ladies carried
away helpless and insensible. I was told that one had received a
severe concussion of the brain, and that there was little hope of

her reovery.
As to the cause of the accident I cannot speak with any degree
of certainty, but it is my strong impression that'the portion of the
line upon which we were travelling at the time the accident oe.
curred had been and was then under repair, and that, through
some unaccountable carelessness, our train was allowed to run upon
rails and sleepers, which, though arranged probably in their proper
position, were not permanently fixed or adequately secured. This
was the opinion of all the passengers with whom I conversed on the
subject, and I have little doubt that a searching investigation will
end in confirming that opinion.
I fear that one of the most serious sufferers from this accident
will be my highly esteemed and valued friend, Mr. W. Miles, the
Member for Somersetahire, whose arm was almost wrenched from
his body, and who yet insisted on proceeding to join his family at
Bristol. I witnessed and shall never forget his patient endurance
for several hours of the most agonising bodily torture. For my
part, I have great reason to be thankful. A few trifling bruises
of the arm, and a slight occasional dizziness of the head, are all
the injuries I have sustained.—l am, Sir, your most obedient ser-
vant, REGINALD J. BLEWITT.
Llanturnam Abbey, Newport, Monmouthshire, June 20.

BRITISH ASSOCIATION FOR THE

ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE.

CAMBRIDGE, JUNE 20.—The different sections for scientific
business commenced their sittings yesterday. With the excep.
tions of the mathematical and physical sections, the attendance
was not at all numerous, and for want of papers, the mechani.
cal and medical sections did not hold any meeting.
The first general meeting was held in the evening at the Se-
nate House, which was filled with a large and respectable com-
pany, containing a large proportion of ladies. The chair was
taken:by the Dean of Ely, who was supported by the Marquis
of Northampton, Sir David Brewster, Sir H. de la Beche, the
Dean of Westminster, and many leading members.
The PRESIDENT briefly addressed the meeting, stating that
it was now his duty to resign the chair into the hands of Sir
John Herschel!. He had felt it to be a great privilege at York
that it should be left to him to communicate their invitation to
the different magnetic observers throughout Europe. That in-
vitation had been most cordially responded to.
Sir JOHN HERSCHELL, in taking the chair, referred to the
long friendship which had existed between him and the
former President, and then proceeded at considerable length
to refer to the progress of magnetical and meteorological
observations throughout the world. The result has been
the accumulation of an enormous mass of information, which
has placed the science high, although time must be allowed
for their discussion. It was the greatest and most pro-
longed system of observations which had ever been mule ;
the manner in which they had been supported by the British
and Russian Governments and the East India Company being
most munificent, but their continuance must be settled before
the present meeting closes. It was not now necessary to seek
for the aid of foreign talent ; the mind of Britain was equal to
any; in mathematical analysis it could accomplish anything,
and when once the prize of public estimation was held out to
view; nothing would be wanting. The President next ad-
verted to the loss which meteorology had sustained in the death
of the late Professor Daniell ; in the progress of observation
made by Lord Rosse's telescope, where his discoveries had con-
firmed his father's opinion, that all nebulae were double stars—
on the philosophy of logic, agricultural chemistry, &c., and
the imperative necessity of an alteration in scientific nomencla-
ture, to keep pace with the wider range which it had taken.
Mr. EVERETT, the United States Minister, said that he had
unexpectedly been called upon to propose the thanks of the
meeting to the President for his address. He much re-
gretted that none of the philosophers from his country were
present ; but without any claim to that character himself, he
might stand forward as their representative. He saw in the
president the son of one who gage the " Lyre of Heaven"
another string. By the irresistible power of his sagacity, he
noticed what had passed for a s'ar for ages, and tran,ferred
it to the solar system, but so remote was it that it had not yet,
perhaps, concluded its cycle. The name of the president was
as well known in America as in Europe, and if he would go
westward as well as south, he would see himself surrounded
by admirers and friends of kindred tongues. The University
of Cambridge in New England was his own trans-Atlantic
Almanlater ; and he looked with pride towards it as having
been founded by a member of Emmanuel College, in this
University.
The Marquis of Northampton briefly seconded the motion,
which was carried by acclamation.

There was a large-influx of members yesterday, the numbers
who registered up to ten o'clocklast night being 311, and mak-
ing a total of 657.

TROOPS FROM CALCUTTA.-CEIATHAM, JUNE 20
—On Thursday afternoon, the 19th instant, arrived the several
detachments at the Invalid Dept, Casema'e Barracks, Brompton,
consisting of one sergeant.major, two sergeants, two corporals, and
five privates of the 3d Light Dragoons ; and 16 privates belong.
jog to the 16th Lancers, with one colour-sergeant of the 3d
Buffs, that was left behind by the regiment when it sailed for
England ; three privates of the 9th Foot ; one colour-sergeant,
three sergeants, and thirty-nine privates of the 31st; one colour-
sergeant and one private, 39th ; two privates of the 50th ; and
nine women and thirty-two children belonging to the above. The
detachments were in charge of Lieutenant Grey of the 39th,
and came from India in the ship Prince of Wales, 1,350 tons
burden, Captain Hopkins. The troops embarked at Calcutta
on the 17th of February last, and sailed immediately, and on
arrival at the Cape the ship put in and remained seven days, taking
in water and fresh provisions, and arrived off Gravesend, after an
excellent passage of 122 days, and, most remarkable, although the
greatest portion of the soldiera have been in India a number of
years, and at the recapture of Caubul, and suffering considerable
hardships in the late wars in India, not one man of them died on
board. This splendid ship brought to England several passengers,
among whom was Mrs. Yewell, wife of Mr. Yewell, who has
charge of a gold mine, and Mr. Hill, an indigo planter (the former
lost a child by death) ; Captain Salmon, of the Hon. East India
Company's artillery, with many other officers in the Company's
service. Dr. Clark, a civilian, had medical charge of the vessel.

On Thursday evening, between eight and nine
o'clock, as Mr. Frederick Burton, the usher of the Greenwich
]Police-court, was returning home, after delivering over to the Go.
vernor of Kingston gaol a man who had been convicted of sn.ug-
gling, and on entering the station to go by the first train for Lon-
don, he observed four suspicious looking men get out of the train
from Moulsey. Mr. Cornell, the deputy-governor of Kingston gaol,
was in his company, to whom he mentioned the circumstance, and
they both watched the parties closely, who, on being observed, en-
deavoured to make off. Three out of the four succeeded in
slipping through the station into the town, and escaped. The
prisoner rushed into the pay office, sat down, and attempted to pass
a bundle under the seat, when his hand was caught hold of by
Mr. Cornell, and Mr. Burton, with the handcuffs he had taken off
the smuggler's wrists, secured the prisoner, and conveyed him to
the police station. On the bundle being examined, nine large table-
spoons, four silver forks, two silver ladles, two silver salts, and
other articles were produced, wet with gravy; and, on searching
his person, other valuable property was found, which, it is fully
expected will be owned when the prisoner is brOught before the
magistrates.
WILL Or MISS LINWOOD. BFQUEST TO THE
Cnowx.—The will and codicil of the late' Miss Mary Linwood
(whose copies of pictures, executed xeeuted on worsted, have excited
just general admiration) have been proved in Doctors' Commons,
by Mr. B Markland, and Mr. w. Markland, the nephews, and two
of the executors of the deceased.
toShe bequeathed to the Leicester
rmary InOL, " to be applied
athe laudable purposes of that
institution," and " to the reaiginteirn sovereign Carlo Dole,,
of Great Britain and
Ireland my Salvator Muncji,
as an heirloom V
the Crown for ever." (Her Majesty has o
signifiedbequests,
her acceptance, of
this wonderful work.) After a few specific nests, site directs,
that if her collection (exhibiting at L,icestereq uare)orbe not sold
in one lot, as a private collection, it be disl.osed' by public
auction, and the proceeds of such sale, with her other
t property,
divided into seventeen equal shares, which she bequeatlsamn
the same number of relatives. Her personal property (within the
province of Canterbury) has been sworn under 10,0001.
THE CONSERVATORY AT 13UCKINGHANt PALACE
We hope and trust, that for the credit of the country, the Corn.
inissioners of Woods and Forests will tak-2. an early opportunity of
remedying the defects in the gardens of Buckingham Palace. it
is certainly a disgrace to the royal residence that
efhalttt nhieconscervdatory
has
elf43rilowett Clad
fdlii,, place. H
it shoulder could
b Majesty ald not set
tob:
foovitydvsjoirtie ,tithwough iy disgusted, and nobody can
walk. dram it ittttotlVll(l)or,4: The whole thing would cost .5001.
to complete:ins std 'fb and furnish it with appropriate
plants.—Garrfenses CleaetOrz 1 4
FATAL
0)
Monday morning,
between
sight and nine o'elocitiin *tad ent occurred by the sudden fall of a
portion of the intc4ol —f
' •- ---4.1111 e }told Greyfriars Church, which ls
for some time beess!in'etarseeff restoration, in consequence of Le
damage sustained from late fire, whereby one man lost his life,
and three others were severely injured. EdosburgA Pare'''.