The Sun.
London, England, 1845-11-03 00:00:00

ACCIDENT on the GREAT NORTH

- -
OF ENGLAND RAILWAY.
NEWCASTLE-ON-TYNE, SATURDAY.—An accident occurred
to the mail train this morning on the Great North of Eng- .
land Railway, which, though of an alarming character, was
fortunately unattengd with serious results to the passen-
gers. The mail train from the south, due at Darlington
at 20 minutes past seven o'clock, was upwards of an hour
and a half behind its time in arriving at that station,
which it left shortly before nine o'clock, and then consisted
of the engine and tender, a luggage van, two second-class car-
two first-class carriages, Post of ce,and one or two carriages be-
hind that. When between four and five miles north of Darling-
ton, the engine got off the line, and, crossing the up line, went
over the edge of an embankment between seven and eight
.feet in height. The wheels, however, sinking into
the soft earth, prevented it from reaching the
bottom, and in the meantime the engine man, who
maintained his position, turned;off the steam. The tender was
dragged across the up line, the rails of which were displaced,
and the two second-class carriages were thrown together
upon their ends, in an upright position on the line. The
coapling chain between these and the rest of the train !woke,
and the other carriages maintained their proper position,
though most of them were thrown off the rail. Fortunately,
none of the passengers sustained any serious injury, which is
probably owing to the slow rate at which the train was tra-
velling, it not going at more than fifteen miles an hour. The
second-class carriages and tender were much broken. A
messenger was sent back to Darlington for assistance, before
the arrival of which, the express train from Newcastle was
seen approaching, and intimation of danger having been
conveyed by signal it was stopped before reaching the scene
of the accident. In order to prevent delay the mail-bags and
passengers were transferred to the express train, andthe pas-
sengers in that train having alighted, it returned to Newcastle,
and reached the Gateshead station at ten minutes past twelve
o'clock. A special engine from Darlington having arrived,
took up the carriages with the passengers by the express
train, and in the meantime workmen were employed in
clearing the line and relaying the rails, which was effected in
a few hours, but the engine still remains on the embankment.
The spokes of one of the wheels are broken, and the outside
connecting-rod is much bent, but otherwise the engine does'
not appear to have sustained much damage. The 'accident is
supposed to have arisen from the sleepers not having been
sufficiently packed, it having occurred on a part of the line
which had been undergoing repair. Atrain which left Darlin 'O.-
ton at half-past eight had,passed:over the place7safely not half
an hour before the accident occurred. Had the mail train kept.
its lime it would:have gone first over the line, but being behind
time the other train was dispatched from Darlington before it.
The rails are so muchtwisted and broken that it is impossible
to tell from an inspection of the place whether the engine had
gone off the line at a joint or in the middle of the bar, from
the sinking of the sleeper, though it is probable the bar
would give way at the joint,. and so leave an opening which
the flange of the wheel had passed through. The passengers
speak favourably of the exertions of the company's servants
in charge of the train, to whom not the slightest blame is
attributed.

LORD HARDWICKE ON THE
POTATO DISEASE.
(From the Cambridge Chronicle.)
The Lord-Lieutenant has thought it his duty to issue
an address to the labourers of the county and isle upon
the subject of the potato disease. Coming from such a
quarter, and upon a subject of such vital interest, we
cannot give the Noble Lord's address too prominent a
position in our columns.
TO THE LABOURERS OF CAMBRIDGESHIRE AND THE ISLE
OF ELY.
Fellow-countrymen —A sense of duty induces me to
address you on the subject of the potato.
It is not necessary on this occasion to state the nature
or cause of the decay of that most important article
of food.
I wish to induce you to look forward to the conse-
quence of neglecting the endeavour to stop the progress
of the evil. If you do neglect to do so, all will be lost !
From all I can learn moisture is the food on which the
decay increases, and dryness the medicine to be used f,r
the cure.
Therefore, do not pit the potatoes in the usual way ;
but, after most carefully picking them, and separating
the bad from the good, place the good under a roof (if
you have space), placed in layers, and not more than
four potatoes deep, so that they may keep effectually dry.
Where you have not house room, expose them to the
sun and air during dry weather on the surface of the
ground, and then pile them in small conical heaps on the
surface, thatching them over with straw, and cutting a
deep trench round about them, with a good drain from
the trench to carry off the water.
Pick the best potatoes for seed next year, and take
them into the cottage, keeping them quite dry, and let
no price induce you to part kith them ; for next year
seed will not be procurable !
I also advise that at present you do not sell, for T feel
sure that at no very distant period the price of the potato
will be unprecedented.
I further advise all who have pitted potatoes at once to
open the pits, and pick the potatoes over again.
I am, fellow countrymen, ever your faithful servant,
Windsor Castle, Oct. 28, 1845. HARDWICKE.