The Sun.
London, England, 1845-06-21 00:00:00

THE LATE ACCIDENT ON THE
GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE STIV

_
Sta,—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 windo
by a simultaneous impulse, drew up the glasses. While the%
were doing so I exclaimed " There is certainly something wrong;
and scarcely had I uttered 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,
however 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 m • 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 ha,l been premature
in concluding no one was hurt, she said to me, e Are you hurt,
Sir ?" And on my answering in the negative, 5, se repeated,
" Thank God ! thank God !" Similar inquiries of othCrs led to
repetitions of the same pious ejaculation on the part of the lady,
and in which we all fervently joined. We then crept composedly
one by one out of the broken window. The scene that preseLlted
itself outside baffles all attempt at description. The engine and
tender had altogether disappeared. Some yards in advance of ue
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.

MI the carriages were soon emptied of their inmates, and we

found, 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
begrimed, 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, whether injured or not, seemed actuated by one and the
same philanthropic desire of alleviating as far as possible the suffer.
ings of their fellow passengers.
lu a few minutes a great number of labourers were seen 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 hid 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
he 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 oc-
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 Soniersetshire, 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.

LONDON CUTANEOUS INSTITUTION.—It will be sees
from an announcement in another part of the paper, that the
first Anniversary Dinner in aid of the funds of this Charity-
will be held on the 3d of next month. During the past
year it has relieved upwards of 2,000 poor persons, and is
weekly admitting fifty or sixty new cases, who have the be-
nefit of the flee use of the most extended suite of baths for
medical purposes in the metropolis.
TROOPS FROM CALCUTTA.—CIIATIIAM, JUNE 20.

—On Thursday afternoon, the 19th instant, arrived the several
detachments at the Invalid Depot, 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-
ing to the 16th Lancers, with one colour.sergeant of the 3d

Buffs, that was left behind by :he 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 previsions, 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. Jewell, 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 Hen. East India
Company's artillery, with many other officers in the Company's
service. Dr. Clark, a civilian, had medical charge of the vessel.
A CouNTERFEIT PRESENTMENT.—We never could
make out what Sir Robert Peel's speeches were like till our last
visit to the Royal Academy, when it struck us that they bore a
remarkable resemblance to Turner's pictures. Both of them are
admirable, but neither of them understood. Sir Robet Peel's
speeches, ton, like Mr. Turner's pictures, are always an illustration
of the " Fallacies of Hope."—Punch.

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 tothe Go.

vernor of Kingston gaol aman who had been convicted of sr,: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.
dcavoured 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.
OF MISS LINWOOD.-BEQUEST TO THE
CROWN.—The will and codicil of the late Miss Mary Linwood
' (whose copies of pictures, executed on worsted, have excited
general admiration) have just been proved in Doctors' Commons,
by Mr. B. Markland, and Mr. W. lilarkland, the nephews, and two
of the executors of the deceased. She bequeathed to the Leicester
infirmary 1001., "to be applied to the laudable purposes of that
d
ilnrestiaitn my Salvator Mundi, after Carlo Dolce, as an heirloom of
and "to the reigning sovereign of Great Britain and
the Crown for ever." (Her Majesty has signified her acceptance of
this wonderful work.) After a few specific bequests, she cfirecta,
that if her collection (exhibiting at Leicester.square) be not sold
as a private collection, it be disposed of by public
ainucotnioe lot.n,ad the proceeds of such sale, with her other property,
divided into seventeen equal shares, which she bequeaths amongst
the same number of relatives. Her personal property (within the
province of Canterbury) has been sworn under 1(1,0001.
THE CONSERVATORY AT 13UCKINGIIAM PALACE.-
We hope and trust, that for the credit of the country, the Corn-
, missioners of Woods and Forests will talc? an early opportunity of
remedying the defects in the gardens of Buckingham Palace. It
is certainly a disgrace to the royal residence that the conservatory
has never been finished, and that it should be left in a condition
to he a perfect nuisance to the place. Her Majesty could not set
foot ,in it without being thoroughly disgusted, and nobody can
walk s-ross it without danger. The whole thing would cost 5001.
to complete it as it ought to be, and furnish it with appropriate
plants.—Gdrdener's Gazette.

NEW COURT AT TILE CUSTOM-lIOUSH.—In pur-
suance of the. recommendation of Lord G. Somerset, the Chairman
of the Court of ,inquiry, held at Gwydyr.house, on the Custom.house
frauds, a Court- has been established, and will be held in the office
of the inspector..general of the water-guard department, in the
Custom.house, for ,the purpose of receiving any report, and hearing
such complaints as way be preferred against the officers of that
department for negleo of duty. Four Commissioners have been
appointed to carry this plan into effect—viz., the Honourable O.
R. Dawson, the Honourable Spring Rice, Mr. Goulburn, and
Mr. Lushington, who will sit alternately weekly, to hear and
at once determine upon such cases as may be brought before
them. This plan will have the effect of giving the officers a
fairer opportunity of answering any complaints that may be made
against them, or to obtain redress of grievances. Mr. Dawson
also, on behalf of his colleagues, has expressed a hope that any
complaints on the part of the water-guard may be made to the
Court, and at their hands they shall receive the strictest investi-
gation.

STATE OF TRADE.—The yarn market continues ex-
ceedingly firm and buoyant, with a strong inclination on the part
of buyers to make contracts for future delivery, at more ex-
tended dates than heretofore. In goods there has not bee*
quite so much doing as there was last week, and the mar-
ket is quiet, but without change of prices..---Rocussaa
FLANNEL MARKET, MONDAY, JUNE W.—There has been lees
doing in the flannel market to-day than last Monday, chiefly on
account of the manufacturers asking higher prices for their flannels.
in order to meet the late advance in the raw material. There Is
no change in the Wool market, last week's prices being fully. malls.
lained.—Manchester Guardian.
TIIE NVEATHER.—S ince Thursday last the weather
has been excessively hot, the thermometer standing frequently
at 80 deg. in the shade ; while at intervals we have had
refreshing and invigorating showers. The crops of
The
kinds are in consequence making rapid progress.
_25
wheat crop is rank and luxuriant in the extreme.. :Irous.
are now in bloom, and are healthy, strong and vig
with abundance of plants. Barley anid.oarts siriztaes growing
are
rapidly, arid covering the clod verysecmoo-el
now rowed in many places, and in sense where
m e
Earlythey
few
dwreirileedpluapn.tedweearhlyarethoeoyt havei been hoed,of
any spots
: failures.ntsd ssome
upon the pastures. where, in
is also telling remarkably
of stock is quite unable
sown turnips,goaisogSwedes,
cases, the usual supply -
late are just areyet brairded and rowed, while the
many inTtohethryee-ggrrasousodc.ropTs.hien genial
eonseg consequence
etbeorf
to keep them under.
nday morning, between
time.the
rlate
Tt 1
tiLoi
pAa abundanttcodc.
I; rains,EG NfTo
s . wilt_
9_o
w o
Anber..gmro;re bulky than was at one
;iolliti andtooof h
sninee interior o'clock, an f accidentoccurredGroyfr iarbsy
Church,the su ddewnhfiaolhl olf.
is
dfoarmsaogmoesot
tej
obceed of
rionmc ot
the
or s
latee o f
fire,restoration, erset,o,r,aiti ieorno,,
yinooeoe nroseqaouleonstcehoisfltbeife i
and three others were severely injured.—Edinburgh Paper,