The Sun.
London, England, 1845-10-24 00:00:00

YORK, Ocr. 22.

THE. MIDLAND RAILWAY
ACCIDENT.

16766d1

The following letter, from the son of Mr. Matthew Hill,
the eminent barrister, who was a passenger by the train, was
published in a morning paper of yesterday :—" Don't be
alarmed, I am all safe, life and limb, but I had the narrowest
escape I ever met with. Soon after we passed Sheffield our
engine burst one of its cylinders, and broke the piston-rod.
This was cleared in about a quarter of an hour, and with the
other cylinder we proceeded about four miles beyond
Beursley, at a foot pace, sending word by a luggage-train
that passed us for a fresh engine : this overtook us at such a
violent pace, as to crush up the'last carriage, a second-class,
and drive it bodily into the one I was sitting in— a first class.
Fortunately, I was in the centre compartment, and not in the
last. I was thrown furiously forward, and pitched head first
into the opposite seat. I lost no time, you may be sure, in
picking myself up and getting out, when a horrible scene pre-
sented itself. The compartment immediately behind mine
was filled with shrieking and groaning victims, calling for
assistance. The guard and I soon opened the door and dragged
one man out, who, the moment he reached the ground, fell.
We soon had him up, and I led him to the bank, seated him,
felt his leg, and pronounced no bones broken. Returning
to the carriage, I saw a horrid sight—an old gentleman with
white hair was sitting with firm determination, his legs
being both jambed between the buffer of the second class,
which had penetrated into the centre, and his own seat—
one leg cut completely off, except a small piece of flesh, and
the other dreadfully smashed ; and what was worse, so fast
were the carriages stuck, that it was nearly an hour before
he could be released. A poor man with one leg escaped by
a miracle losing that one, and as it is is much hurt; a lady
is much cut, and bruises are like blackberries. As soon as
I saw suffi:ient people attending the wounded I sent an old
gentleman, with a terribly crushed hat, one way with a red
lamp, whilst I went the other with another; by this means
we stopped a down train, which might have rushed in upon
all the passengers. Son after da) light an engine came and
fetched us away. My carriage was forced off the rails, and
the rest of the train before it broke at'ay, and went on for
100 yards, in which we went on. I luckily ssveil my level
at first, and fortunately found everything right at last, with
the exception of a slight hurt on the cab of my leg, ant my
nerves a good deal shaken. lam all right.—Royal Hotel,
Leeds, Monday morning."

•
6 CH KIST'S Hosi.ITAL.
On Wednesday the Lord Mayor, the Lord M.zv r elect, se-
-
venal of the Aldermen and the Comm..ll Counci;, Goyerno-s,
and the City officers, proceeded in taeir carriages to Christ's
Hospital, for the purpose of hol•iing a court of all the r Tat
hospitals, to receive a corrected list or the governors of the
hospitals, to be confirmed according to ancieot usage
In consequence of the meorrectne-s of the lists of governors
presented on St. Matthew's day to the Lord Mayo', his
Lordship refused to confirm them, a•.d sent. them back to
the hospital for revision. It had been particularly oltseryea
that the authority of the Lord Mayor as the head of Christ's
Hospital, upon two recent occasions, was altogether denied
- by the majority of the governors, viz., those governors who
- do not derive their rights from a City of London corpo; atton
- parentage. The subject was taken up by the Corporation
upon the presentation of the Lord Mayor's rep .rt of what
- had occurred on St. Matthew's day at Christ's Hospitte., and
_ a resolution was adopted unanimously, after a high eulogium
- upon the firm and judicious conduct of the Lord Mayor,
- that his Lordship should be requested to send round to the
7- several hospitals for corrected lists, and to appoint a day to
- receive them.
It was generally understood that those who had deried
the authority of the chief magistrate as head of the royal
- hospitals intended to close the doors of Christ's Hospital
- against him and the other members of the Corporation, and
much interest was excited by the expectation that a row
would take place. The consequence of the non-confirma-
tion of the lists is, that the new governors are for the time
• disqualified.
- At about half-past two o'clock the governors of the several
royal hospitals began to assemble, but on arriving at the
grand entrance in Newgate-street they found the doors
locked, and they were told that the entrance to the hos
• pital was at Christ Church-passage. They proceeded to
• that entrance, which leads to the court-room, and were on
• the way met by Mr. Trollope, the clerk of the hospital, who
informed them, upon being told that they had been sum-
moned to attend a general court, that he had orders not to
admit them.
At three o'clock the attendance became very numerous.
Precisely at that hour the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and mem-
bers of the Court of Common Council, who are governors,
arrived at the grand entrance, preceded by the City Marshals,
in their state dresses.
The bell was rung, and admittance was formally demanded
for the Lord Mayor. Mr. Trollops then made his appearance,
and read a paper, which stated that the Lord Mayor would
be allowed free access at all times to the hospital, but that his
Lordship must not be present at any meeting of Governors
not summoned by the President.
Mr. Firth, the deputy town-clerk, then read a formal de-
mand of admission, which not havicg been obeyed, the pro-
cession retired.
In the carriage with the Lord Mayor were Sergeant
Mereweather, the town-clerk; Mr. Hick, the sword bearer ;
and Mr. Beddome, the train bearer. In the next carriage
were the Lord Mayor Elect and Sir John Pirie, the president
of St. Thomas's Hospital; in the third were Sir George
Carroll and Alderman Vilson. These were followed by car-
riages in which were Aldermen Kelly, Sir Chapman Marshall,
Moon, Sidney, Hunter, &c. Among the members of the
Common Council (governors) were AI r. R. L. Jones, of Cripple-
gate Ward; Mr. George Bracher, of Coleman-street Ward;
Mr. R. Taylor, of Farringdon-without Ward; Mr. Eagleton,
of Farringdon-within Ward; Mr. Prior, of Dowgate Ward;
Mr. Prendergast and Mr. Bedford, of Fartingdon-withottit
Ward, &c. &c.
The matter is to be immediately referred to a court ef law,
and will in all probability lead to most important conse-
quences, in the opinion of many of the civic politici.ns.

A STRANGE RACE. - A n A merican paper says
that a correspondence is now going on between two gentlemen of
Boston, which began ten years ago with a challenge. Mr. A., a
bachelor, shall meed Mr. 8., a married man with one child, who
replied that the conditions were not equal, that he must necessarily
be at more risk with his life than the other, and he declined. A
year afterwards he received another challenge from Mr A., who
stated that he too had slow a wife and a child, and he supposed,
therefore, the objection of Mr B no longer valid. Mr. B. re-
plied that he had now two children, tonsequently the inequality
still subsisted. The next year Mr. A. renewed his challenge,
having now two children als6; but his soversary had ;three. This
Matter, when last heard of, was still going on, the numbers being
el: to seveb,itud the chalk/vie reedy renewed.

STOCK EXCIIANGE.—The sales are—Newcastle and Dar-
lington - Junction, New (Brandling), 521 A—North British,
Carlisles, 41, —Catnbridge and Lincoln. New, s—East. Lin-
colnshire, 414—Grand Union, 2%—London and York, 5
Newcastle and Berwick, 16%—North Kent and Direct Dour,
4—North Staffordshire, 7N,—Welsh .11idlands, 31/2.

We have received the following additional particulars of
this sad event, an account of which appeared in The Sun of
yesterday. A few errors appeared in our former account. The
accident took place at a spot about a mile and a half on the
Leeds side of the Cudworth or Barnsley station, and not
between Wath and Darfield, as previously stated. It was
however, whilst between the two latter stations that the
engine became impaired, and was unable to convey the train
at the usual rate. In this part of the line the two o'clock lug-
gage train from Leeds passed the train at so slow a pace that
the enginemen were able to speak to each other, and the
person who had the charge of the luggage train was desired
by the engineer of the other train to I end a pilot or assistant
engine to assist the mail train on its journey to Leeds. This
latter train continued its course, and passed the Cud-
worth station about 20 minutes before the arrival of the
assistant engine, which was dispatched from Mashrough.
The usual red caution or signal lights attached to
the tail of the train were then visible from the station,
and the watchman at the station pointed this circum-
stance out to the driver of the assistant engine. The
latter then proceeded with his engine, and, after going a
short distance, seeing that he was approaching the train,
he partly turned off the steam, in order to slacken his
pace ; but, as he himself subsequently stated, seeing a
white light—the signal for the way being clear, or that he
was to go on—exhibited by the guard of the mail train, he
again put on the steam, and almost instantly ran with great
violence into the train. It would thus appear, that it was
owing to the accidental or negligent exhibition of a white
instead of a red light by the guard the engineer of the as-
sistant engine was induced to hasten his speed at a spot so
near in proximity to the crippled train that he could not
prevent the collision. The three latter carriages of the train,
which were all for Leeds, became detached from the
rest of the train, which consisted of carriages going to
York, Newcastle, &c. These three carriages were thrown
off the line and greatly damaged. The last of them
was a second-class carriage, and its buffers were struck
with such immense force by the engine as to be driven
into the first compartment of the next preceding carriago,
which was a first-class one. In this compartment were Mr.
W. Fuller Boteler, Bankruptcy Commissioner; Mr. Jonathan
Andrews, of Leeds, sharebroker ; and Inspector Child
and Sergeant Stubbs, of the Leeds detective police force.
The injuries sustained by Mr. Boteler were much more seri-
ous than we were at first led to believe. Both this gentle-
man's legs were struck by one of the buffers, and were both
broken below the knee, and his person was otherwise consi
derably injured. Mr. Stubbs sustained a compound fracture
of one of his legs ; Mr. Andrews and Mr. Child both r ceived
some severe contusions and bruises, and are still unable
to attend their usual avocations The passengers in the
other two comp rtments of the carriage escaped with
little or no injury What is somewhat remarkable, two
gentlemen who were in the centre division of the
second-class carriaze, which was first struck, also es !aped
with a few slight bruises. Mr. Boteler was speedily con-
veyed to his own residence at Oulten. near Leeds, and In.in
the latter town several medical gentlemen were quickly in
attendance upon the unfortunate sufferer. After a cans
tation amongst Mr. S Smith, Mr. T. P. 'reale. Mr. Key,
and Mr. Charley, it was considered that amputation of one
of Mr. Boteler's lees was necessary, and the operation was
performed the same evening. At the time of this being
written (Tuesday evening) the unfortunate sufferer was iti
such a state as to preclude the slightest hope of his recovery;
indeed, he was not expected to survive mere than a few
hours. The learned gentleman, who is about seventy years
of age, is highly respected by all wile know him. and espe-
cially by those who have had an opportunity of witnessing
his conduct in his judicial capaci,y. For the last few weeks
he had been sojourning in Kent with his family, and was re-
turning home alone; but information of the sad event has
been forwarded to them, and they were hourly expected at
Oulton. Mr. Stubbs was taken to the Leeds General In-
firmary, and his fracture was reduced the same evening, and
the latest report states that he is going on favourably. The
Directors of the Midland Railway Company have commenced
an inquiry into the cause of the accident, and they have
done all in their power to assuage the sufferings of the per-
sons who were hurt. We may add, that one person who is
still unwell, and staying at one of the inns at Leeds unable
to pursue his usual calling, is Mr. Collins, who had been
sent from London to the north by Sir John Rennie on rail-
way business. A commercial gentleman, named Lee, has
also been somewhat severely injured, and is thereby detained
in Leeds. The occurrence of this accident has excited
strong feelings of grief in Leeds and the neighbourhood, and
there is a general demand for a thorough investigation into
the whole case.