The Sun.
London, England, 1845-08-21 00:00:00

RAILWAY ACCI DE \

ANOTHER ACCIDENT ON THE NORTMERN AND EASTERN
RAILWAY.—The recently-opened portion of the Northern and
Eastern Railway, on which the late appalling accident took
place, was the scene of another frightful occurrence on Tues-
day afternoon, of a somewhat similar character, and although
it was not attended with such a deplorable loss of life as the
previous one, yet several of the passengers have received serious
contusions, and the escape of human life may be truly consi-
dered miraculous. It is necessary to state, that since General
Pasley stated at the recent Coroner's inquiry, that it was
highly dangerous for trains to pass over the newly constructed
part of the road, viz. between Bishop's Stortford and Ely, at
the rate of thirty miles an hour until it was properly consoli-
dated, the Company very promptly lessened the speed ; and
which has been adhered to up the present time, making a
difference in the arrival of trains of about an hour at the
several stations. On the morning of Tuesday the usual day
snail-train left the shoreditch terminus at half-past eleven
o'clock, and proceeded with safety to Cambridge. After
the necessary stoppage at that station the train renewed its
course, and on arriving about two miles beyond Waterbeach,
seven miles from Cambridge and the same distance this side
of Ely, the engine ran off the rail on the left side, dragging
the tender and the whole of the carriages after it. Fortu-
nately this part of the line is a perfect level ; and the en-
gine had cot travelled more than thirty or forty yards over
the ballast before it completely turned over with the tender
ieto a drain partly full of water. The luggage-v .n by the
sudden jerk became detached, and the wheels were perfectly
imbedded, a: d thus brought the remainder of the train to a
stand-still. The alarm 'hat immediately ensued amongst the
passengers may be well conceived under the circumstances.
The head guard, who was in his usual seat, on the top of one
of the carriages, perceiving that the engine had run off the
line, jumped front his place on to the road. The step of his
seat was driven through the plate-glass window of a first-&ass
carriage, in which were seated three ladies, one of whom was
much cut by the glass. Tho cries of the females are described
to have been of the mast piercing character, and it was with
some difficulty that their excited feelings could be subdued.
During the confusion a painful alarm was created for the safety
of the en ine-driver and stoker, as they were seen to be on the
engine when it capsized. To the surprise and gratification of
all, however, the poor fellows, evidently much terrified, were
seen wading through the water in the ditch unhurt. It ap-
pears that as the engine turned over they were thrown some
distance from it into the pool, and were accordingly pre
served. As soon as the affrighted passengers were removed
from the carriages, messengers were dispatched to Ely and
Waterbeach for the aid of pilot engines in order to replace the
train. In the meanwhile most of the passengers posted on to
Ely, and on the guard making a strict examination as to what
was likely to have caused the accident, they found about three
inches of metal cut off one of the outer rails at a joint, and on
searching about found the piece, which they took charge of
and brought it up to town yesterday, and delivered it into the
hands of Mr. Dowling, the superintendent of the line, in order
to assist the official inquiry which will be instituted relative to
the occurrence. On the arrival of the pilot engines, and a
number of assistants, active measures were adopted to raise
and place the carriages on the line, which, in the course of a few
hours, was accomplished, and at four o'clock the train resumed
its journey to Norwich. To remove the engine and tender
from the ditch by the means then available was perfectly im-
possible, and they were accordingly left. They were both
embedded to a considerable extent in the ballast. It is said
they will remain in the same state until inspected by Major-
General Pasley. The guard of the train says that the speed of
the train at the time of the accident was from about twenty to
twenty-five miles an hour. The carriages were shattered by
the shock, but not to any extent, as they were capable of re-
suming their place in the train. The official report of the
affair states that no passengers were hurt, but on making fur-
ther inquiries we were informed that there were some; though
not materially. It is worthy of remark that the Company's
servants afforded every facility to collect the correct particulars
of the unfortunate event, and evinced not the least desire to
"hush it up."
The Cambridge Advertiser says, in reference to the above
accident :—" Most fortunately there were but ten passengers,
and we are able to state, notwithstanding the difficulty we have
had in obtaining authentic information, that no one was se-
riously injured, except one passenger, who received some severe
injuries in the face, although the shock was tremendous, and
for the moment every one was convulsed with horror and dis-
may. After two or three hours' delay everything was ad-
justed, and the train proceeded on its way, but it is impossible
to describe the mingled sensations of apprehension and horror
which this unfortunate accident has occasioned. • It is not, of
course, ou: business to regulate the railway, but something
must be done, and that immediately, to insure the safety of
the public. Better, far better, will it be to return to our old
stage coaches, which, after all, were the glory and admiration
of our town and neighbourhood, till the safety of the railway
is completely and assuredly ascertained, than to have the lives
and limbs of those who are nearest and dearest to us continually
in peril."
ACCIDENTS ON THE NORTH MIDLAND RAILWAY.—
An accident occurred last Sunday, at the Derby station, to
the mail train from Leeds, which, though fortunately not
attended with fatal results, was productive of serious injury and
alarm to the passengers. The train had reached the ticket plat-
form in safety, when the highly-repreheneilgle practice of de-
taching the engine from the front, and placing it at the back of
the train, to propel it into the station, was adopted. The
engine not having been stopped in time, or the break not
applied, the train was forced into the station-house with great
violence, smashing the first carriage and throwing it up on the
platform, and breaking the strong iron and wood balustrades
that are placed there to keep off the passengers. All the pas-
sengers were thrown from their seats by the violence of the
shock. Fortunately no bones were broken, but many persons
received severe cuts and contusions—heads and faces were dread-
fully disfigured, and one lady was sadly shaken by the concus-
sion. Several minutes elapsed before any attention was paid
to the injured individuals, who were at length taken to the
infirmary, where their wounds and bruises were dressed, after
which they were enabled to proceed by the next train. In
this accident not the slightest palliative presents itself for the
recklessness of •the railway people. The practice of placing
an engine behind the train has been so repeatedly condemned
by public. 'opinion, that it seems an act of wanton trifling with
41sialiserise nod limbs of the passengers to resort to such a dans
riesestietinide et propulsion. We trust that a good inquiry will
be Made into•the affair, and that the culpable parties may be
dismissed from_ the company's service.
EXPLOSION OF A LOCOMOTIVE BOILER.—As the half-past
eight parliamentary train, or that which carries passengers at
Id. a mile, was standing at the Walton station on the Soutii-
western Railway on its down journey yesterday, the engine
being then taking in water, and the engine-man beneath ex-
amining his engine, as is customary during a stoppage, a sud-
den explosion took place, and the steam rusbedesist at the fire
door in tedirectien so that the engine-man was eeygreltscalded.
The fireinarrescaped unhurt. The only °thee Isers;:tn who
sustained'injury was not a passenger, but a bystander.• He was
struck on the back of his head by a piece of coke, but with no
great force.
ACCIDENT AT THE BRICKLAYER'S AR.MS STATION OF
THE DOVER RarLway.--Yesterday afternoon, about half-
past four o'clock, an accident occurred at the Bricklayers'
Arms station of the Dover Railway, by which a man named
Richard Smith, aged thirty years, sustained a severe injury.
He was engaged in*Leronving one of the iron tables, a machinery
used for shifting eiftiages from one part of the line to another,
and whilst so employed his left hand became jammed between
the chains by which such movement is effected. From ap-
pearances it was feared that the whole of his fingers were cut
off, but on being conveyed to Guy's Hospital,-it voix.ascer-
tained that thsethumb and middle finger had bOrinierred, but
from the nature of the injuries Mr. Forster, the house surgeon,
deemed it necessary to remove a portion of the bone of each
member. The poor fellow suffered excruciating torments.
He is, however, doing well.
FATAL ACCIDENT ON THE LANCASTER. AND CARLISLE
RAILWAY.—An inquest was held on Tuesday last the 19th
inst., before R. Wilson, Esq., Coroner, at Borrowbridge, near
Boston, on the bady of a man named Todd, who met his death
while working on that line of railway, at a viaduct near the
above place. It appeared from the evidence that there is
attached to the works a small stage, beneath which there are
conducting rods for the purpose of moving it to different parts
as the operations require. On this stage is placed a small
crane, used for drawing up stones for the erection of the via-
duct. By some cause or other, not ascertained, these rods
broke, and the stage, being weakened, gave way with the crane,
from which was suspended by a rope a great block of stone.
There were two men on the stage, who were precipitated to
the ground, and there were three others below. 'the five
men were also very seriously injured. Todd (the deceased)
had his arm very dreadfully lacerated, his left thigh fractured,
and a compound dislocation of the ancle joint. He died, after
the most extreme suffering, on Monday morning last. Another
man, name Brown, had sustained a compound fracture of the
leg, the muscles and integuments being dreadfully torn, and
amputation above the knee was found to be immediately neces-
sary. The other men are more or less severely injured.