The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-11-17 00:00:00

ANOTHER FATAL RAILWAY ACCIDENT.
DETENTION OF THE LONDON MAIL.

[The following brief notice was inserted in a Second Edi-
tion of the STANDARD on Friday, to which is subjoined some
additional particulars, from a Metropolitan contemporary.]
An accident occurred last night on the London and Bir-
mingham Railway, at a place called Harrow, about 18 miles
from the metropolis, which, we regret to say, terminated in
the death of two men, and in the destruction of property to
a very considerable value. It appears that a luggage train
was on its way from Birmingham to London, about six
o'clock, at a moderate speed, when it was overtaken by an
engine without any accompanying train. The night being
somewhat dark, it is supposed the engineers could not see
the luggage train : a collision took place, which shivered se-
veral of the luggage waggons, and totally destroyed the en-
gine. The engine attached to the luggage train was so much
damaged that it will scarcely be fit for use again.
We lament to say, that two men, who had the care of the
engine which caused the concussion, were killed on the spot.
One of them was taken up immediately afterwards, but the
other was buried beneath the ruins of the broken waggons
and ongine, and some time elapsed before he could be extri-
cated.

Information of this accident was conveyd to London, and
the mail train, which should have left Euston-square at half-
past eight was detained till a quarter-past nine, in order to
afford time for the line to be cleared. When the train, how-
ever, arrived at Harrow, it was again detained for an hour
and three quarters, the clearing of the rails occupying that
time. A gentleman who was a passenger by it, and from
whom we have have received this information, states that
whilst the train was waiting,
.the second man, who had not
been extricated before, was released, his body found crushed
to such a degree that it was impossible to distinguish his
features.

In consequence of this accident the mail to this town was
four hours beyond its ordinary time.

(From the Morning Herald of Saturday.)
ADDITIONAL PARTICULARS.

Harrow, Friday night, Eight o'clock.

The lamentable occurrence on the line of the London and
Birmingham Railway, which was announced in this journal
of yesterday, took place on Thursday evening, near Har-
row, has, it is to be regretted, turned out to be too true, and
has involved a sacrifice of human life. The following, col-
lected on the spot, may be relied on as accurate, although
they are not the official statements of the company.
This morning, on our informant reaching Harrow by the
nine o'clock train, he was allowed by the railroad autho-
rities, after making his business known, to go over the place
where the accident on the previous evening occurred, and
from some of the sufferers, and others who witnessed the
accident, the subjoined particulars were elicited.
About half-past two on Thursday afternoon, the fast
luggage train which carries no passengers, with the excep-
tion of the guards and the engineer and stoker, arrived at
the Harrow station, situate about a mile and a half from the
town. It did not stop, but continued on its course towards
London, at the rate of about 25 miles per hour. As it passed
the station all appeared right, but on getting about two miles
ie from the station, one of the axle-trees belonging to one of
waggons broke, and threw several of them off the line,
the luggage
being strewed about in all directions on both
lines of rails.

A short di(sNo.
tancelsf;ro m where this occurrence happened a
pilot enginewas seen approaching. It was stopped,
and the down line having been cleaved of the luggage it was
harrow
despatched to the
station, the engine driver receiving
, fromutir
instructions to stop the three
mingham,
passenger trains nearly due
one train, from Binning-
-viz. the twelve o clock
from Aylesbury, and the half-past the two o'clock,
thatha ni ,
purpose, until the a downadt b
e trainsdo wn hadtra i passed.aanscr asaise
d as usual as well as
fiAvenumberxo men were then set
and the
The engine left for
mllardoekdentofrwagasments
passedthose coming up.
after. The o'clock down trains
o tof
workthe waggons, in removing
while th
teh e luggageengine above
t. r
oa
em-
ployed in conveying directions to and
queen's andlL procure
was the station. A
few minutes after six o'clock a message
Arms, near
given to the
engine driver to proceed to the Harrow station
some refreshment from Mr. Seals, the
the station, for the men at work in clearing the rlr'n
did so, and left the engine whilst he went to the tianveeFnliine
charge of the stoker, named Pilkington. During the driver's
absence Pilkington got off the engine, and whilst engaged in
talking to a porter belonging to the railway a cry was raised
that the 7 o'clock Birmingham luggage train was appoachin g
It was expected, as will be seen from the fact, that a police-
man had been sent half a mile down the line to warn the dri-

vers of the engines, there being two, as the train was a heavy
one ; but from the fog which prevailed at the time, or some
other cause, no notice appeared to be taken, and on it came
at its usual rate to the station. The stoker of the Pilot engine
hearing the beating of those attached to the approaching
train, set the former moving, but seeing the danger
he jumped off, and escaped. Instantly after the fore-
most engine of the train dropped in upon the Pilot
with frightful violence, and drove it under the Harrow-road
bridge before it at a tremendous rate. The foremost engine
of the train was numbered 1, and the second No. 82. strange
as it may appear. the foremost engine escaped without injury,
but the latter was thrown off the line, and coming in violent
contact with the pier of the bridge above alluded to, was
dashed completely over on to the other side, carrying
away several feet of the brickwork, and dashing several of
the carriages to atoms. For some time, owing to the escape
of steam from the engine, the boiler having been broken in,
it was impossible to ascertain the extent of damage and
loss of life sustained, as the engine and carriages lay all of
a heap across the line. Torches were procured, and on an
examination, the body of the driver of No. 82 engine,
Simpson, was found in a frightfully mutilated condition un-
der the train. The stoker of engine No. 1 was found em-
bedded in the earth under the wheels of that engine, and the
stoker of No. 82 lying in the drain at the termination of the
cutting, apparently lifeless. He was removed to the Queen's
Arms Tavern, where Mr. Hewett, surgeon, of Harrow, at-
tended and pronounced such not to be the case, but his in-
juries are so severe as to preclude his recovery. The driver
of the engine No. 1, who escaped, states he received no signal
of danger until within a short distance of the station, when
be saw the red light. He was then close upon the Pilot en-
gine, but did not observe it. He, however, shut his steam
off and reversed his engine, but finding the driver of No. 82
did not do the same, he thought it expedient to jump off,
thinking a collision inevitable, and had scarcely done so when
it took place. His stoker also put on the brake, and must
have perished whilst doing so.
The line presented a most dilapidated appearance, the rails
were torn up in some parts, and it was completely rendered
impassable for several hours, which impeded the progress of
five trains. That due at eight o'clock on Thursday evening,
did not reach Euston-grove until half-past one yesterday
morning, and the others followed in such succession as pre-
cautiondemanded.

Yesderday afternoon, at half-past four, a special train ar-
rived at Harrow, containing several of the directors and Sir
Frederick Smith, the engineer appointed by Government to
inspect railways, in order to investigate the matter; when
the above statements were made in presence of our reporter.
Sir Frederick Smith made a minute inspection of the engine
and line at the spot where the collision took place, and shortly
after Mr. Wakley, the coroner, who had been holding an in-
quest at Harrow, also inspected the spot where the catastro-
phe took place. During the confusion of shifting the car-
riages from line to line we regret to state that one of the
porters was also seriously injured by getting jammed in be-
tween them.

The bodies of the two 'deceased men, who are natives of
Worcester, lie at the Queen's Head, to await a coroner's in-
quest. The destruction of property is estimated at several
thousand pounds.

THE ACCIDENT ON THE BIRMINGHAM AND
GLOUCESTER RAILWAY.

(From the Morning Herald of yesterday.)

ADJOURNED INQUEST ON THE BODIEST_OF THE SUFFERERS.

BIRMINGHAM, Saturday Night.—The adjourned inquest
on the bodies of Rutherford and Scaife; the two unfortunate
men who were killed at the Bromsgrove station of this rail-
way on Tuesday last, by the bursting of an engine boiler,
particulars of which appeared in the Herald of Friday and,
Saturday last, was resumed at the Golden Cross, Broms-
grove, on Friday evening. Mr. G. Whateley, solicitor, was
in attendance on the part of the company, and Mr. J. Raw-
lins, of Temple-row, Birmingham, attended on the part of
the proprietor of the engine.
Mr. Creuze, the engineer of locomotives on the Birming-
ham and Gloucester Railway, was re-examined on some im-
portant points connected with the manufacture of engine-
boilers, and the practicability of ascertaining their soundness
and strength after they had left the hands of the maker. He
stated that in his opinion it was impossible for an engineer
to determine the thickness of the plates of iron of which a
boiler was made after it had been sent home, although men
engaged in the manufacture of boilers might possibly be able
to do so. He then produced several pieces of iron which he
had cut out of the four plates of which the inner tube of the
boiler was formed. One of these pieces was very nearly
three-eighths of an inch in thickness ; two other pieces, cut
from a second and third plate, measured about one-fourth of
an inch ; and two other pieces of the iron which had been
cut from the plate, the bursting of which had been the imme-
diate cause of the lamentable occurrence, measured only
three-sixteenths of an inch in thickness. This plate, it ap-
pears, was situated farthest from the fire-door, and conse-
quently would have been much more difficult to examine
than any of the other plates. The thickness of the several
plates of which the boilers were formed might be tested by
cutting out pieces of the iron, or by drilling holes in different
parts. Such precautions were, however, never adopted, un-
less in cases where there existed some special cause to suspect
defects in the manufacture ; but where the boiler was made
by a respectable manufacturer much dependence would ne-
cessarily be placed upon him by the engineer, and no such
precautions would be thought necessary, and in this case
would have been useless as the parts where it could have
been tested were of a proper thickness.
Mr. Creuze then proceeded to state that a great quantity
of rubbish, such as had been exhibited on the inquest the
preceding day, had been since found to have been in the
boiler at the time the explosion took place. It consisted of
bits of iron screws, plugs, and boiler-makers tools, which
he had no doubt had been left there by the workmen engaged
in its manufacture. A portion of cement was also found, such
as is used in caulking and filling up any imperfections in the
jointing of the plates.
In answer to a question by Mr. Rawlins the witness said
that there existed no greater facility for ascertaining the
thickness of the plates (unless by the method he had already
mentioned) immediately after the manufacture of the boiler
than immediately prior to the accident. It was impossible to
ascertain the real thickness of the iron by examining the
edges of the plates that overlapped each other, as it was the
practise of some workmen to " champer off" the edges, while
others " up-set " them, making them, by the latter process,
appear thicker than they were in reality.
Dr. Church, the manufacturer of the engine, was next ex-
amined, and described the peculiarities in which the engine
differed from other locomotives. One peculiarity consisted
in the construction of the fireplace, and another in the position
of the tubes which were vertical.

Coroner.—Did you conceive that the adoption of this prin-
ciple gave greater security to the boiler ?
Dr. Church—Most decidedly, as the diameter of the fire-
box was less than in the ordinary locomotive boilers. Another
important improvement, in his opinion, was, that the fire-
bars were so situated that they could be cleared without diffi-
culty of the " clinkers" that accumulated, which was not the
case in the ordinary boilers. In consequence of this facility
for clearing the bars they were placed much nearer to each
other, and thus a considerable saving was effected in the con-
sumption of fuel.
In reply to questions put by the Coroner and jury as to
the thickness of the plates,
Dr. Church said that, so far as his recollection served him,
they were ordered to be made of 3-Bths of an inch, but on
this point his memory did not enable him to speak positively,
as it was three years since the boiler had been made. There
could be no doubt that the plate that had given way was not
of the proper thickness ; but the engine having been proved,
as was his invariable practice, at a pressure three times greater
than that at which it was intended to be worked at—namely,
1601bs to the circular inch, he could not for a moment sup-
pose that any defect existed in the strength of the plates,
more particularly as the boiler had been made by a most re-
spectable manufacturer. He could not, under these circum-
stances, account for the explosion.
Coroner.—Do you consider that the plate was sufficiently
thick ?

Witness.—Certainly not. If I had known its strength as
well as I do now, I would not have trusted myself on it, as
I have frequently done, when it was working at a much
higher pressure than it had on when the accident occurred.
He, however, trusted to Mr. Horton, knowing him to be an
exceedingly respectable manufacturer, and he considered
him so still. He believed that he himself was not aware of
the fact of plates of 3-16ths of an inch having been put in
the boiler.

The inquest was again adjourned to Monday week, in
order to afford Mr. Horton, of West Bromwich, near Bir-
mingham, an opportunity of explaining the facts in reference
to the construction of the boiler.

CIRCULATION OF BIBLES.

(From the o.zford Herald.)

Dr. Thomson, of Coldstream, and Mr. Campbell, are
holding meetings in different towns of the north of England,
for the purpose of creating a feeling hostile to the autho-
rised printers of the Bible, on the plea that the prices now
paid for Bibles are extravagantly high.
At a meeting recently held at Liverpool, Mr. Campbell is
reported to have said that the monopolists' prices are—
s. d.
Brevier Testament 0 10
Minion Testament
Minion Bible
Small pica Bible 7 3
Small pica Bible, fine l6 0
Now Mr. Campbell has only to inquire at the Depository
of the British and Foreign Bible Society, and he will find
that the actual prices paid by that Society to the printers of
the Bible are, and have since March, 1838—

Brevier Testament
Minion Testament
Minion Bible
Minion Bible,fine
Small pica Bible
Small pica Bible,fine

S. d.
0 7
0 7
........ 2
81
3 31
4 6
5 5

Upon the subject of accuracy, Mr. Campbell thus expresses
himself The plea of accuracy is just as unfounded as the
plea of economy. The bulk of our daily newspapers, not-
withstanding the rapidity with which they are got up, arc
much less incorrect than many of the patentee editions of
the word of God." It would be highly presumptuous to
suppose that any book so large as the Bible could be printed
without errors ; but Mr. Campbell is referred to the Report
on the King's Printer's Patent (Scotland), 1837, where he
will find at page 50 that, in order to obtain as much accuracy
as possible, the university of Oxford offers the following re-
wards :—a sovereign to any person pointing out an error
affecting the sense, in any of the latest editions of the Bibles
or Testaments printed at the university press, and lalf-a-
crown for a typographical error. Why is it that no claims
have ever been made on the university printers by either Mr.
Campbell or Dr. Thomson ?

A pamphlet in defence of the Earl of Cardigan having been
transmitted by its author to his Royal Highness Prince
Albert, the following reply was returned, dated " Windsor
Castle, Nov. 10 am commanded by his Royal Highness
Prince Albert to acknowledge the receipt of your letter,
enclosing a pamphlet which you have written in defence of
Lord Cardigan. His royal highness, as colonel of the regi-
ment, not having been culled upon to express any opinion,
and not having taken any part in this case, will not patronise
any publication written either in defence of the one side or
the other.—G. E. ANsoN."

PORTSMouTir.—The Satellite, 18, Commander Robb, and
Serpent, 16, Commander Gore, are shortly expected from the
Northel
ie
anAmericani
Commander a nd
Charleslnd i a
Napier,
st ati n, to t betnogpc paid off.
Chatham,o
steamer,fl'. The
is to relieve the Wasp, 16, on the Mediterranean station. The
Blazer steamer, Lieutenant Steane, and Li
Lieutenant Lunn, are hourly expected, the former on her way
to the West Indies, and the latter to the Mediterranean. The
Ferret, 10, Lieutenant W. S. Thomas, is to go to the west
coast of Africa, from Plymouth. She is ready for departure.
The Madagascar, 44, has been masted, and is inevery respect
ready for commission ; Captain P. Wallis, it is still said, will
have the command of her. Rumour says she is to go to the
West Indies, to relieve the Seringapatam, 46. The St. Vin-
cent, 120, and Vengeance, 84, are preparing here for the
pendant with increased despatch, and in about a fortnight
will be commissioned. The Salamander steam frigate, Com-
mander Henry, will proceed to the Mediterranean about the
18th instant. The Formidable, 84, will be commissioned at
Chatham in about ten days, and the Alfred, 50, at Sheerness.
Captain Samuel Chambers, 1812, has commissioned the Mo-
narch, 84, at Sheernes, which is making rapid advances in
her equipment. The Raven, Lieut. Mapleton, and Maple-
ton, and Alban steamer, Mr. King, are visiting the western
ports, collecting volunteers for the ships fitting out.—Brigh_
ton Gazette.

FOREIGN AND COLONIAL MISCELLANY.

The appeal of Madame Laffarge is to come on before the
Court of Cassation next Friday week. The grounds of ap-
peal to be urged by her counsel are seventeen in number.—
Galiguani.

The Commerce states, that a few days after the installa-
tion of the present cabinet, Marshal Soult sent an officer to
Alexandria for the purpose of impressing on the mind of the
Pacha of Egypt the necessity of not exceeding the limits of
simple defence, if he desires that France should interfere in
his favour to induce the other four great powers to grant to
him the hereditary government of Egypt; and, informing
him, that in the event of his assuming the offensive, the
French government will abandon him to his fate. The same
officer, adds the Commerce, takes with him the letters of re-
call for Mr. WalewskY.

We quote the following from the Echo of Luxemburg :
" An able chemist of Luxemburg. who is at the same time a
distinguished physician, with whom we have conversed on
the affair of Madame Laffarge, has made us acquainted with
a fact which we think it right to make public. He has sub-
mitted to chemical analysis different qualities of paper, and
has found in pieces, not larger than the palm of the hand, a
quantity of arsenic as great as that extracted from the body
of M. Laffarge. Hence it results, that any person who has
the habit of masticating paper, or one who may only chew a
piece occasionally, must absorb a certain quantity of arsenic.
The presence of arsenic in paper is thus accounted for.
Nearly all kinds of paper are in part made of coloured rags,
the dyes of which are, for the most part, produced by pre-
parations into which much arsenic is introduced, and a por-
tion of which must remain in the composition of the paper."
ANOTHER TRAGEDY AT TULLE, THE RESIDENCE OF THE
LATE LAFFARGE.—A letter from Tulle, of the Ist instant,
has the following :—" Another horrible crime has been com-
mitted in our town. This district appears destined to 'be-
come celebrated in the annals of criminal justice. This
morning, at nine o'clock, a man named Beronie cut his wife's
tbroat, under the following circumstances of shocking atro-
city :—Beronie's wife went in the morning to mass, and upon
her return found her husband in the act of shaving. No
sooner had he perceived his wife than he shut the door, and
threw himself upon her, razor in hand. The unfortunate
woman, in her struggle to protect herself from his violence,
received several wounds in her hands, and two of her ringers
were completely severed. The rage of Beronie was not ex-
hausted by this first assault. He armed himself successively
with a shoemaker's knife, and with a knife of still larger size,
which he thrust into his wifes neck. The cries of the un-
fortunate woman drew the neighbours to the spot, but they
found the door closed. One woman, having perceived blood
through a chink in the door, cried out, " Brigand, what are
you about? Justice is informed, and you will be imme-
diately arrested." This menace affrighted Beronie, and his
wife was able to open the door and rush out into the street.
A horrible spectacle then presented itself to the eyes of the
public. She carried the knife still stuck in her throat, and
the blood streamed copiously from the wound. After running
a few yards she fell apparently lifeless in the street. That
same evening the last sacraments were administered to her,
and not the slightest hope is entertained of her recovery.
Beronie, the moment his wife left the house, endeavoured to
cut his throat with his razor. He inflicted a serious wound,
but it is not thought it will be mortal. He lost a great deal
of blood, and was transported to the hospital, where a strait-
waistcoat was put upon him to prevent any further attempt
at suicide. His age is 35, and his wife's 27. They have four
children, the eldest eight years of age. The crime was the
result of furious jealousy, a passion by which Beronie has
been tormented ever since the period of his marriage. His
suspicions are said to be utterly unfounded, his wife being
of the most retired and prudent character. Beronie's dispo-
sition was always dark and vicious. He voluntarily entered
the institute of the Brothers of the Chtistian Doctrine, but
the superiors of that body declined to intrust him with the
education of youth. He then became a shoemaker, but being
generally disliked he got little work. His jealousy amounted
almost to downright madness. He was in the constant habit
of beating his wife, and a few days since told his eldest son
to mount guard with a cudgel, " for there were no fewer than
four scoundrels at that moment with his mother."