New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-07-07

as being one OF the best managed railway systems
in the kingdom, but at the present moment thai
system is almost entirely blocked by q disaster
tle magnitude as well as the character Of which i.
entirely without precedent in the history of rail
way accidents in this country, and can only fine
its parallel in eaamlties which may sometimes
lantie. esn4
That three heavily laden trains of merchandis,
should dash into each other in the middle of a tun
mel almost simultaneously little more than twenty
miles from London; that such trains should have
become ignitod by the fire from the furnaces OF
their overtarown and sh9ttered8e ngines, and that
the tunnel which is more than half mile in length
should pc converted into one huge furnace, ana
Its air shafts into species of burning crater is
calamity so astounding as to be almost Incredible
were ii not that it is undeniablyetFue,
IL The scene of this extraordinary occurrence is
the Welwyn tunnel, about i've miles beyond Hat
field, and between the WelWyn Junction ana
SteEenage, and the narrative of the circumstances
collected on the sooti this Shortly before II
o'clock train OF goods empiles started on
Saturday night from the Kings cross goods stat on
for Hitchn, Oh reaching the center of the Wei.
wyn tunnel, either from the bursting Of tube, or
some other cause, The engine broke down and the
train was brought 70 stand. In this emergency
it would have been the duty Of Ray, the guard
who was in the break in the rear Of the train. TO
have gone back out of the tunnel ana given The
stopping signal. This precaptton, from cause
not explained, and which, in all probability, never
will be explained, as Ray, with his companion was
subsequently found ia the break van dead ii is
quite clear they did not take. This occurred
about haif-past twelve this Sunday morning, and
had scarcely taken place when the down Midland
goods train, the driver of The engine of which had
received no signal of danger on the London side
ran into the tunnel and dashed into the Of the
already broken-down train Of empties.
The violence of the shock was such as to throw
the Midland epgine end the heavy train oil goods
which it was drawing, and which, among other
merchandise, was known to contain several wagons
alden with casks of oil and other materials Of a
combustble character, over on to the up line,
plling them one upon the other in heaps reaching
to the crown of the arch, and completely blocking
the tunnel. Whether from CONSERVATION or from
neglect, no signal Of the nishap was given to the
signaman at The northern end towards Stevenage,
and in an Incredibly short space of time the Scotch
meat train came up, bringing up the dead meat
from the north for the supply Of the MONDAYS
NeWgate market, with other goods. This, which
was Great orthern train, entered the tunnel and
dashed into the ruins OF the already capsized Mid.
land goods. In few moments it was discovered
that the engine of the Great Northern train had
turned over, and that the goods and wagons of the
Midland train had become ignited from the burning
coal and cinders of the engine furnace scattered
about
Singular to relate, both drivers and iremen Of
all the engines had escaped either unhurt or with
but slight injuries, and having signalled to the
nearest stations, both up and down, what had hap,
pened, the first step taken was to look after tie
Northern train Of empties Ray, who was found in
the midst of his break, frightfully crushed and
quite dead, and with him another man, fireman in
the employ OF the Metropolitan railway, whom il
appears he was conveying surreptiti0usly down
the line to his home who, although not quite dead,
was in dying condition, and was not expected to
survive many hours. The guard of the Northern
up-uain, Lacey, was also found lying on
the line near his break, most severely
injured about the head. He was in the first
instance removed to WelWyn, but subsequently
was taken to town and placed under the care Of
Mr. j. Templeton kirkRo0d, of the Euston road,
surgeon to the Great Northern and Midland com
panies. Lacey, though suffering from a severe
scalp wound and other head injuries, it is hoped,
may recover. Information Of the occurrence was
a. once autographed to Mr.. Seymour Clarke, the
general manager OF the line who resides at Hat
held, and also to the authorities on the northern
side at KnehWorth large bodies of men were EN-
ployed to get ont what wagons they could, but the
sunoeating character Of the smoke and the heat
OF the ire from the ignited ruins of the carriages
and merchandise prevented their efforts being very
eheceIFe, with the exception of the Scotch train.
Further kilograms having been forwarded to
London, about two O'Clock this morning Mr. Su
peFlntendent Williams, with gang of some two
hundred men, reached the scene Of the disaster
BY this time, however, it was known that there
were thirty-alx carriages or trucks, thirteen of
which belonged to the down Midland all in a
blaze. The repeated explosions rendered any at
tempt TO enter the tunnel abortiVe, even if the
neat and smoke had not prevented it. From the
alr-shatt smoke, and at intervals fame-althOugh
some fifty or sixty feet in height from the roadway
TO the summit of the shaft-together with sounds
resembling the roaring Of d mighty cataract or
river, indicated the character Of the confagration
that was running underneath. The authorities
having taken counsel, in the absence of water ana
inability to approach the seat of confederation. ii
was deemed advisable to let it expend itself, and
pc prepared with aid to enter the tunnel and clear
me line Of the ruins so soon as it should have done
so.
The fire continued to rage throughout the whole
OF the day, an it was not until P. NJ that It had
become sufficiently reduced TO enable any one to
mi al trnVa al A . Ia,
rived, under command Of Mr. SUPERINTENDENT VIII
Hams, with the fairfield engine, lent TO the com
pany by the Marquis of Salisbury; and supply Of
water having been obtained, the engine was set to
work, but the ruins were still burning. Hundreds
Of navvies have arrived ana it's hoped during the
night TO get the line clear. In the meantime the
whole OF the traiIic has been carried on along the
Heruord branch, via Revision and Hitehin, and The
cambridge branch Of the Great Eastern railway
~ IS fortunate circumstance that the Great
Northern railway traffic on sundays is trivial ga
compared with that on week days otherwise it is
doubtful if the Great Eastern could have taken il
as well as the Midland, which is also stopped
-$---------------- 80
1ae Following particulars win give an idea Of the
enormous Dimensions the Prussian ornaments have
by degrees assumed
The nine CORPS ddiTsge forming tila- field array
properly SO called consist of 258 battaions. 2i8
sauaqrons and los batteries, with SOC guns, the
whole Numbering $40. 900 men among whom are
$3.50 officers and IS 900 non batanf5 The firat
band of the dYehr, considered the elite 81 The
army, are formed INTO llB hattaliong 10 s0n8drnnq
and "a artillery companies, having ia ali 1dT 000
men, among whom are 5000 officers ana 30D0 nan
combatants. The depot troops destined III Flp m
the yaeancies constantly occurring in the rana II
the two flrst mentioned classes have been anf
mented to S33 battalions, go sguadrons ana 6 aeId
batteries Or l4a guns, with l29,0G0 men anlong
whom are z3I officers and 10000 non-oombatants
Casting up the above figures We shall have al
total Of $1,000 including Is 600 officers and so 600
aoncombatantss With 1908 guns, one-half riHed
and III 900 horses IN addition 10 these municipal
guards, composed of volunteers, have been formed
N the southern districts Of Brandenburg aud
Silesia.
tenth corps d'aynlss is at this moment being
organized, bnt whether it Is to consist Of landwehT
or OF new leyies no one that knows will tell You.
-sr-~T-g-
The Fastest STHANER IN TIE WoRLp.-The
egyptian paddle-wheel steam yacht Mahr0ussa
Sapsaln FTedrigo Bey, built under the superinten-
lshce q Inc Peninsula and Oriental Company. by
aessts. sam1da Brothers, OF London for the Vice
roy OF Egypt, arrived here on the 10Th inst. hay
ny performed the voyage from SOUTHAMPTON IN |
me unpfecedentai short time of one hnndred and
nity-seYen hours When under full steam She /
consumes seven tons Of coal an hour ana is ygitb
OUT exception the fastest vessel a6oaf HI tba
measured mile in Stokes Bay her AVERAGE syea5
was IL 4-l0 knots an hour which IA ennai II tt
2Os statute miles, After replenishine f1ai ~
proceeded on the 10th for Constaniinnna ~ , ~
the Vicegoy, who, it is reported intends ns,;
visit to England in her this summer Tbiss
3n 49, fnttr ehsH yaa