The Warwickshire Herald. — 1889-10-10 (Birmingham, West Midlands, England)

TERRIBLE RAILWAY ACCIDENT. '  SEVERAL KILLED AND MANY INJURED. About 10 minutes past 7 o'clock on Friday night an appalling accident occurred on the main line of the London and North Western Railway, between Manchester and Stockport. A heavily-laden passenger train left the London-road Station, at Manchester, at 7 o'clock, for Stockport, and had not proceeded beyond the confines of the city when it came intaollision with a pilot goods train, consisting of two engines and a break van. The latter, owing to a mistake on the part of a signalman, had been shunted from the Longsight Goods Yard on to the up main line, the intention of the signalman being to place the train on the down Main line. The passenger train dashed with greas violence into the goods pilot train. The former consisted of 12 composite carriages, three of which were smashed to pieces. The carriage next to the engine, which contained a full complement of passengers, was shattered into splinters, and the majority of the occupants were badly injured. The greatest consternation prevailed, and the shrieks of the injured and other passenger:l were of a heartrending character. The accident occurring near a populous neighbourhood, abundant help was forthcoming. The injured were quickly conveyed from the carriages to the adjoining station, and sent on by another train to Manchester, where they were removed to the Royal Infirmary. Two of the occupants of the first carriage were killed outright, and very few of the remainder escaped without severe bruises and contusions, and several of them had their limbs broken. The second vehicle was a guard's van, which was not in use at the time. This was telescoped with the third carriage, which also contained its full number of passengers, but the bulk of the passengers escaped with only a severe shaking. Th e rem ai n inu coaches were slightly dam a ged. A breakdown gang from Longsight was quickly on the spot, and the line was sufficiently clear to allow of traffic being resumed on the down main line. The name of the signalman is James Swift, and he has been in service of the London and North Western Railway Company for a good number of years. He is about 35 years of age, and is said to be a strict teetotaler. He commenced duty that day at 2 o'clock in the afternoon for a shift of eight hours. The man was in every respect capable of performing his work, and after the accident was able to continue at his post. He was, however, subsequently removed and his place taken by another signalman. The scene of the accident is exactly over the Hyde-road railway bridge, where Sergeant Brett was murdered by the Fenian', in 1867. The following is a list of the killed and injured : Killed: W. H. Warburton, about 30 years of age, of 9, Limefield-terrace, Rushford-park ; Joseph Jodrell, a warehouseman, Medway-street, Levenshulme ; and Henry Billing, of Stockport. Mr. Welchter, of the name town, who was seriously injured, died on Saturday morning. Injured: H. J. Bumer, Levenehultue ; H. Garner, S• Ickport ; E. Robinson, Longeight ; J. Wood, Mvle-end-road, Devonport ; Robert Jones, Longsight; J. R. Winterbottorn, Levenshulme ; Barber, of Heaton Chapel; F. Hughes. Levenshulme ; J. F. Moore, Richmond-terrace, Heaton Chapel. In nearly every case the injuries are confined to broken legs. A fifth death has resulted from the railway collision at Manchester. Mr. J. Wood, of Stockport,who was removed to the Manchester Infirmary with a fractured thigh and other serious injuries died on Monday. Two others of the injured are still in a serious condition, but the remainderare makinggood progress. The signalman Swift, who was responsible for the accident, was brought before the magistrate on Monday on a charge of manslaughter, and remanded. He admits freely that he pulled the wrong lever, and thus brought about the catastrophe. There was another man in the cabin with him learning the duties of a signalman, but Swift states that he takes the entire responsibility upon himself.