The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1879-05-31 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

RAILWAY ACCIDENTS.  A Parliamentary paper was issued on Saturday, giving returns of the accidents and casualties during the mouths of January, February, and March of the present year, as reported to the Board of Trade by the several railway companies in the United Kingdom.  During that period the numbPr of persons killed and injured on railways in the United Kingdom in in the course of public traffic were—killed 219, and injured 714. In addition various accidents occurred upon the railway premises, in which, however, the movement of vehicles used exclusively upon railways was not concerned, and by these 11 persons were killed and 481 injured. Thus the total number of personal accidents during the three months resulted in 230 persons killed and 1,195 injured. These acci- , dents are classed under various heads; 98 passengers and 28 railway servants were injured by accidents to trains, rolling stock, permanent way, ; 20 passengers and 105 servants were killed and 114 passengers and 433 servants were injured froul other causes. Sixteen persons were killed and eight injured while passing over railways at level crossings; and the number of accidents to trespasseri, including suicides, was 74 killed and 20 wounded. During the three months there were reported eight collisions between passenger trains or parts of passenger trains, by which 18 passengers and ona servant were injured ; 23 collisions between passenger trains and goods or mineral trains, engines, &0., by which 69 rassengers and 13 servants were injured ; 10 collisions between goods trains or parts of goods trains, by which 12 servants were injured ; 22 cases of passenger trains or parts of passenger trains leaving the rails, by which four passengers were injured ; two cases of trains running into stations or slidings at too high a speed, by which five passengers were injured ; 327 failures of tires, one servant being injured; 93 failures of axles, two passengers being injured; and 1,187 broken rails, one servant being injured.  Of other casualties, in which no personal injury was inflicted, there were two cases of goods trains or parts of goods trains, engines, &c., leaving the rails; one case of a passenger train travelling in the wrong direction through points, twenty-three cases of trains running over cattle or other obstructions on the line, nineteen cases of trains running through gates at level cr *sings, three cases of failure of machinery, springs, &c., of engiries ; eleven failures of wheels, four failures of couplings, one failure of a bridge, six slips in cuttings or embankments, and one other accident. The return also contains the reports of the inspecting officers of the Railway Department to the Board of Tri,cll? -1_11?u,R.PgAV1.i1q11.491,44 Attil44 we.reitiquirecliuta)  The strike in the building trade at Barnsley has been settled, the masons and bricklayers agreeing to accept 71d. per hour and work 50 hours per week during summer, tha winter period to be regulated by the Leeds hours. The la'oourers also agreed to accept sld. per hour, and work the same hours as the masons. The rate of payment in all oases Is to be by the hour instead of the day, as hitherto,