The Potteries Examiner : — 1875-09-04 (Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England)

TERRIBLE ACCIDENT TO AN EXCURSION TRAIN. FIVE KILLED AND FORTY INJURED.  At twenty-five minutes past eleven o'clock on Setur. day night a fearful collision occurred on the Midland Railway, at Kildwick Station, 15 miles north of Bradford, between the fast train from Scotland and an excursion train returning from Morecambe to Bradford. It appears that a half day excursion train left Morecambe for Bradford at S5O p.m.. consisting of 23 carriages, crowded with about 1,000 passengers. On passing Conouley Station, a mile an I a half north of Kildwick, those in charge of the station observed that the tailend lamp of the train had gone oat 'lhey at once telegraphed to Kildwiek to stop and examine the train. The excursion was not timed to stop at Ind. wick, but in answer to signals the driver pulled up just outside the station. One of the porters then went to meet the train to examine it, and see what was wrong, in accordance with the telegram from Conouley. The train approached at 11 22 p.m., nd at the same moment another telegram was received that the Seoteh express had passed Cononley at 11 22. The distance signal, SOO yards from the station, was at once put on to stop it. Meanwhile the excursion train was slowly drawing into Kildwick station, and the porter had just discovered that the tail light was out, and was relighting it when the, express was heard approaching. The line at this point forms a sharp curve, and there is a bridge over it about 200 yards from the station, no that the driver of the express could not see the train in front. The express was timed to stop at Kildwiek, and could not, therefore, be going at full speed, but according to those who witnessed the catastrophe it came on "swiftly," and dashed into the rear of the excursion train. The effect was terrific. The guard's van was much broken, but the last two carriages—the one nearest the van being a composite, and the other a third class—were smashed almost to pieces, and their occupants buried in the debris. The engine of the express train was very little injured, the driver and the stoker remaining unhurt at their posts. Nor were any of the passengers any the worse except that they vrere severely shaken. The effect on the passengers of the excursion train, however, was dreadful. Besides the unfortunate occupants of the two hindmost carriages, the passengers in the rest of the train were a good deal knocked abont, ninny of them receiviirt severe cuts about the face and head. As soon as possible assis. tame was rendered to the sufferera in the rear part of the train. Bonfires were lighted and fed with the debris of the carriages and the work of extricating the bodies of the kided and wounded was proceeded with. The stationmaster (Mr. Winterburn) set off to Keighley with a special engine for medical assistence. The assistants of Dr. M'Nab, whose residence is about half.a. mile distant, were awakened by the crash of the collision and the shrieks of the injured, and were speedily on the spot. Willing workers were soon forthcoming, and the unfortunate sufferers were relieved from their position, and carried into the waiting room of the station. It was then found that fear persons, three men and a boy, had been killed on the spot, and one woman, who was alive when she was extricated, died almostimmediately afterwards. Seven or eight other persons were severely injured, and their injuries having been temporarily attended to, they were taken some to their homes and some to the Bradford infirmary; while William Shackle (of Otley), Robert Hanson (Bradford), and William Taylor (Hanover-square, Bradford) were on badly injured that it was considered unadvisable to remove them, were left at the Junction Hotel, a short distance from the station. About 20 of those, who were more slightly injured, many of them suffering from severe cuts about the face and head, had their wenn& dressed at the station, and continued theirjonrney home. Break-down gangs were despatched from Bradford and Leeds, and the work of clearing the line was rapidly proceeded with. No great damage had been done to the permanent way, and the only work that had to be done was the removal of the debris. In a couple of hours one set of rails was cleared, and by eight o'clock the whole of the line was free for the resumption of traffic. Almost the whole of the passengers were Bradford people, and when the news of the occarrenee spread in the town the most painful anxiety was felt by those who had friends staying at Morecambe who might have come by the train. The bodies of the killed were removed to the Junction Inn' where they were laid out inane of the bedrooms for the purpose of identification. Some of them presented injuries of the most fearful description. One man had his head, from the ripper jaw and above, completely carried off, and portions alit were found, some hours after, strewed about the line. Another was completely scalped, and had received other dreadful injuries to the head, indeed, all the killed hall been wounded in the bead, their bodies and limbs generally seeming to be almost uninjured. Mr. Taylor, one of the worst injured, was suffering from a bad compound fracture of the right leg, and bruises on the shoulder and back. Mr. Mackie, was very much injured and died on Monday morning. The coroner's inquest on the bodies was opened on Monday, but only such evidence as was necessary for identification was taken.  MELANCHOLY SUICIDE IN SHEFFIELD:OH Wed. nesday evening a shocking suicide was committed at Sheffield by a man named James Hickinson, a shoemaker. Deceased was married, and appeared to be very fond of his wife. She, however, was faithless to him, and some time since ran away with a young man. After a time she returned to her husband, with whom she lived until the 16th August, when she again ran away, and is now in Manchester. His wife's conduct led Hickinson to drink heavily,and on Wednesday evening he committed suicide by stabbing himself three times in the region of the heart. This was done in presence of his child.  A