RAILWAY SMASH.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1549, 19 September 1912, Page 5

RAILWAY SMASH.

FIFTEEN LIVES LOST. PASSENGERS ROASTED TO DEATH. ' A TERRIBLE DISASTER. By Telegraph—Press Association— CopyrlEht (Rec. September 19, 0.5 a.m.) London, September 18.

A terrible railway disaster has occurred, noar Widnes, in Lancashire, through the derailing of tho Cheshire-Liverpool express. Fifteen persons have perished, many of- them being roasted alive. The engine failed to take tho points on a steep incline, when approaching Ditton, and dashed into a masonry bridge spanning the line.. The carriages dashed on into the station, and collided with the platform. The first, two were reduced to matchwood, and the.; third and fourth Wrecked, and immediately fired. There was an appalling scene with the huge heap of debris in flames, and the passengers amid it screaming in agony, and slowly roasting to death. Most of the bodies recovered were in a mutilated state. That of one man was decapitated, while others had limbs torn off.

The driver of the express was killed, but the fireman is alive. He was pinned under the engine for four hours. Most of tho victims were Welsh. Many of them are unidentifiable.

AH the passengers in the fourth carriage were burned to cinders. Thirteen charred bodies have been removed and two of the injured have since died from their burns' in the hospital.

The darkness and the fierceness of tho fire rendered rescue difficult.

Forty persons were injured, many of them seriously.

TRAIN SET ON FIRE. ' SCHOOLBOYS AND SULPHUR. London, September 17. Tho Irish Express hod to be pulled up at Colwyn Bay, Carnarvonshire, owing to a carriage being on fire. In tho carriage was a party of sohoolboys returning; to Stonyhurst College. They were rescued. One had previously jumped on. to. the line. He was seriously injured. Seven others were burnt. Tho boys, who were terrified, had been playing with sulphur.