ASTOUNDING AND FATAL ACCIDENT ON THE GREAT NORTHERN RAILWAY.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 8, Issue 408, 3 September 1866, Page 3

ASTOUNDING AND FATAL ACCIDENT ON THE GREAT NORTHERN RAILWAY.

THEEE TEAIN3 ON FIEB IN A TUNNEL AND THE "WHOLE LINE BLOCKED. (From the Morning Star, HtU June.) The Great Northern Railway has hitherto bean proverbial as being one of the best managed railway systems. in the kingdom, but at the present moment that system is almost entirely blocked up by a disaster, the magnitude as well as the character of which is entirely without precedent in the history of railway accidents in this country, and .can only find its parallel in calamities which may sometimes have been heard of on the other aide of the Atlantic. Such an event as three heavily-laden trains of merchandise dashing into each other in the middle of a tunnel on one of our maiu and best managed lines of railway, but little more than twenty miles from London, and almost simultaneously becoming ignited by the fire from the furnaces of their overthrown and shattered engines is probably unprecedented. The scene of this extraordinary occurrence is the Welwyn Tunnel about five miles beyond Hatfield, and between the Welwyn Junction and Stevenage, and the narrative of the circumstances collected on the spot leading to and connected with the catastrophe are these Shortly before 11 o’clock a train of goods empties started on Saturday night from the Kings-cross goods station for Hitchin. On reaching the centre of the Welwyn Tunnel, either from the bursting of a tube or some other cause, the engine broke down and the train was brought to a stand. In this emergency it would have been the duty of Ray, the guard who was in the break, in rear of the train, to have gone back out of the tunnel and given the stopping signal. This, from a cause not explained (and what, in all probability, never will be, as Ray, with his companion, was subsequently found in the break van {lead}, it is quite clear Roy did not do. This occurred about 12‘30 a.m. on this (Sunday) morning, and had scarcely taken place when the down Midland goods train, the driver of which had received signal of danger on the London side, ran into the tunnel, and dashed into the rear of the already broken-down train of empties. The violence of the shock was such as to throw the Midland engine and the heavy train of goods which it was drawing -—and which, amongst other merchandise, was known to contain several waggons laden with casks of oil and other materials of a combustible character, over—on to the up-line, piling them one upon the other in heaps, reaching to the crown of the arch, it is believed, and completely blocking the tunnel. Whether from consternation, or from neglect, no signal of the mishap was given to the signalman at the northern end towards Stevenage, and in an incredibly short space of time onward came the \ip Scotch meat train, bringing up the dead meat from the north for the supply of the Monday’s Newgate market, with other goods. This, which was a Great Northern train, entered the tunnel and cashed into the debris of the already capsized down Midland goods. In a few moments it was discovered that the engine of the Great Northern train had also been turned over, and that the goods and waggons of the Midland train had become ignited from the burning coals and cinders of the engine furnaces scatered about. Singular to relate both drivers and fireman 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 happened, the first step taken was to look after the guard of the Northern train of empties, Ray, who was found in the midst of the debris of his break fright- - fulty crushed and quite dead, and with him another man—a fireman in the employ of the Metropolitan Railway, who it appears he was conveying surreptitiously down the line to bis home, who, although not quite dead was in a dying condition, and was not expected to survive many hours. Large bodies of men were employed to get out what waggons they could; but the suffocating character of the smoke, and the heat of the fire from the ignited debris of the carriages and merchandise, prevented their efforts from , being very effective except with the empties and the Scotch train. TheTepeated explosions not only rendered any attempt, even if the heat and smoke had not prevented it, to enter the tunnel abortive. From the‘air shaft smoke, and at intervals flame, although some fifty or sixty feet in height from the roadway to the summit of the shaft, together with sounds like the roaring of a mighty cataract or river, indicated the character of the conflagration that was raging underneath. The authorities having taken council, and in the absence of water and inability to approach the seat of cofiagration, it was deemed advisable to let it expend itself and

be prepared with aid to enter the tunnel and clear the line of the debris so soon as it should have done so. The fire continued to rage tbrougout the whole of the day, and it was not until 6 p.m. that it had become sufficiently reduced to enable one to enter the. tunneli At this time a body cjf men arrived, under the command of Mr Superintendent Williams, with the Hatfield engine, lent to the company by the Marquis of Salisbury, and a supply of water having been obtained the engine was set to work, but the debris was still burning at qight o’clock this evening. Hundreds of navvies have arrived, and it is hoped during the night to get the line clear. In the meantime the whole of the traffic has had to be carried along the Hertford branch, the Ropston and Hitchin,, and the. Cambridge branch of the Great Eastern Railway. It is a fortunate circumstance that the, great Northern Railway traffic on Sundays is trivial as compared with that on week days, otherwise it is doubtful if tho Great Eastern could have takeu it as well as the Midland, which is also stopped. There can be no question that the cause of the catastrophe was tho neglect of the. unfortunate guard, Ray, from whatever cause it may have arisen, in not having so soon as the first break-down took place, given estopping signal at The. London mouth of the Welwyn Tunnel. His unfortunate companion lingered till this afternoon when lie expired. '