DREADFUL RAILWAY ACCIDENT AT ANTWERP.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VI, Issue 430, 17 December 1856, Page 5

DREADFUL RAILWAY ACCIDENT AT ANTWERP.

A deplorable accident has occurred on the line of railway between Antwerp and Ghent. The last train on Snndey night, conveying about $00 ■passengers from Antwerp, who were returning from tii ef.ies on the occasion of the visit of King .Leopold to Antwerp, had started at eight o'clock. It had not proceeded more than a few miles when it encountered a fearful shock. There were two locomotives drawing- it. one of which was thrown violently upon the right and the other on the left of the line. There were 20 carriages in all, the foremost of which was smashed to atoms, and the others more or less damaged. It appears that a cow had strayed from an adjoinimv field,, and had lain down on the rails unnercvived by the engineers or stokers, who, by the shock, were thrown to a considerable distance from the place. One of those oOieers died soon afler the accident. Two only of the passengers were killed upon the spot, hut about 20 of them are seriously bruised and mutilated. A great many are more or less injured. I'd. le .Baron Gceihals do Potter, a gentleman, aged 35 years, died immediately after lie had suiVered the amputation of one of his legs. He. had. however, received all the consolation of his religion, and while breathing his last tutored these words —4i Oma femnv.1! O mon enfant!" The- wounded, were immediately conveyed to the neai'ost ho.-"-pH:::s. where- every attention was rendered to them. 'The. excitement in the city in consequence of this accident is very great, and various reports arc in circulation as to the deaths of others of the passengers. One gent leman who was killed was evidently a- stranger; he has not as yet Ivon identified. It is most providential that- there were not many more victims oi" (lie sad catastrophe, as one of the carriages was burned and two or three of (hem wore reduced to mere splinters. The carriage:; nearest' (lie engines were, however, laden with merchandise and luggage, and this circumstance, no doubt, accounts fro the

fact of ho few, comparatively speaking, having suffered.