THE HEIGHT OF THE SEASON.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VII, Issue 15, 17 January 1872, Page 4

THE HEIGHT OF THE SEASON.

CPall Mall Gazette, Octoler 19.) It is now tbat the height of the season has arrived for railway accidents. The wornout engines and boilers, the dilapidated carriages and waggons, the aged and rusty wheels and tires which have carried the tourists and dragged about the excursion trains are now bursting and breaking in all directions, while the rails and points, probably because there has not been time to repair them properly, seem in practice to be all they should not be in regard to efficiency and safety. The average of accidents has lately been very large indeed, sometimes two have been reported on the same day; and now that November fogs have come in a month before they are due, few people will be inclined to travel by rail unless compelled by business. Unluckily a large number of tourists are still rambling about, and to come home somehow. To these unfortunate persons the perusal of the daily papers must afford good ground for foreboding, unless, indeed, they are among those who believe in the virtue of inquiry. But then the initiated known that, though inquiry is followed by reports and advice from the Government inspectors, inasmuch as neither the Board of Trade cor any other governmental department takes the smallest notice of them, the railway companies naturally follow suit. September 27. — A goods train ran into a bank engine which blocked the Birdswood Junctiou. There was a good deal of damage done to the rolling stock, but the driver and stoker of the bank engine were not awakened by the shock, and are now in custody charged with drunkness and neglect of duty. October 10 — A heavy parliamentary train came into Kings-cross Station half-au-hour hehind its time, and not content with this was turned in at the departure instead of the arrival platform, when it came into voilent collision with a passenger train about to start. Many passengers were severely bruised and shaken and probably there will be considerable damages to pay in compensation. October 12. — A Scotch express train on the North-eastern line left York about 3.30 p.m. When near Belmont Junction a van and one carriage ran off the line down an embarkment thirty feet deep. Both were completely smashed, but no one was killed, though some passengers were severely injured. October 13. — A passenger train on the Lancashire and Yorkshire line, due at Manchester at 1.10 a.m., ran iuto a goods train at Mytholmroyd. The engine was first upset and then smashed to pieces and several carriages were similarly damages. October 14. — A violent collision occurred on the Great Western Railway at Slough Junction. A goods train was, as usual, in process of shunting, when another goods train which was due run full into it, and did considerable damage besides smashing several waggons. As the companies do not publish the injuries sustained by their own servants if they can help it, we do not hear whether the respective drivers, guards &c, where much hurt. But the consequence of the accident was that for five hours the other traffic was worked over a single line betwen Taplow and Slough, to the imminent peril of passengers in transit. The fog is blamed for this casualty. Possibly the stock of fog signals had run low, or the porters had forgotten to use them. October 16.— A very bad accident occurred to the mail train from the North to St. Pancras about fourteen miles from Leicester, near the Loughborough Junction. When at full speed, five or six carriages got off the metals and were dragged along, bumping in a most terrible manner, until the couplings broke, and the smashed and splintered carriages, with their occupants were left on the ground. The guard and some half-dozen passengers were badly injured and others severely bruised and shaken. The defective state of the line at the point in question is supposed to have been the cause of this accident. Another and fatal accident occured on the same day, about 4 p.m., at the Mary Hill Station of the North British Railway. Two persons, a woman and a boy, were killed on the spot, and at least fifteen were more or less seriously injured. The 3.45 express was on its way to Mary Hill; the driver observing that the danger signal was up, slackened speed; it was then lowered, and then he put on pressure, coming almost immediately afterwards in contact with a travelling crane standing on the down line. This obstacle first crushed in the boiler, carrying away the safety valve ; in consequence, there was a tremendous explosion of steam. Having upset boiler and tender across the roof of a first-class carriage, which was, of course, smashed iD, it entered a third-class compartment, tearing away the sides and killing two of the passengers. Scalding, upsetting, smashing, and killing ! — the combination of horrors seems to have been

complete. The signalman is in custody. We trust it will be inquired how many hours he had been on duty on that particular day.