TERRIBLE FATALITY ON THE RAILWAY.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 2567, 22 December 1888, Page 2 (Supplement)

TERRIBLE FATALITY ON THE RAILWAY.

A ni.sTKE.ssiNO accident, ocuured early on Thursday morning October ISth on Ihe railway between Leicester and Lrmclnn. Among the passengers of- the Midland night express from Scotland were the servants of a family rcsidinginPryanstonsqnare, returning to Town from tlie North. They occupied two adjoining compartments in the ic.ir carriage, the footman, a man named Frank Foster, and three of the female servants being in one, and the other femaleservants in the second compartment. After leaving Leicester, where the tickets had been collected, between which station and StPancras no stoppage is made, Foster opened the window of his compartment and, leauing out, commenced playfully to tap on the next window to attract the attention of his fellow-servants. While doing so his head came in violent contact with the side of a bridge, with the result that his head was dreadfully shattered, the injuries being of such a nature tint death was instantaneous. The three young women were almost paralysed with fear but one of them had the presence of mind to pull the cord communicating with the engine, with a viewto get the train stopped. Unfortunately the cord failed to act, probably, as was afterwards explained by an official, on account of the great distance at which the carriage was placed from the engine. Had it been pulled in the opposite direction, it is stated that the guard would at once have noticed the signal. However this may be, the efforts to attract attention were not successful until after the train had passed Radlet. Here the train was brought to a standstill, and the three fellow-passengers of the unfortunate young man, in almost a prostrate condition, were transferred to the next compartment. The exact spot where the accident occured is not known, but it is supposed to have been near Wigston. If this be correct, the train had travelled SO miles before the communication cord acted.