SERIOUS RAILWAY COLLISIONS. LOSS OF LIFE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXII, Issue XXXII, 9 March 1889, Page 2 (Supplement)

SERIOUS RAILWAY COLLISIONS. LOSS OF LIFE.

Suou'n.v niter two oVtoek on Sunday morning December I!0l1i, a disatious railway collision, involving the los: of two lives and a great destruction of rolling stock occurred on the west .side of the G.icr Tunneli, Newport. At this point the Western Valloy line diverges from the main line from Gloucester to Cardiff ami their are signals both for tin- main and the branch lines, together with a signal box. A mineral train, consisting of a tank engine and nearly forty trucks, laden with coal and steel rails, had come from Aberdare via the Caerphilly branch, and the line was signalled clear by the pointsman. The gradient is a heavy one. and the train ami! on at a considerable j rate. Just at this juncture another niiii- j eral train from Cardiff was advancing up the main line. The Cardiff train had partly passed the points where the West orn Valleys lino diverges, when the Aberdare train, seeking to get on the same line, dashed sideways into it. The Cardiff engine and four trucks were ahead of the point of impact, and they were driven on by the force of the collision : but the greater part of the train was thrown oft' the line and smashed. Henry Meade aud Edward Derby, both of Swiudon, were the driver and stoker of the Aberdare train, the engine which contained its coal supply. The momentum of the train being arrested by the collision, the rear trucks of the Aberdare train mounted on to the engine in front, and crushed in the platform and protecting ends where the two men stood, and they were killed before they could escape. The guard of the train ran through the tunnel to the Newport station, which is only half a mile or so distant, and was, fortunately in time to prevent the departure of the down mail train, due at 2. 13 a. m. A breakdown gang was hastily got together and a special train brought down from Swindon, Mr. Simson, the chief of the department. Prior to this, Mr. Herbert, head of the locomotive sheds at Newport had got together ;">0 men, who were engaged in clearing the down line. It was eleven o'clock before the bodies could be recovered from the mass of tangled ironwork, and then they were almost unrecog uisable. By six o'clock the down line was sufficiently clear to enable the mail, which bad l-ieeu detained at Newport, to pursue its journey : and for the rest of the day the down line was used for the traffic, It is alleged that the signals were against the Cardiff train. The night was clear and frosty, aud the presumption is that the driver mistook the all-right signal for the Abardare train for his own, which is placed more to the right and higher up against the face of tho tunnel. Later details of the collision show that it was caused by the mineral train from Newport for Bristol overshooting the points outside Newport, and an Aberdare train dashed through it, the driver and the fireman of the htter being killcdand many waggons destroyed. The driver of the Bristol train has been suspended pending inquiry. The inquest on the driver and stoker was formally opened on Monday evening, and adjourned. On Monday a collision occurred at Loughborough Junction, between a London, Chatham, and Dover Company's local train and a local train of the Southwestern Company, which has running powers over a portion of the Metropolitan Extension lines. In consequence of the fog which prevailed, trallio was being conducted with caution, ami the trains were proceding slowly; but notwithstanding, considerable damage was done, and a dozen people were injured. The Vivas Association's Coatbridge correspondent telegraghs that a collision of an alarming character occurred on Monday on the North Britis.i Railway at Coatbridge. A train of empty waggons was left on the main line while the engine was engaged in picking up some extras at an engineering works close by. The line at this spot is pretty steep, ami the rails being slippery the breaks failed, causing the the trucks to rush back on the line past the platform. Owing to the holiday season the platform was crowded, and the sight of the runaway train created much alarm, as a passenger train was approaching on the same line. The cries of the bewildered people alanvied tho engino driver, who, conjecturing something was wrong, immediately applied the brake, so that the train was almost brought to a standstill when the collision took place. Owing to the driver's promptitude and presence of mind, none of the passengers were injured. The runawr.y train was completely wrecked, both lines_ of rails being blocked for some tinip.