GREAT RAILWAY DISASTER

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 57, 30 November 1907, Page 12

GREAT RAILWAY DISASTER

London, October 18. A terrible, railway disaster occurred early, on tho morning of October 16,'' just outside Shrewsbury Station. Tho W.est of England express running from Crowe to Bristol was completely wrecked. Nineteen people were killed, and over thirty seriously injured. The train was a composite one, from gow, Carlisle, and Crewe, and tho passengers wore chiefly excursionists returning to Wales. It was timed to arrive at.Shrewsbury at 2.5 a.in., where it drops the Scotch mails and joins up with more carriages from the north, after which it goes to Bristol and the west. It was composed of nineteen vehicles, including several passenger carriages, a sleeping coach, two mail sorting vans, and two fish vans. The rolling stock of three railways was included—the'.London and North. Western, the Great Western, and the Oale< donian. All the carriages were smashed to splinters with the exception of one passenger coach. The tram arrived practically to time at Crewe Junction signal-box, within fifty yards of Shrewsbury, Station. The signalman noticed that it was running at an abnormal speed j for ten miles an iiour is the usual speed for trains approaching the station. The next moment the!engine capsized, and the great corridor carriages were flung on top of each other, making a pile of wreckage as high as the telegraph poles. 1, ,v ? s , r ®' n ' n ß heavily at the time, and the black darkness added to tho terror of the disaster. Wild screams' and shrieks of agony startled out of their beds those who live, near the station. The noise of the crash was tromendous, and was followed by a rendlnß woodwork and the smashing of glass. Such was tho force of the sudden stop when the engine left the metals that the carriages were hurled against the fallen engine, and almost buried it beneath . their wreckage. Ihe night staff porters oh tho Shrewsbury platform rushed down to the mass of ruins it once. Here and there flames were breaking out, but were quickly quenched. Dootors wero hastily summoned, and-the work of rescuo was begun. It was pitiful and harrowing work. The darkness made the rescues difficult, and a large bonfire was- lit so that tho workers could see what lay before them. This led to the statement that the train was burning. As the bonfire blazed up the light of the flames revealed ghastly sights. Some ot the passengers were literally shattered-to pieceti, limbs and' clothing lay in all directions, and the rails and wreckage were splashed with • blood. As the. dead bodies were brought out, .terribly mutilated and broken, tlley were taken to one of the station offices, which has been converted into a mortuary. Tlio, most seriously injured were removed 011 ambulances to the infirmary. Others, less injured, insisted 011 continuing their journey. News of tho disaster sped down the line, and. breakdown gangs from Crewe and Wolverhampton arrived. ' Many graphic stories of the disaster were told by passengers on tho train. One of the most interesting accounts was that of Mrs. Maybee, of Exmouth, who was one of the first to give assistance to the injured and tore up her petticoat to provide bandages for their wounds. ■ "I was awake at the time of the disaster," she said, " and was about to pass a rug to the little girl in tho opposite corner, when there was . a violent oscillation, and I was thrown from oiie seat to the other. T injured my ankle, but not badly, and I was able to get free, and. help others who were in need of assistance. "The coach in which i was riding was about the'third from the engine, and it was thrown on one. side. The woodwork was splintered and the glass smashed to atoms. "It was remarkable that the occupants of tho compartment were' not seriously hurt. So extensive was tho wrecking of the compartment that when I stood up I found it quite open at the top, and I' was surrounded by splinters. ..... .. .1 "Tho accident: occflirrod' fesi'byithe station, and I was one of the'first to reach thd" platform, helping a number of tho injured to the waiting-rooms. The screaming of those pinned down by the wreckage was most agonising, but splendid service was renderea by a number ot willing helpers. ' "Prior to the arrival of doctors. I myself used portions of my petticoat for bandages. "The occupants of the compartment - adjoining' the one I was in were so . badly injured that' they had to be removed to hospital. Tho spectacle is. one I shall nevei forget." Mr. Atherton, of Llandrindod Wells, said: "I was sitting in.a carriage not far from 'he front of the train, with my brother and two ladies, who were sisters. We wero chatting as we approached Shrewsbury. Suddenly there was a great jerk, then a tremendous crashing' noise, and instantly 'the two ladies vanished from my sight. I lifted iip andflung down, while everything all round ma seehied to be going to pieces. , I found myself a moment later lying on the line, and feeling damaged about tile .head. People were. shouting and shrieking near me. The first thing I noticed was a light- from' the engine lire, which was blazing; In the glare of it I saw a man lying a little way from me under- a tangled mass of iron. He struggled to his feet, exclaimed, in a whisper of agony: 'Oh! my God!' and fell down dead it was a dreadful experience. The next moment a woman's voice cried" appealingly onco: 'Jack!', I have heard that 'Jack' was her sweetheart. Whether she found him alive or dead I do, not know. I got on my feet and helped tp, carry the man who had fallon near mp to the platform. I went back then in the darkness to the train. As I got near it 1 felt that I was inhaling gas. . I suddenly lost my strength and senses, and I remembered nothing more until 'I recovered consciousness, and found myself lying in the infirmary. My brother was also taken to the infirmary, suffering from a fractured jaw, arid is detained." Mr. Harris, of Shrewsbury, a postal official, who was in charge of.the mail van, said:—. "I noticed nothing unusual about the speed, but all of a sudden I was shot under the table, and tho next moment the van collapsed with a terrific crash. Tho whplo thing wont like matchboxes. As I went spinning under tho table one of tho wheels came up throug the floor, and tho van seemed to crumble'in. Fortunately, wo were somo distance behind the engine, for the vans in front suffered worse. The table under which I fell stood the shock of the roof falling on it, and that saved my life. Two of my comrades, Hodgson and Bradley, were killed close to me, and Morris, who was pinned down for a time, has died in tho infirmary. c When tho crash camo the lights wont out, and wo were loft in darkness .with steam escaping about us. When I saw the wreckage from outside it was difficult to believe that any 0110 had got out alive."