AN OVERHEAD RAILWAY BLAZE.

Evening Star, Issue 11676, 7 February 1902, Page 8

AN OVERHEAD RAILWAY BLAZE.

eA TUNNEL BURNS LIKE A FURNACE. SERIOUS LOSS OF LIFE. A' terrible fire broke out at the tunnel lending to Dingle station, of the Liverpool Overhead Electric Railway, on the night of December 2S. In the tunnel are thousands of creosote sleepers. People in the southern suburbs used the overhead railway to and from the centre of the city, and there was a large traffic right along the line of the docks, with numerous stations. The railway is worked by electricity, the current being picked up from aa electric rail in the centre of the track, the rails on which the trains run forming the negative tor the current. Hitherto the railway had been worked with almost perfect immunity from accident so far as any danger from the electric current is concerned. When the train, consisting of three carriages, reached the Herculaneum Dock station the bulk of the passengers, fortunately, got out, ns the next station, named Dingle station, is the extreme southern terminus of the line. Just after leaving Herculaneum statipn the railway enters a tunnel about a fifth of a mile long, at the end of which is situated Dingle station, and a few yards beyond the tunnel terminates in an earth embankment. When the train was approaching the tunnel the electric motor in the rear carriage failed, from some unexplained cause, to convey the current, with the result that the machinery fused and set fire to the woodwork of the carriage. Within a couple of minutes, owing to the strong current of air which alwav* rushes up the tunnel towards Dingle station, the flames ran filong from carriage to carriage until the whole train was enveloped in a mass of lire. Ihere were stored in a recess in the tunnel, as already stated, a great stack of creosote sleepers, and when the blazing train rushed past them they also took fire, immediately filling the tunnel with suffocating smoko and flames. The station, a short distance beyond, became suddenly enveloped in smoke, causing the officials to beat a hasty retreat to a place of safety. So urgent was there need of escape that the hooking clerk furthest removed from the actual scene of the tiro was compelled to nreh from his office, leaving his cash and tickets to take care of themselves. One of (he, platform officials, a signalman named William Owen, and a cabin lad named George Gough rushed up the steps leading to the platform and along the slope towards the exit from the station; but before peaching the waiting room they were ovoftome by smoke and fumes, and fell dow*i in a semi-conscious Mate. Another olDm’al named James, who is a member of the Ambulance Brigade attached to the railway, was fortunately at hand, and, seeing the plight of riie.se two, gallantly and at great personal risk dragged them out of the station, and after receiving first aid they partially recovered, and were removed to "the hospital in the ambulance. Mrs Fox, wife of the chief inspector at Dingle station, who resides on the prelaw's, was overcome in her kitchen, and was also removed to the hospital. As regards the passengers in the ill-fated train, some of them are .said to have jumped out and escaped, while two or three who were partially overcome were conveyed to hospital, where they soon recovered. Others were not so fortunate, and it is surmised that when the flame* buist out in the carriages they jumped out and tried to make their way towards the station, but probably missed the exit and dashed towards The blind end of the tunnel, where they would he caught like rats in a trap. PASSENGERS’ EXPERTENCES. .Mr Alfred Cornish, an engineer, residing in St. Michael's, was a passenger, as also was a triend of his, an elderly gentleman named Wright. Mr Cornish told a Press representative that the first indication was •when the train was front fifty to eighty ’ yards from the Dingle station platform. Suddenly the. Inin came to a. standstill, and a few seconds later short, sharp flames were observed wreathing themselves around the rear portion of the third and Last carriage. Up to that instant there had been no confusion or alarm, and no one had left the compartments. The electric current was now otf, and' all was black darkness, save for the illuminating power of the shooting flames,, which quickly enveloped the cud carriage. The crackling of wood arid the stifling heat and smoke caused the occupants of the train, or at least some of them, to hurriedly quit and seek safety elsewhere. One or two elderly passengers were assisted out of the carriages and helped on to the metals. Then, in the lamplit gloom, they groped and stumbled (heir way along until they reached the platform at the Dingle station. Mr Cornish was proceeding with his friend Mr Wright towards the Park road exit of the station when he was overtaken by the fumes and smoke, and it was only with the greatest difficulty that he and his companion succeeded in making good their escape from the station. Mr Wright was for a time somewhat seriously affected by the choking smoke. Another passenger was a young fellow named Shields, a White Jjtur employe. Re was very much overcome, by the heat and smoke, and had his hands badly burnt. It was in a half-conscious state that he was dragged out of the tunnel. When he recovered his full senses he told his anxious father a thrilling story of his experience. “ i thought 1 should never see you again, father,” he said; ‘‘and if it had not been that I had my overcoat to wrap round my head I could not have got through it,” ho added. RECOVERING THE DiIAD. A visit next morning to the scene of the disaster showed that very serious damage had been done. The fire superintendent estimates it at many thousands of pounds. The fire was got under about two o’clock, but it was six before it was finally extinguished, and even then dense smoke hung about tho mouth of the tunnel, and the heat inside continued great. The turmel is ever half a mile long, and a strong current of air rashes up it from the river end towards Diugle station. It was this feature that made the fire outbreak spread with such alarming rapidity, and the nauseating fumes from the stack of blazing creosote sleepers speedly overcame all within their reach.

When the firemen managed, by dint of great exertions and at much risk, to enter the tunnel and make their way through the Dingle station, they found at the extreme end of the platform the bodies of two men and a boy, lying in a recess. These bodies were badly charred, and the victims had evidently rushed into the recess in hope of obtaining shelter from the flames and smoke. One of these bodies was identified as that of Mr Randall, foreman at Dingle station, and the youth was named O’Brien, and -was employed us a carriage cleaner. In the four-foot way close by the searchers came upon the body of Maloney, the guard of the train. His head was enveloped in his overcoat. A little further on was found the body of Ashley, the d river, which presented a terrible sight, being burnt almost to a cinder. Two other bodies found appeared to be those of working men passengers by the train.