MASS OF WRECKAGE

Stratford Evening Post, Volume I, Issue 88, 23 March 1931, Page 5

MASS OF WRECKAGE

SCOTTISH EXPRESS JUMPS THE RAILS SEVERAL PEOPLE REPORTED KILLED V ENGINE AND THREE COACHES OVERTURN Reed. Noon. LONDON, March 22. THE Scottish express, when passing Ldghton Buzzard, jumped the metals and the engine and three coaches were overturned and telescoped. Twelve other coaches left the line. The driver, fireman, restaurant cook and eight passengers are reported killed, and it is believed many were injured. The Scottish international team, who were going home, all escaped.

ACTS OF HEROISM COOK’S DEVOTION TO MATE Press Association.—Copyright. (Reed. 2.30 p.m) LONDON. March 2. The Royal Scot, one of the fastest trains ifi the world, which last month attained a 90 miles an hour non-stop run between London and Carlisle, to-day became within a few moments a heap of twisted steel and matchwood, whence came pitiful cries and groans of injured and imprisoned passengers. Tire crowded train was going to Scotland and had slowed down to 30' miles an hour to take the points when it leapt the rails, the engine ploughing up the permanent way for fifty yards. Then it overturned, scalding and killing instaneously the driver and pinning down the fireman who .died before a rescue was possible. Carriages Telescoped

licullies of rescue amid the piled-up wreckage. The train chef, despite severed fingers, continuously searched for his assistant cook, and when he was found dead the chef refused to go until the body was extricated. Several injuries necessitated Immediate operations. A woman who was acompanied by a little girl had to undergo an amputation of a foot before she was freed. An injured Scottish woman Imprisoned in the debris for three hours, lay with her 18-ycar-old dahghter’s head in her lap. When rescued it was found the daughter’s leg needed amputation. A’AToctor relates how he found a man with only his head protruding from the wreckage. “He told me,” said the dodtor, "I’m all right Go and help the others. Yon will do moire good.’ “I gave him an, injection to relieve the pain I knew he must he suffering, though he refused to admit it.”

The first two carriages were telescoped and partially overran the engine, driving up" the tender and scattering tons o£ coal. The third and fourth cars slewed sideways and crashed into the second. Every carriage was derailed, the whole forming a rough cross across four sets of metals. The passengers had just been called to lunch and had not yet entered the dining car, which Avas completely smashed, otherwise the death roll would have ben. far heavier. The London, Midland and Scottish Railway Company states six to be killed and five seriously injured, while many others are suffering lesser injuries. Heartrending Scenes Eye-witnesses describe heartrending scenes, acts of heroism and dif-

ANOTHER CRASH IN FRANCE GUARD REMAINS AT HIS POST. PARIS, March 21. Heavily laden goods wagons from the coal mines at Pirminy became detached during the night from a train, and ran down a grade. A brakesman ■jumped oft' when passing through ft station and avrs seriously injured. The runaways, gathering momentum, dashed into a siding, jumping the metals and crashing into a number of huts where rail workers and their families were sleeping, injuring women and children.

When the trucks came to rest the guard rvas found in the debris crushed to death. He had remained at his post in an effort to check the runaways headlong rush.