RAILWAY COLLISION

Taranaki Daily News, 15 August 1933, Page 7

RAILWAY COLLISION

TWO ENGINEDRIVERS KILLED. EARLY MORNING CRASH. At a lonely, desolate spot on the London, Midland and Scottish railway, between Ambergate and Wingate stations, 14 miles from Derby, a mail express and a mineral train were involved in a collision a few weeks ago which resulted in the deaths of two enginedrivers and injuries to four other persons. The express, which was drawn by two locomotives, crashed into the rear of the other train. The two engines overturned, but in absorbing the main force, of the impact they saved the following coaches, with the result that the 50 occupants escaped practically unscathed. One of the dead drivers was imprisoned in the cabin of his engine, and by the light of flickering flares rescuers made feverish efforts to free his body. His fireman displayed great courage, despite injuries, and insisted on remaining on duty until he had done what he could for his trapped mate. '■ It was within a stone’s throw of Wingfield Manor, the place of the imprisonment of Mary Queen of Scots, that the crash occurred. The line here runs through a practically inaccessible stretch of open country, and eerie scenes were witnessed as rescuers plunged over fields and ditches in heavy rain, guided by the light of lanterns.

DRIVER DEAD IN CABIN.

The trains involved were the 10 p.m. mail express from Leeds to Bristol, and the 6.30 p.m.- freight train from Leeds to Derby. The drivers killed were Federick John Roberts, aged 55, and George Samuel Parsons. Two firemen, a guard, and a passenger—a young woman, were injured. Just before the impact the goods tram had restarted after a stop to pick up water. Had it been stationary the results would have been more serious.

One of the first on the scene was Dr. R. C. Allen, of Belper, who answered the S.O.S. in his car. ‘‘lt was a terrible mess,” he said. “The 50 passengers on the mail train had a miraculous escape. Two engines were hauling the mail train. Both of them were overturned, and it was probably the fact that there were two engines to take the force of the impact which prevented extensive damage to the coaches and injury to passengers.

“Apart from the woman who was injured, a number of passengers were rather badly shaken. Luggage had showered on to them from the racks when the trains met. The driver of the leading engine was dead in his cabin. The engine was on its side, and it was _a long time before his body could be extricated. Local ambulance men had patched up the injured railwaymen very well. The second driver, whose foot was cut clean off, was not unconscious when I saw him.”

Fireman Edwards also had a miraculous escape. He was on the first engine with the ill-fated Driver Roberts, and struggled out without a scratch. When, by the dull gleams of lanterns, rescuers and passengers began the grim task of extricating Driver Roberts from the wreckage of the engine Mr. Edwards, although suffering severely from shock, insisted on remaining at his post to do what he could for his mate.

FORCE OF THE IMPACT.

Soon after the accident many of the women passengers, despite the fact that they were suffering from shock, left the coaches and went along the track to the overturned engines. Emergency bandages were provided by the women, who tore up parts of their clothing for this purpose. The guard’s van at the rear of the goods train, wherein Guard Warrington —who suffered severe injuries—was posted, was reduced to splinters and twisted metal. A huge boiler and iron pipes weighing several tons aboard a truck in the goods train were thrown 50 yards into a field by the force of the impact, and one engine travelled 50 yards without its bogey. About 20 postal sorters were among those on the express, and 300 bags of mail were later recovered from the wreckage. The permanent way was ripped up for a considerable distance. Mr. H. K. Beale, of Birmingham, remarked it was a mercy that no passenger lives were lost. The whole train might have overturned. Mrs. Annie Roberts, wife of one of the dead drivers, stated that only recently her husband had his eyes tested. They were certified as “good for another five