Teesdale Mercury
THE TEESDALE MERCURY-WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 1869
FRIGHTFUL RAILWAY ACCIDENT
NEAR BISHOP AUCKLAND
TWO MEN KILLED AND SEVERAL OTHERS INJURED.
A frightful accident took place about twenty minutes past six o'clock, on Friday night, on the Bishop Auckland branch of the North-Eastern Railway, near Hunwick, which resulted fatally to two persons and serious injuries to several others.
About the time mentioned twelve or thirteen coke-waggons were standing at the Brancepeth coke depot ready to be dispatched to their destination-Jarrow. At this place there is a rather sharp incline, in the direction of Hunwick station, and, in accordance with the usual custom, the waggons were "spragged" to prevent them running away. The driver of the engine that had to take the waggons away was preparing to start, and for that purpose was running his engine along the up line in order to get to some points through which he had to pass before he could get in front of the coke waggons. Unfortunately, however the waggons-from some misunderstanding on the part of those in charge of them - were released before the engineman had got his engine attached to them; the consequence was that they proceeded at a rapid rate in the direction of Bishop Auckland, the contrary way to that in which it was intended they should go.
Willington station is a short distance from the place where the waggons were started, and a number of passengers who were waiting at that station for the train, almost then due, were at first considerably surprised at seeing a number of waggons rush past the station towards Bishop Auckland at a speed of not less than forty miles an hour, without an engine.
In a moment the station master (Mr Dixon) was on the alert, and it was shortly ascertained that the waggons had been set in motion as above described. Much excitement was then felt amongst the waiting passengers respecting the moor than probable impending collision.
it was calculated that the approaching train would hardly have reached Hunwick Station-the next Station to Willington-at the time the waggons passed the latter station, and unless something was done to stop their career, it was apparent to the Willington station master and all who were acquainted with the various levels of the line about that quarter that a collision was imminent.
Mr Dixon, however, was powerless; for, supposing the passenger train had not reached Hunwick, he had no means of communicating with that station; though somewhat strangely, there was no telegraphic communications between the two places; and all that could be done under the circumstances was to wait the issue. The remaining waggons, after passing Willington, sped on at momentarily increasing speed, the incline being very acute after passing this place. In a few minutes, a loud thud was heard by the waiting passengers at Willington, and it was at once concluded that the waggons had run into the passenger train. Mr Dixon (accompanied by two or three men) at once ran down the line, and soon confirmed the suspicions of those assembled on the platform of his station. Telegraphic messages were sent to Durham and Newcastle, after which Mr Dixon sent for Dr Allen, of Willinton, on whose arrival, an engine, carrying all the available hands about the place, was sent to the scene of the accident, - about one hundred and fifty yards on the Durham side of Hunwick. It appears that the train was just beginning to acquire its usual momentum after starting from the latter station, when it was run into by the waggons, Shortly afterwards the collision took place with tremendous force, the engine being thrown on to its side to the east of the line. The first waggon was jammed beneath the engine on the opposite side. The force of the concussion broke the coupling chain joining the guard's van to the carriages, and the whole of the carriages flew back to a considerable distance down the line. A number of men from the neighbouring collieries were soon on the spot, and, after an examination of the overturned engine had been made, the head of the driver (who was still alive) and the legs of the stoker were seen sticking out from under it. Every endeavour was at once made to remove the engine from their bodies, but this was not accomplished, in consequence of the want of the proper appliances, for some considerable time afterwards. Attention was next directed to the passengers, and it was found that the force of the concussion had been such as to force open almost every one of the carriage doors. All the passengers who were not injured immediately jumped out of the train, and assisted in removing those who had been less fortunate to the station and the Railway Hotel. Dr Allen, of Willington, was soon in attendance, and, with the assistance of Dr Collinson, of Bishop Auckland, and Dr McDonald, of Hunwick, dressed the injuries of the sufferers. Amongst the most severely injure were Mr Gidion Gould, traveller, of Birmingham, who received several severe wounds on the head and face: Mr George Bocock, of Newcastle, coal contractor, severely shaken and internally injured: Miss Bryans, of Sunderland; Lady Boyne's maid, had two or three of her teeth knocked out, and her face twisted to one side; Mr Lovegrove, of Durham, wound on forehead; Mr William Haswall, of D Pit, Fence houses, had his knee-cap dislocated, whilst his wife was much bruised about the face, and shaken; Hannah Jackson, of Sunnybrow, sustained severe cuts on the face; Mr James Headley, of Durham, yeast manufacturer, received a lacerated wound of his leg, and a contused wound on the face; Mrs Margaret Cooper, 68, Grainger-street, Newcastle, was much shaken; Mr J Brownless, of Durham, guano merchant, had his knee dislocated, and received a severe shock. Amongst those injured, but not to such an extent as to be disabled, were Mr R. A. Oswold, of New Elvet, Durham; Mr Daniel P. Appleby, of Princess-street, Sunderland; Mr J. W. Ridley, Chemist, Newcastle; Mr W. Kelman, Inland Revinue Collector, Sunderland; Mr L. Heslop, Mr R. B. Charlton, Mr W. Burnop, Mr Somerset, Mr F.Wood, and Mr Smith, all of Newcastle; Mr Reed, the Hunwick station master, who was in the guard's van, lost two or three of his teeth and sustained a wound on the ear. The guard of the train, Thomas Fawcett, was also much cut about the face. One Gentleman who, the medical men thought, was the worst of the lot, was put to bed in the Railway Hotel. He declined, however, to give his name, as he stated that his reason for so doing was because he did not wish to alarm his friends. Dr Allen was most assiduous in his attentions to the sufferers, the whole of whose wounds were dressed in a short space of time. In the meantime every effort was being made by a host of willing workers to extricate the unfortunate men from under the engine. In consequence, however, of the absence of the necessary appliances, and the want of some one to direct the operations of the workmen, little progress was made for some time. At last, however, about an hour and a quarter after the accident, assistance arrived, and the men were soon got out, their bodies presenting a shocking spectacle. It was found that one of the side taps of the engine has penetrated the back and broken the spine of the engineman. He only lived a few minutes after the collision, and his head was held by one of the passengers when he expired. The name of the unfortunate man is William Moor, of Sunderland, and he leaves a widow, but no children. The fireman, whose name is Robert Grieves, also of Sunderland, must have met an instantaneous death, for the entire weight of the engine rested on the whole of his body, which presented an even more shocking appearance than that of his fellow-workman. the bodies of the deceased were conveyed to Mr George Watson's, the Railway Hotel. Shortly after that been done a special train of empty carriages arrived from Durham, where the passengers were conveyed, and thence forwarded to their respective destinations by the ordinary trains. The guard's van, which was next to the engine, was the only carriage damaged, and none of the coke waggons but the one that came in contact with the engine was much the worse, During the night the obstructions were removed, and the usual traffic along the line was resumed on Saturday morning.
Backlinks: Durham:Runaway Wagons
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