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FRIGHTFUL ACCIDENT ON THE1…

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FRIGHTFUL ACCIDENT ON THE 1 SHREWSBURY & CHESTER RAILWAY. Chester, Monday Evening, half-past eight o'clock. An accident of a most dreadful and alarming description has this evening happened on the above railway, by which a very considerable number of souis have been summoned into the presence of their Maker at a moment's warning. The train which leaves the Chester station at half-past six o'clock, had just arrived at the new iron bridge, which crosses the river Dee, at the extremity of the race course, when Ihe fuithest portion of the three iion arches or spans composing the bridge gave way with a tremendous crash, carrying with it the wLaIe of the train (with the exception of the engine and tender, which reached the other side in safety) into the river below. The extent of the accident cannot, of course, be ascertained at the present rno- ment nine persons have, howevtr, been taken out in a dead or dyinn suite, and several others mutilated and injured in various ways. Many aie yet missing, and it is feared that not a few have met with watery grdves. The stoker of the engine was thrown from his place upon the tender, and killed on the spot. (From the Liverpool Times.) Immediately upon hearing of this dreadful calamity, we des- patched a reportei to the spot, who returned this morning, after witnessing ihe scene of this melancholy occurrence. The scene of the accident is the noble bridge over the liver Dee, close to the race-couise. The river is there crossed by an iron bridge, of three spans, each span is composed of massive iron girders, supported by sione of the most firm and durable construction. There are four of these girders in each span, one on each side of the up and do*n lines of rails. Stiong wooden beams were fixed across the girders, ani along these the lines were laid. The gliders themselves were formed of two pieces of iron, firmly riveted in the centre, and seemed well adapted to sustain all immense weight. The train which left Chester at 6 £ last evening, consisted of one firsi-class carnage, two second class carriages, and a luggage van; but it is staled that there were not more than two dozen passengers. The train was proceeding as usual along the hne. had already crossed two of the arches, and was in the act of crossing the third, when. without one moment's warning all the carriages were precipitated into the river, a depth of 1'20 feet the engine and tender, which had crossed the bridge, pursuing their course along the line. The consternation of the passen- gers at ihe time must have been frightful and some individuals, who witnessed the accident from the Roodee, describe their shrieks as being of the most heart-rending description. But even this terror was merely momentary; for the sudden shock and concussion rendered almost all the persons in the carriages totally insensible to their situation. One man, indeed, named Frond, recovered himself almost immedialely he found him- self in a c:iiriage turned upside down in the river, and being fully sensible of the honors of his situation, he exerted himself to the utmost, and succeeded in petting thiough the carriage window wiience he precipi.'ated himself into the river, and swam ashore. The ciash was heard at a great distance, and ass stance was promptly on the spot, Mr. Jones, the house- surgeon to the Infirmary, being very active in rendering aid to ilie unfortunate suflereis. In a brief space of time four dead bodies were taken out of the river, and twe!ve or thirteen of the passengers, who were more or less wounded, were extricated from their perilous situation, and conveyed to the Infirmary. As soon as the agitation consequent upon such a dreadful occuirence had subsided, attention was directed to the fallen arch, but. strange to say, only one of the girders, that on the outside, had given way, while the other remained perfectly firm and eniire. Of course the weight of the carriage bore down the rails and the horizontal beams, with which the girder, now broken into several pieces, fell into the river. It also tore wiili it a portion of the st -n? work in which it was fixed on the Wel-h side of the river. Very fortunately, however, nothing seemed to have fallen upon the carriages, and '.hough they were crushed one against the other, they did not appear so completely smashed as would have been the case had the arch been built of stone. Any conjecture as to the cause of the accident would be idle or misplaced, but doubtless that will be sufficiently investigated by the coroner. The following is a correct list of the parties killed and injured by this shocking catastrophe, as far as we have been able to ascertain the particulars by personal application at the Chester Royal Infirmary, shortly before five o'clock this morn. ing KILLED. 1. John Matthews, a coachman on one ot the Welsh mail coaches between Chester and some part of Wales. He was a passenger to Rusbon or Wrexham, in the second-class cairiage. 2. —Knyvelt, also a coach driver, and pasiengei loVVrexham. 3. George Roberts, guard of the train, who met an insian- tantaneous death, having been precipitated from the top of the carriage on to the bank of the liver, amid the falling ruins. 4. The stoker, a young man, whose name we have not been able to ascertain- The budies of these unfortunate individuals, with the excep- tion of that of the guard, which was conveyed to the Infirmary, now lie at the Chester workhouse, awaiting the inquest. INJUlil u. 1 and 2. Mr. and Miss Town, of Wrexham (brother and sister). The injuries which Mr. Town has received are of a very seiious character. He has sustained a severe concussion of the brain, and it is apprehended his skull is also fractured, thoughthishas not been definitely ascertained. However, he is in such a condition at present that is recovery is considered a maiter of great uncertainty. Miss Town has had a more for- tunate escape, the injuries which she has sustained being com- paratively slight. 3. Mrs. Evison, a middle ared lady, from the neighbourhood of Rusbon and Wrexham. Her injuries are very severe, con- sisting of a fracture of the hip bone, the nature or extent of which has not been accurately ascertained. 4. Mr. Isaac Jones, of Wrexham, said to be a tailor and draper, has had his skull severely fractured, and lies now in an exceedingly critical state. 5. Mr John Jones, from the neighbouihood of Wrexham a se- vere contussion about the head, which is not, however, reckoned imminently dangeious. G. Mrs. Elizabeth Jones (wife of the above) has had her thigh fractured. 7. Ann Evans. servant to Capt. Hopkins, who resides near Husbon, This young woman has suffered to a greater degree than perhaps any other of the unfortunate individuals who were injured. Her thigh is fractured, and she has likewise sustained a serious fracture of the collar bone, and a number of internal Injul\.>o. 8. Mi. David Evans, of Wrexham, or the immediate neigh- bourhood, had his thigh fractured. 9. Mrs. Evans, his wife, received a number of bruises, none of which are of a serious character. They were proceeding to Wrexham when the accident occurred. )0. A boy named Stevens, the son of one of the station keepers on the line, and himself employed on the line, was dreadfully injured. It is supposed he has sustained concussion of the brain, though it was impossible to say whether that really was the case. It. Mr. John Bruce Ford, of Manchester, received a cut on the head, and other slight injuries, none of which are consideled at all serious. 12. A married female, name unknown. severe concussion of the brain. She has not spoken since her admission to the infir- mary. 13. A boy or man, connected with some of the offices. named M'Gregor, had his skull fractured, but was nevertheless quite sensible, and conversed with the house suigeon. those who escaped unhUlt- comparatively few, consider. ing the number in the train—ihe following are the only names we have yet learned, and we believe it comprises all, with one or two exceptions:—Mr. Walmsley, of Liverpool, who was pro- ceeding to Llangollen a young man named Pround, connected with one of the railway offices; Mr. Lloyd Wynne, of Mount Zion, near Oswestiy, and his son, also escaped almost without a bruise. There seems to be one man still missing, for a hat has been found, marked with the name of Ashelford, for which there is no owner, but this is supposed to be the only body that has not been recovered. f Mr. Jones, the house surgeon, seemed to think the heads Os most of the sufferers had come in contact with the stone wall, a the wounds were filled with sand but this might be caused by the quantity of sand which would be disturbed as the carnages fell. We have spoken to one or two gentlemen who heard the crash of the filling mass, which was heard at a great distance, and who were on the spot lmrrediaiely after the accident, hut the relief of the wounded absorbed their whole attention, and they were aJ- most unable to form the slightest idea of the cause of this diead ful calamity. e It was stated that the engineer was so horrified at the occurrenca that he went on with his engine in an almost insensible s'ate tor distance ot about two miles. One of the coachmen who was killed had £ 150. in his pocket, which was taken charge cf by Mr. Hill, the superintendent of police. These, then, are the hurried details which we have been en- abled to colleci respecting this accident, in its nature more fright- ful than any in the recoids of railway history. The inquest, however, will unfold some further information, and in all proba. bility that will take place to morrow.

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