A railway accident of ghastly severity and fatality took place
on Wednesday afternoon between Manchester and Sheffield, near Penistone, to the express train leaving Manchester at half-past twelve, and due at King's Cross at 5.20. The train was going at a speed of 371 miles in the hour when the right-hand axle-box of the engine suddenly snapped, and all the carriages leaving the rails were hurled over the embank- ment, near Bullhouse Colliery, and about two miles from Penistone. A son of the Rev. Venables Williams, of Colwyn Bay, who was in the train, and was hurt, though not dangerously, went back, directly he could extricate himself, to the next signal-box and blocked the line ; but till help arrived from Penistone, and later from Sheffield, the sufferings of the survivors of the wrecked train were fearful. Some of the more fortunate of the passengers were simply crushed to atoms, some of the less fortunate were killed under circumstances of suffering which left horrible traces on the faces of the dead. The total loss of life is said to be twenty-three. As many more were seriously injured.
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