THE AISGILL DISASTER.
[To THS EDITOR Or THE "SPECTATOR."] BIR,—A lot of undesirable and other letters are passing through the newspapers hereon. As an ex-railway official, with fifty-four years' service behind me, 1 desire to compli- ment you on your sensible article respecting this very sad occurrence. Your suggestion is the most practical I have seen, and in addition is inexpensive and immediately applied. The flare, during darkness, could be utilized as supplementary to the explosive detonators placed on the rails, in exactly the same way as permanent-way men use the red flag during daylight and during renewal, &a., operations, and except during foggy weather can be seen long distances. It may interest you to know that your suggestion was experimented with by the London and South-Western Company fifty years since. I was a youth at Guildford, and well remember watching the operations on two very dark nights, and I consider the result was very effective. Its form was that of a sky-rocket without the stick, a percussion cap at the point, and a small wooden handle for holding it up. Immediately the cap was struck against, say, a rail, a red light issued, lighting up the place. They could be carried by guards equally as well as the ordinary fog signals. I suggest you keep it before tbe public
and the railway authorities.—I am, Sir, &c., Z.
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