POSTSCRIPT.
SATURDAY NIGHT.
The fog of Thursday last was not merely a "London fog," but was of much wider extent ; as we learn by accounts of fatal accidents that successively arrive from distant places in the country.
Gross negligence, however, aided the fog in causing some deplorable railway accidents in the North ; two of which are narrated by the Nottingham papers of yesterday. A coal-waggon-tender had got off one rail of the 'Midland Counties line' blocking up the way for a train that should have left Nottingham for Derby at three o'c'ock. A little later, a heavy goods-train from Derby was to have arrived at Notting- ham. After waiting about a quarter of an hour, some person at the Nottingham station sent a messenger on foot to the Beeston sta- tion, three miles along the line, to stop the Derby train ; the Notting- ham train started on the unblocked line—the wrong one ; and, in the fog, it met the other train. The message had failed in some way. The collision was fearful : the Nottingham train was literally smashed ; two persons were killed; twenty were more or less crushed and bruised ; and but one escaped unhurt—a young lady, sitting alone, in the very front compartment of the train ! The other train was not so utterly destroy ed.
The second accident happened between Leicester and Rugby, on the same day. The rails were slippery ; the guard of a train got down to strew sand on them ; another train came up iu the fog; and the man's brains were dashed out.
A third disaster happened at night on the Birmingham and Gloucester Railway. A train was passing under Cleeve Bridge, four miles from Birmingham ; when the head of a fireman, who must have been off his guard, was dashed against one of the pillars that support the bridge, and his death was immediate.
The fog was thick on the river Mersey, and at night there was a fatal accident. The James, a Birkenhead steamer, in crossing from Liver- pool, ran against the Royalist, a New Brunswick ship that lay in the middle of die river. Several passengers jumped from the steamer into tile other vessel, and into a boat that lay by it ; while many fell into the water. The steamer got clear of the ship, but not without serious damage. When the passengers were again taken on board the James, it was found that at least one man was missing ; and it is feared tlrot more may have been lost.
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