A most argumentative fact must have convinced Mr. Hudson that
acci- dents do happen on his own railways, and that they are not pleasant.
As the_story runs, "Mr. Hudson and his friends had on of one of four carriages forming an express-train on the North Midlan Railway; the train was on its way to Edinburgh; all went well till arriving at the bridge at Derby; here the train was delayed for several minutes, that Mr. Hudson might confer with some officials." [People of less authoritative experience have held that delays cause accidents; but of course Mr. Hudson knew well what he was about.] A passenger relates what followed. "The time thus lost had to be regained, and we went at a terrible pace until about a mile beyond the tunnel North of Ches- terfield, when a violent tossing and pitching began, with a dreadful shock. The engine-driver soon stopped the carriages; and on scrambling out this fearful state of things appeared. The train consisted of one second-class carriage, three . first-class, and a luggage-van behind. The second-class carriage and the first of the first-class carriages were uninjured. The next carriage, in which was Mr. Hudson, had been dragged along on the fore-wheels, without any hind-wheels or axle; the back part was nearly knocked to pieces. The third first-class carriage was left a quarter of a mile behind, without wheels or axles; the luggage-van was knocked to pieces." By extraordinary good fortune, no one was seriously hurt.
But what a change must have come over the spirit of Mr. Hudson's dream! at that bump how he must have been struck—what profound con- viction must have possessed him!
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