The close of the year has been marked, as usual,
by a railway calamity. At 4.38 p.m. on December 22nd, when it was already dark, the North-Western express from Manchester for Easton entered Chelford, where a number of goods trucks were being shunted on the clown-line. According to the evidence taken before Major Marindin, one of these waggons was driven by the remainder—how, does not yet clearly appear—over the 'fouling points" on to the up-line. The engine of the express-train struck it, but passed it and turned over, and acted as a stop-block. The train was travelling at nearly sixty miles an hour, and the following carriages— especially those in the middle of the train—being met by the stop-block, were telescoped or smashed. They were full of pas- sengers, and the scene was as horrible as if the train had been bombarded. Thirteen people were killed on the spot, and some sixty injured, many very severely. The extent of the responsibility has still to be determined, but we see nothing in the evidence taken before Major Marindin to justify the report that a goods waggon was blown by the gale on to the path of the express. It may have been, but no witness testifies to the fact, though all mention that a gale was blowing. It seems, from Major Marindin's questions, that some rule as to shunting was broken; but in reality everybody was doing ordinary work in the ordinary way, without thinking of coming danger. It was an accident, in fact, produced by long and, up to the deadly hour, successful habit, of the kind which inevitably generates carelessness.
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