The Railway Disaster at Hexthorpe, near Doncaster,
16'th September 1887
The following article and pictures are taken
from The Illustrated London News of September 24'th 1887. It is thus a
contemporary account of the accident. The
statistics for railway accidents and injuries,
for just a six month period, given at
the end of the article are an indication
of the precarious and risky nature of rail
travel at this time. Although not recognised at the time railway
accidents of this nature were a cause of
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder - as discussed within another article on this website.
Railway Disaster at Doncaster
On Friday week, the Cup Day at Doncaster races, the Midland Railway Company's Excursion-train from Sheffield, waiting
to collect tickets at Hexthorpe, a mile and
a half from Doncaster, was run into by the
Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Company's
train running from Liverpool and Manchester
to Hull. Twenty three passengers in the train
from Sheffield were at once killed, and others
have since died; the hinder most carriage
of this train was completely smashed, and
another carriage was shattered, by the engine
of the Manchester train, which crashed through
the guard's van in the rear. This frightful
collision took place about a quarter past
twelve at noon. The train from Sheffield,
containing nearly a thousand passengers,
had stopped at Hexthorpe ticket-platform, which is 900 yards from
the junction. It is merely a narrow platform,
separated from the adjoining meadow by a
wooden rail. Ordinarily it is not used; but
only in the race week and on other special
occasions. The block system was for the day suspended between Hexthorpe
Junction and the platform, and the trains
were worked by flags, men being stationed
at intervals with red flags to instruct drivers.
There could have been no thought of danger,
as the siding was specially protected by
flag and semaphore signals. These precautions
were required by the fact that the main line
from Liverpool to Hull takes a considerable
curve not far from the Hexthorpe ticket-platform,
past which the next train would rush at great
speed, if not stopped by signal, before reaching
the turn which would bring it within sight
of the siding. Ticket-collectors were ready
at Hexthorpe for the excusion train immediately
on its arrival, and the guards left their
brakes to assist in the work. The Manchester,
Sheffield, and Lincolnshire Company's
train had nothing to do with the races; it
carried many persons for Doncaster, but was
a regular daily train, and was going on to
Hull. In the ordinary way, the driver of
this train would not stop at Hexthorpe ticket-platform;
and the driver in charge of the engine was
a man of considerable experience, who knew
the train well; he belongs to Liverpool,
and his name is Taylor. His engine was fitted
with the automatic vacuum brake; his train,
nevertheless, rushed on at high speed, and
struck the end of the Midland Company's
train with such momentum that the collision
was a terrific force. The wood-work of the
carriages was smashed and splintered as if
the wood of a packing-case; the massive iron
tires and frames and wheels were twisted
into fantastic forms. The screeching of the
escaping steam from the partially broken
engine mingled with the agonising screams
of the unfortunate people imprisoned by the
wreck of the carriages, and with the groans
of many who had sustained dreadful injuries.
For a while, discipline seemed lost and reason
suspended amongst officials and escaped passengers
alike; but the panic did not last long; the
work of succour and rescue was commenced,and
within an hour nearly fifty persons were
extricated and placed on the platform and
in the adjoining sheds for the mineral traffic
on the line, where they received prompt attention
at the hands of surgeons and physicians who
had hurried to the spot from the neighbouring
towns and villages. It was decided to send
most of them to the Infirmary at Doncaster.
Special Carriages were kept running between
Doncaster and Hexthorpe and those more serioulsy
injured were soon installed in the Infirmary.
By four o'clock twenty-three dead bodies
had been recovered from the wreckage, and
between fifty and sixty injured persons.
Of the latter, four had succumbed to their
injuries, and several others are in a critical
condition. Among the killed were Mr. Frederick
Lee, Mr. F. Kirland, Mr. Swift, Mr. Handy,
and Mrs Fillingham, all of Sheffield. One
poor woman was killed with her baby in her
arms, but the infant was taken out of the
wreck uninjured. In another instance, both
mother and child perished. In the case of
a number of the injured the effort to extricate
them were the occasion of much pain. The
work of removing the dead was the more difficult
because the bodies were so jammed together
that hatchets and saws were needed to get
them out, and this was done by patient and
prolonger labour. At one time, eight bodies
rolled upon the bank after the timber was
sawn away, and the spectacle was ghastly,
as legs and arms were picked up one by one.
The head of one poor fellow hung among some
of the broken timber; on clearing away the
woodwork it was found that he was nearly
decapitated, and that the body was fearfully
lacerated. Another man had his body torn
open; another was disembowelled by the buffer
of the engine; and his wife was killed by
his side.
It happened that five passengers who were
medical men left Sheffield in the ordinary
train which followed the Midland excursion,
Drs. Thorpe Marten and Beythman, and two
medical friends. Hearing that their train
was delayed by an accident, they inquired
if they could render any assistance. "If
you are doctors," was the reply, "yon
can"; Drs Wilson, Smith, Fairbank, Clark,
Hallams, and the other Doncaster surgeons
were also in attendance, and did all they
could on the spot. We give the portrait of
Mr. F. Penny, house-surgeon at Doncaster
Infirmary, who has, with great skill
and care, treated the patients at that institution.
Mr. Bradley, superintendent of the Manchester,
Sheffield, and Lincolnshire Company, lost
not a moment in going to the scene of the
accident, with Mr. Holmshaw, district superintendent,
Mr. Cockshott, chief superintendent of the
Great Northern, and several of the Midland
Company's officials. One of the first
trains to come along was the private special
in which Lord Wharncliffe, a director of
the Manchester and Sheffield line, was travelling
to Doncaster with his guests. These included
Mr. Calcraft, of the Board of Trade; he, in company with Lord Wharncliffe, inspected
the scene of the disaster, and telegraphed
to the Board of Trade to send an inspector
to Doncaster. Mr. C. H. Firth, of Sheffield,
also a director, came to see if he could
be of any service; and Mr. Thorburn, the
Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire Company's
chief medical officer, was telegraphed, from
Manchester. The line was cleared in time
for the trains running to bring people back
from the races.
Inquests have been opened by the County and
by the Borough Coroner, and the Board of
Trade Inspector, Major Marindin, has also
held an inquiry.
During the six months ending with June 30
this year, it appears, from return of the
Board of Trade, there were, reported eighteen
collisions between passenger-trains by which
sixty-four passengers and nine railway servants
were injured;twelve collisions between passenger-trains
and goods or mineral trains, by which seventy-six
passengers and twelve servants were injured;
seven collisions between goods-trains, by
which two servants were killed and fifteen
persons injured; twenty cases of passenger-trains
leaving the rails, by which one servant as
killed and eighteen persons injured; four
cases of goods-trains leaving the rails,
by which three servants were killed; and
ten cases of trains running into stations
or sidings at too high speed, by which twenty
passengers and two railway servants were
injured.
