150 COACHING. 



expired the following morniDg. On the above 

 fatal night it rained incessantly, and the cold 

 was intense. 



In ]838 one of the most terrible storms 

 of thunder and lio-htuino- that had been w^it- 

 nessed for many years took place on the 

 28th of August, during w'hich the Royal Mail, 

 on its way from York to Leeds, was over- 

 turned a short distance before its arrival at 

 Tadcaster. The vivid glare of the lightning 

 and the roar of the thunder so affrighted the 

 horses that they started off, ran the coach 

 upon an embankment, and it was instantly 

 overturned. There w^ere three inside and 

 three outside passengers, besides the coach- 

 man and guard, all of wdiom, with the 

 exception of the coachman, escaped un- 

 hurt. 



A more serious accident occurred in October. 

 Whilst the Coburg coach, on its way from 

 Perth to Edinburgh, was receiving the pas- 

 sengers and luggage from Newhalls Pier, South 

 Queensferry,'the leaders suddenly wheeled round, 

 and, notwithstanding that the guard and coach- 

 man were almost instantly at their heads, coach 

 and horses were precipitated over the quay. Some 

 of the outside passengers escaped by throw- 



