CHAP. XVI. STEPHENSON'S COACH ACCIDENT. 353 



all districts penetrated by railways the coaches were 

 very shortly taken off for want of support. 



George Stephenson himself had a narrow escape in 

 one of the stage-coach accidents so common twenty years 

 ago, but which are already almost forgotten. While 

 the Birmingham line was under construction, he had 

 occasion to travel from Ashby-de-la-Zouch to London 

 by coach. He was an inside passenger with an elderly 

 lady, and the outsides were pretty numerous. When 

 within ten miles of Dunstable, he felt, from the rolling 

 of the coach, that one of the linchpins securing the 

 wheels had given way, and that the vehicle must upset. 

 He endeavoured to fix himself in his seat, holding on 

 firmly by the arm-straps, so that he might save him- 

 self on whichever side the coach fell. It soon toppled 

 over, and fell crash upon the road, amidst the shrieks of 

 his fellow-passengers and the smashing of glass. He 

 immediately pulled himself up by the arm-strap above 

 him, let down the coach window, and climbed out. The 

 coachman and passengers lay scattered about on the 

 road, stunned, and some of them bleeding, w^hile the 

 horses were plunging in their harness. Taking out his 

 pocket-knife, he at once cut the traces, and set the 

 horses free. He then went to the help of the passen- 

 gers, who were all more or less hurt. The guard had 

 his arm broken, and the driver was seriously cut and 

 contused. A scream from one of his fellow-passenger 

 " in sides " here attracted his attention : it proceeded 

 from the elderly lady, whom he had before observed to 

 be decorated with one of the enormous bonnets in 

 fashion at the time. Opening the coach-door, he lifted 

 the lady out, and her principal lamentation was that her 

 large bonnet had been crushed beyond remedy ! Mr. 

 Stephenson then proceeded to the nearest village for 

 help, and saw the passengers provided with proper 

 assistance before he himself went forward on his 

 journey. 



VOL. III. 2 A 



