1865.] Tyler on Circulation and Communication on Railways. 575 



tion, Mr. Baker and Mr. Eansford struck their hands against an 

 obstruction at the side of the line, which turned out afterwards to be 

 a signal-post, and received severe contusions, the former breaking a 

 bone in his arm, and the latter his thumb. The train was a short one, 

 with a guard at each end of it, but it travelled for about thirty-four 

 miles at fifty or sixty miles an hour after the fracture of the axle, 

 without the servants of the company having an idea that anything was 

 wrong. It appears that the passengers were shouting or making 

 signals from the near side, while the guards looked out from and the 

 switchmen were most of them standing on the off-side. The feelings 

 of the passengers may be best described in the words of Mr. Baker : — 

 " We thus had upwards of half-an-hour of awful suspense, during which 

 time we expected every moment to be dashed to pieces ; and I may 

 add, that I most seriously regretted the absence of any means of com- 

 munication with the guard, so that he might stop the train and release 

 us front our perilous position." 



A passenger so situated is nothing more nor less than a modern 

 Mazeppa, — quite as helpless, though his limbs be free, — riding farther 

 and faster, though on a more level route, — and just as liable to be 

 " dashed to pieces," though under a carriage roof, — as his ancient 

 prototype ; the only difference between them being that the wild 

 horse was only supposed to carry one, while the steam-horse will 

 accommodate any number of victims. 



Our neighbours on the Continent are not without similar troubles, 

 as will be seen by ths following account, which is one of several, by 

 the Baron de Janze,* of an accident which occurred on the route from 

 this country to Paris, in the same month of the present year, as the 

 two cases related above : — " Le l er mars dernier, sur la ligne du Nord, 

 et non loin de la station de Boves, un bandage de roue de l'avant- 

 derniere voiture d'un train se brise : les deux roues de derriere 

 quittent les rails, et 500 metres plus loin, arrachees au wagon auquel 

 elles appartenaient, elles sont jetees sous la derniere voiture, qui 

 deraille, ainsi que le fourgon place derriere elle. Plusieurs voyageurs 

 sont blesses ou contusionnes, et l'un d'eux, qui avait le bras casse, est 

 retiree, a, l'aide de cordes, par la portiere de la voiture renversee sur 

 le cote. 



" Le mecanicien continue sa route sans se douter qu'il a perdu un 

 wagon et un fourgon, sans s'apercevoir que la voiture qui a perdu ses 

 deux roues de derriere est trainee sur ses ressorts avec d'horribles 

 secousses, et court a chaque instant risque d'etre renversee. Ce n'est 

 que trois kilometres plus loin qu'il s'arrete et constate que, par bonheur, 

 cette derniere voiture ne contient pas de voyageurs." 



The French have had their murders also, of Heppi and Poinsot, 

 and the young Englishman whose corpse was found near the Ville-- 

 tranche station, on the Mediterranean line, at 5 a.m. on the 30th 

 April, 1864, to set against that of Mr. Briggs; and M. Poinsot's 

 murderer appears to have obtained access to the compartment in 



* Accidents de Chemins de Fer, par J. Bisson, public's et annote's par le Baron 

 de Janze, Depute, Paris, 1865. 



