The driver of the express engin, 4 man named Ollington, of Birming. iam, aald that everythlag went well until they got to Charfield." "it was foray in patches," he said, "but I saw nothing further until a moment afore the crash, brakes 0 the cab. We struck the tender of the shunting engine on our left. Second later we struck the foods train on our other aide. Twas uticonscfous for a moment, but ree covered, and crawled out of the cab, thought riy mate was under the vereckage, but found he had eruwed fut previously. 1 tried to-get back lurider the Bridge, but found. it Jammed with wreckage, The wreckage began to burn. 1 climbed the wall and saw aman in a broken carriage, I tried to get at hin, but Some. wreckage fell on. my_ head and T became tnconscivus and "did not remember anything more:
There were terrible scenes in the burning train screek, though i lits yet to be decided whether the fre vas due to the dangerous lighting passenger carriages by as or to intammabie matter carried. by" the have freed her, and all the time those flames were creeping nearer nearer.
I dislocated my shoulder, and blisters came on my hands. In a last frantic effort I wrenched at the woodwork, and then flames came up. lover me and I fell back, more dead than alive. T can still see that awful look of fear in my sister's eyes, The train was lighted by gas, and I believe the fire must have been Jcaused by a gas cylinder exploding."
A Roaring Furnace Miss Hilda Florence Cross, teacher, of Bridge Road, Helper, Derbyshire, was travelling with her friend, Mr.' A. H. Brooke, an engine= lo Terrace, Lidget. Mr. Brooke, in hospital, has told his experienc "We wore going to spend a short. holiday with' Hilda's mother, who. ives near Teignmouth, Devon. Wilda nad been so jolly throughout the journey, laughing and joking so happily, and when the crash came she was dozing on her gent facing: the engine. heard her serean just fence, and then all was blackness, must have been struck on the head. by a piece of the wreckage. Wher T came to I was lying on the top of the smashed coach, How T came, to be there Tdon't know. T thought for an instant that I" had been asleep and that Twas sitting in they compartment, I looked round foe Hilda, and then T realized what had happened.
could not stand, but T arent, here and there among the wreckage, calling Hilda! Hilda!" but there was no sound. Then suddenly the air was filled with the screams andi groans of ether passengers and my" Voice was drowned in the awful din. Presently two men came along with ladder and got_me down. They" took me to a signal-box, and when T turned to look out of the window: I saw the white coach, with Hilda tost in the chaos of it, up into n roaring furnace, was too horrible! She was col and clever woman, Tt doesn't seem right somehow, There was a note of deep anger in Mr, Brooke's voice when he add= ed:-—""There would have been no fire: but for the jas."
Others who escaped from the furs nace with burned and broken bodies: have declared that it would have: been possible to save more than one of those who perished had the press not been gas-lit. Tt was the which escaped from the burst cylinders which brought the fire upors us." he said.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.