From the Whitehaven News - Thursday, October 14, 1869, posted with permission of the transcriber, Diane Moore. Geo. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dreadful Accident on the Midland Railway ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A dreadful accident occurred on the Mid- land Railway, between Nottingham and Derby, at an early hour on Sunday morning. Saturday being the last day of the Goose Fair at Notting- ham, the Midland Railway Company ran a number of special trains to that town from Lei- cester, Derby, Burton, Erewash Valley, and other places, to return at a late hour in the evening. The last "special" to leave Notting- ham, on the return journey, was one for Leices- ter, and it started, heavily freighted -- 35 car- riages -- about midnight. The train had go a little beyond Attenborough, and within a short distance of Trent Junction, when the driver found that the line was blocked by a luggage train (which seems to have met with an acci- dent), and at the rear of it was the Burton special. The Leicester train was brought to a stand, and directly afterwards, and before the guards had time to go down the line to stop ap- proaching trains, the mail train from Notting- ham to Trent came up at full speed and dashed into the Leicester "special". The collision was of the most fearful character, seven persons being killed on the spot, and several others dreadfully injured, two or three beyond hope of recovery. The night being dark and foggy, and the scene away from a railway station, it was some time before any assistance could be rendered. Mr. CARR, surgeon, Long Eaton, was the first to arrive, and he was followed by Dr. ROBERTSON, of Nottingham. Mr. S. W. FEARN, the com- pany's surgeon at Derby, was telegraphed for, and he arrived about three o'clock, accompanied by Mr. WRIGHT, surgeon, and Mr. GENTLES, surgeon, of Derby; and Mr. PARKER, assistant to Mr. FRANCIS, surgeon of Derby. The accident occurring in the county of Derby, the seven dead persons were conveyed to Trent Station for identification and to await the coro- ner's inquiry. Mr. FEARN and the other sur- geons then turned their attention to the injured passengers. It was found that there were five serious cases, and these passengers were con- veyed, accompanied by the surgeons, to the Derby Infirmary, where they now lie. The driver and stoker of the mail train were not in- jured, nor were the passengers by that train. Exertions were at once commenced to clear the line; the work, however, was not completed until about three o'clock. Several of the car- riages were smashed. It is mentioned as an extraordinary circumstance that the shock was not felt in the fifth carriage from the carriage run into by the mail train, and the people were laughing and singing songs after the accident had occurred, not knowing why the train had stopped. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~