Accrington Railways - Robert Kenyon

Leresche £50 on application, before adding, “I hope in future both sides would deal in a more moderate and conciliatory manner when this issue comes up again in the future”. December On Thursday the 30 th , a 26 year old man Edward Brierley, who was a labourer at Metcalf’s Chemical Works, was taking a shortcut home with a workmate William Clayton. They had gone down the railway embankment with a view to going along the lines, when a train due in at Accrington at 4:50pm passed by at speed. Clayton had stepped clear but then realised his colleague was missing. He discovered him further down the track unconscious with severe head injuries. He was taken to the Crown Hotel, but passed away having never regained consciousness. The inquest into his death was held at the Britannia Hotel on Nuttall Street the following day, in front of Mr Hargreaves, the Coroner, who concluded he had been struck by the buffer of the locomotive. A verdict of accidental death was recorded. 1874 This was the year that F. Attock took over the post of Carriage & Wagon Superintendent of the L & Y. He was instrumental in replacing 4-wheel stock with bogie carraiges. January Mr Dugdale, the Chairman of the Directors of the L & Y, wrote to the Board of Trade to respond to the criticisms of the Company’s safety record and its punctuality. He quoted the fact that in 1872, the railway had handled 30,054,980 passenger journeys, and carried 10,807,586 tons of freight, with only four passenger fatalities and these had all been incurred in just one accident. February On the 2 nd , a collision occurred when the 10am train from Accrington to Burnley, moved off the platform and had only gone a few yards when it struck a luggage train which was going across the points in front of the East Signal Box. The buffers of both locomotives were broken off and they derailed, whilst a side was ripped off one of the carriages. Fortunately there were only about a dozen passengers on the Burnley train, one of which was attended to by Dr Russell before continuing on his journey. In a statement it was said that this accident was the result of “forgetfulness and carelessness” and should never be repeated again. April Following appeals made at the Quarter Sessions in Preston in January, when the L & Y again lodged an appeal against the rates being levied upon them by the Haslingden Union for the lines running between Haslingden and Accrington, an agreement was reached between Mr Leresche for the respondents, and Mr Addison for the appellants. They decided to refer their cases to Mr Higgin QC, of Manchester, as the arbitrator. He had forwarded his judgement to a meeting of the Quarter Sessions, on the 10 th . It was then revealed that on the previous Wednesday, three days before the QC was to hear the evidence, the L & Y had sent a telegram withdrawing their appeal, and it was decided to enter an award against them for the costs of the court. On Saturday the 25 th , a celebratory dinner was held at the Petre Arms in Rishton, to honour Mr Davis the Station Master at Rishton Station. It was said that during his five years he had discharged his duties with great distinction, which had earned him a promotion in the eyes of the L & Y. Mr J. W. Clarke, from the Head Office of the Goods Department in Manchester, was pleased to present Mr Davis with a gold pocket watch and chain, valued at 20 guineas which had all been freely raised in donations. Following the many tributes, Mr Davis stated he hoped he would continue to serve the Company and the people of Church in the same way that he had done in Rishton. June On the 30 th , an Accrington Pointsman Thomas Heys, who had formerly worked for the L & Y in Bury, was killed in the tunnel at Bury Bolton Street Station when he was struck by a locomotive engaged in shunting duties on the up line. It was very dark and raining heavily when the guard on the station pilot engine spotted his body at about 10pm. It was thought he was crossing the lines attempting to board an Accrington-bound freight train in order to hitch a ride back to Accrington. At the inquest a verdict of accidental death was recorded. August Another tragedy occurred on the 2 nd , to a young married man, Robert Wilson, who was part of a gang working on the lines on the railway bridge near to Simpson’s Colliery in Church. At 5:10pm he was struck by the Blackburn express receiving a fractured skull. The train stopped at Church in order to report this accident, and his body was recovered and carried to the Navigation Inn on Blackburn Road. He was a resident of Steiner Street in Accrington. On the 15 th , at a meeting of the Clayton-le-Moors Local Board, Mr Haywood moved a resolution seconded by Mr Bradshaw, that a committee should be formed consisting of a chairman and four members, to make enquiries of the directors of the L & Y, in an effort to have the lines extended beyond

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