DIED TO SAVE HIS PICK-AXE.
A plate-layer named Patrick Gallagher was killed on the railway near Cardonald Station under tragic circumstances this morning. Seeing a train approaching, Gallagher stood aside to let it pass. Just as it was upon him, he suddenly noticed he had left his pick in the train’s track. Deceased leaned forward to snatch it up, when the engine buffer struck him a terrific blow on the forehead, the unfortunate man being killed in attempting to save his pick. He died in the Royal Infirmary a few hours later.
– Edinburgh Evening News, Wednesday 2nd April, 1902, p.2.
ACCIDENT AT HAMILTON. – On Saturday night, James McNaught, junior, miner, Larkhall, met with a serious accident at Hamilton Central Station. He was a passenger for Glasgow by the half-past seven train from Larkhall, and on the train arriving at Hamilton, he left it temporarily. when he made to re-enter the train, it was in motion, and in attempting to jump on to the footboard, he missed his footing. The guard caught hold of him, and tried to pull him back, but he had to let go, and McNaught fell between the platform and the train, two carriages and a milk van passing over him. His legs were fractured at the thighs, and his arms lacerated. His injuries having been temporarily attended to, he was sent on to Glasgow Royal Infirmary in a special train.
– Southern Reporter, Thursday 3rd April, 1902, p.4.
A WAG has written up at one of the stations of a well-known railway company the following notice:- “Passengers are requested not to pluck flowers from the embankment while the train is in motion.”
– St. Andrews Citizen, Saturday 5th April, 1902, p.5.
KILLED ON HIS WAY HOME.
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ABERDEEN MAN FALLS FROM A TRAIN.
One of the deplorable incidents of the fatal day [a stand at Ibrox Park collapsed killing 25, injuring more than 500] was the death of an Aberdeen excursionist from injuries received through accidentally falling from one of the special trains on the homeward journey. The name of the unfortunate man is James Massie (43), employed at Sandiland’s Chemical Works, and residing at 29 Broad Street. He left Aberdeen on Saturday morning with the excursion train, and escaped uninjured from the crush at Ibrox. He left Glasgow with the first special for Aberdeen, and apparently, when near Craigbo Junction, had been leaning out of the carriage window, when by some means he had overbalanced himself and fallen from the train. At the time the train was rounding a curve and those who were in the carriage pulled the communication cord on the inside of the curve. The cord was, of course, slack on this side, and the signal was consequently not given to the engine-driver until the rope had been repeatedly pulled. By this time the train had gone a considerable distance. when it did come to a stop several of the officials proceeded along the line to discover the man, but owing to the darkness they did not find him. As it was impossible to detain the train longer (it being already 80 minutes behind time), the officials decided to proceed, but the pilot engine was directed to remain and find the body. Massie’s remains were shortly afterwards picked up alongside the line, and conveyed to Craigbo Station. Deceased’s family heard of the lamentable occurrence yesterday morning. He leaves a widow and seven children – six girls and one boy – whose ages range from four to seventeen years.
– Dundee Evening Post, Monday 7th April, 1902, p.5.
MAN KILLED AT IRVINE STATION. – On Saturday afternoon a sad accident occurred at the Glasgow and South-Western Station at Irvine. A young man named Wm. Gardner, one of the flying squad, while leaving the train before it had stopped, fell between the footboard and the platform on to the rails, where he was immediately killed by some ballast waggons which followed the carriage. Deceased belonged to Ireland, but had been resident for some time in Irvine.
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SHOCKING FATALITY AT STIRLING STATION. – A shocking fatality occurred on the railway at Stirling on Friday night. As the passenger train from Carlisle was leaving the station about a quarter to twelve o’clock the guard felt the wheels of the van passing over something, and he immediately had the train stopped, when a man’s body was found lying between the rails and the platform near the south subway. His right leg was completely severed at the knee, and the left leg at the ankle, while his left arm was broken and his skull fractured. He was removed to the Royal Infirmary, where he died about an hour after admission. He was identified on Saturday as John Richardson, aged twenty-eight, a driller, residing with his father at 231 West Carron.
– Greenock Telegraph and Clyde Shipping Gazette, Monday 7th April, 1902, p.3.
PECULIAR ACCIDENT AT KITTYBREWSTER.
A somewhat peculiar accident occurred at Kittybrewster about six o’clock last night, which resulted in the death of a heifer belonging to Mr H. B. Wood, butcher, Huntly Street, Aberdeen. A drove of heifers were being taken off the Ellon train when two of them bolted along the line. One ran in front of a goods train coming from the north and was instantaneously killed, but the other was caught further along the line.
– Aberdeen Press and Journal, Tuesday 8th April, 1902, p.4.
GOODS WAGGON ON FIRE. – The 10.50 a.m. goods train, from Aberdeen for the South, when in the vicinity of Newmill, near Stonehaven, on Tuesday, was noticed to have a couple of waggons containing merchandise on fire. The waggons were uncoupled, and the train stopped at Newmill Station, and the burning waggons were shunted into a siding. the fire was not extinguished until the merchandise was destroyed and the waggons partially burned.
– Montrose, Arbroath and Brechin Review; and Forfar and Kincardineshire Advertiser, Friday 11th April, 1902, p.3.
FATAL ACCIDENT AT ELLON. – A fatal accident occurred at the railway station of Ellon, Aberdeenshire, on Saturday, when Lewis Marshall (43), carting agent in the employment of the Great North of Scotland Railway Company, was killed. He was backing a horse yoked in a lorry, for the purpose of unloading luggage from a carriage, when the animal, which was rearing at the time, struck him on the stomach with its foot, causing instantaneous death. Deceased was married and leaves eight children.
– The Scotsman, Monday 14th April, 1902, p.6.
FATAL ACCIDENT AT INVERURIE.
A most unfortunate accident occurred on Thursday afternoon in the boiler shop at the Great North of Scotland Railway Works at Inverurie. While one of the workmen was moving a plank on a platform it was knocked down by a travelling crane, and fell about 20 feet on Anthony Ritchie, electrical engineer, son of Mr J. Ritchie, F.E.I.S., schoolmaster, Port-Elphinstone, who was working below. The young man, who was between 17 and 18 years of age, only survived a quarter of an hour. The plank was 17 feet in length by 7 inches in breadth, and 2½ inches in depth. It may be mentioned that recently the young man had met with an accident which necessitated his being off work for a time, and he had only resumed on Tuesday. The body was taken home to Port-Elphinstone in a cab.
– Aberdeen Press and Journal, Wednesday 16th April, 1902, p.5.
RAILWAY SIGNALLING INVENTION. – The attention of railway officials is at present being directed to a new invention in railway signalling. The apparatus is intended to supplement the ordinary machinery of the kind in use by exercising an automatic control over engine-drivers. When a locomotive fitted with the appliance passes a danger signal which from any cause had been disregarded by the driver, the new apparatus causes a whistle of a special pitch to be sounded by the engine. At the same moment a small disc, placed near the driver’s look-out, shows a red light. The whistle goes on sounding until the driver, by moving a switch, shuts off the light in question and obscures the disc. When he does this a number is recorded on a special board from which he cannot efface it. Thus, on the arrival at the terminus it will be at once known whether the engine-driver has disregarded one or more danger-signals. The apparatus, which is extremely simple, consists generally of a switch placed beneath the engine, and set in motion when a signal is at danger by a rod on the permanent way. The invention has been fitted to an engine and worked on different occasions without a hitch.
– Perthshire Advertiser, Friday 18th April, 1902, p.2.
Chasing for a Horse. – As the Edinburgh express train due to arrive at Dundee Tay Bridge Station at 8.15 p.m. was in the neighbourhood of St Fort Station last night, the driver noticed a number of men standing on the line a considerable way in front, waving as if desiring him to stop. On pulling up he discovered the cause of the trouble was that a valuable horse had strayed on the line. Proceeding further, the horse was seen on the line, and although efforts were made to catch it these failed, and latterly it disappeared from view in the darkness.
– Dundee Courier, Saturday 19th April, 1902, p.6.
SUDDEN DEATH AT STIRLING. – On Tuesday afternoon a commercial traveller, named Timothy Gibson (76), residing at Mafeking Cottage, Devonside, Tillicoultry, in the employment of Lawsons (Limited), Stirling, became ill in a railway carriage, and at Stirling Station, a few minutes after being assisted out, he died in one of the waiting-rooms. Death was due to heart disease.
– Kirkintilloch Gazette, Saturday 26th April, 1902, p.2.
The agitation for a new passenger station at Cowdenbeath is to be brought before Parliament by Mr John Hope, member for West Fife. On Tuesday next he is to ask the President of the Board of Trade is he is aware that the railway station is inadequate for the passenger traffic of that place and that a fatal accident recently took place owing, as Mr Hope alleges, to the crowded condition of the platform. Mr Gerald Balfour will also be asked if he will cause an inquiry to be made into this case with the view of compelling the North British Railway Company to provide a suitable passenger station to meet the requirements of the increasing population.
– Dundee Courier, Saturday 26th April, 1902, p.5.
RAILWAY CARRIAGE ON FIRE. – Some excitement was caused at Kirkcaldy Station on Monday evening on the arrival of the 6.40 fast train from Edinburgh. The flooring of one of the carriages, the property of the Great North of Scotland Railway, was discovered to be on fire, the result of the over-heating of the axles. Immediately on the train being stopped the passengers got out, and the carriage was detached and shunted into a lye. It was well that the fire was observed at Kirkcaldy, as the next halting place was Leuchars.
– Fife Free Press & Kirkcaldy Guardian, Saturday 26th April, 1902, p.4.
ACCIDENT AT PETERHEAD RAILWAY STATION.
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George Gray, shunter, Peterhead, narrowly escaped with his life on Saturday evening. While engaged at shunting operations at Peterhead Railway Station, he was crushed between the buffers of the engine and a waggon, and sustained somewhat serious injuries. Dr Davidson, who was communicated with, was promptly in attendance, and did all in his power to alleviate the unfortunate man’s sufferings. Gray was conveyed in a cab to his home in Queen Street. On inquiry it was stated that he was as well as could be expected, although suffering greatly from the shock. Fortunately, the engine was almost at a standstill when the accident occurred, otherwise instantaneous death would have been inevitable.
– Aberdeen Press and Journal, Tuesday 29th April, 1902, p.3.
ACCIDENT TO A GUARD AT DINGWALL STATION. – Last night, shortly after 10 o’clock, an accident occurred at Dingwall Railway Station whereby John Mellis, guard, was severely injured. It appears Mellis was guard on the special train with live stock from Wick which reached Dingwall at 10 o’clock. While shunting operations were proceeding, Mellis was accidentally run down by the engine. He was at once removed to the Dingwall Memorial Hospital, where his injuries were promptly dressed.
– Northern Chronicle and General Advertiser for the North of Scotland, Wednesday 30th April, 1902, p.5.
Yesterday afternoon when a passenger train from Ladybank to Dundee was a short distance north of Leuchars Station a steam-pipe in the front part of the engine broke.
The driver and fireman, though in great danger, stuck to their posts, and managed to bring the train to a standstill.
