The Fatal Railway Collision At Blackburn

The Fatal Railway Collision at Blackburn, 1881. '1. Arrival of the Injured Passengers at the Infirmary. 2. The Blackburn Infirmary. 3. Scene in the Blackburn Station after the Collision...Seven lives have been lost by the disaster that occurred on Monday week...it was the duty of the driver to pull up in time to stop before he reached the point at which the other engine stood...The driver applied the Westinghouse brake...; but from some unaccountable cause the brake failed to grip the wheels, and the train dashed into the station at a high speed. The express engine struck the shunting engine so violently, as greatly to damage the machinery and framework of both engines...The drivers of both locomotives were much injured; but the effect of the collision upon the carriages was much more serious. The force of the collision drove the carriage which was being shunted into the rear of the Liverpool train standing a few yards further up the line...a couple of carriages...were telescoped. The station was a scene of the utmost consternation, many persons standing on the platform witnessing the crash. The railway officials and one or two medical men who were at hand set to work energetically to rescue the passengers in the shattered carriages'. From "Illustrated London News", 1881. Creator: Unknown. (Photo by The Print Collector/Heritage Images via Getty Images)