The following impudent hoax, contained in a letter which appeared in the
_Times_ in 1860, was most annoying to the officials of the Great Northern
Company. It is headed:—
“Accident on the Great Northern Railway.
“To the Editor of the _Times_.
“Sir,—I beg to inform you of a serious accident, attended by severe
injury, if not loss of life, which occured to-day to the 8 o’clock a.m.
train from Wakefield, on the Great Northern railway, near Doncaster, by
which I was a passenger. As the train approached Doncaster, about 9
o’clock, the passengers were suddenly alarmed by the vehement oscillation
of the carriages. In a few seconds the engine had run off the line,
dragging the greater part of the train with it across the opposite line
of rails. By this time the concussion had become so vehement that the
grappling chains connecting the engine, tender, and first carriage with
the rest of the train providentially snapped. This circumstance saved
the lives of many. But the engine, tender, and first carriage were
hurled over the embankment, all three being together overturned, and the
latter (a second-class one) nearly crushed. The stoker was severely
injured on the head, and his recovery is more than doubtful; the engine
driver contrived to leap off in time to save himself with a few bruises.
The shrieks of the passengers in the overturned carriage (three women and
five men) were fearful; and for some time their extrication was
impossible. One middle-aged woman had her thigh broken, another her arm
fractured. One old man had one, if not two of his ribs broken. The
passengers in the other carriages, in one of which I was travelling, were
less seriously injured, though sufficiently so to talk about
compensation, instead of assisting in earnest those with broken limbs.
The line of rails was torn up for a considerable distance. Owing to the
telegraph being out of gear, some delay in communicating with Doncaster
was experienced. A surgeon and various hands at length arrived with a
special train for the injured passengers, who, after long delay, were
removed to Doncaster. I, of course, as a medical man, rendered what
assistance I could. Those worst injured were conveyed to the Railway
Arms, the recovery of more than one being doubted by myself. At length a
fresh train started from Doncaster, and we reached London nearly two
hours after due.
The carelessness of the Company will, I hope, be the subject of your
severest animadversion. The accident was caused by the tire of one of
the right wheels of the engine having flown off; and it is clear that the
engine was not in a condition to ply between the stations of the Great
Northern railway.
I have no objection to your use of my name if you think fit to publish
it.
Your obedient servant,
Thomas Waddington, M.D., of Wakefield.
Morley’s Hotel, Charing Cross, March 26.
To the above letter the following reply was sent to the _Times_.
“Alleged Accident on the Great Northern.
“To the Editor of the _Times_.
“Sir,—The Directors of the Great Northern railway will feel much obliged
by the insertion of the following statement in the _Times_ to-morrow
relative to a letter which appeared therein to-day, signed ‘Thomas
Waddington, M.D., of Wakefield,’ and headed, ‘Accident on the Great
Northern railway.’
There was no accident whatever yesterday on the Great Northern railway.
The trains all reached King’s Cross with punctuality, the most irregular
in the whole day being only five minutes late. No such person as Thomas
Waddington is known at Morley’s Hotel, whence the letter in question is
dated.
I am, Sir, yours faithfully,
Seymour Clark, General Manager,
King’s Cross, March 27.
In the _Times_ on the day following appeared a letter from the real Dr.
Waddington, of Wakefield, (Edward not “Thomas”) confirmatory of the
impudence of the hoax.
“The alleged Accident on the Great Northern railway.
“To the Editor of the _Times_.
“Sir,—My attention has been called to a letter in the _Times_ of
yesterday (signed ‘Thomas Waddington, M.D., of Wakefield’) the signature
of which is as gross and impudent a fabrication as the circumstances
which the writer professes to detail. I need only say there is no ‘M.D.’
here named Waddington but myself, and that I was not on the Great
Northern or any other Railway on the 26th inst, when the accident is
alleged to have occured.
Having obtained possession of the original letter, I have handed it to my
solicitors, in the hope that they may be enabled to discover and bring to
justice the perpetrator of this very stupid hoax.
I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
Edward Waddington, M.D.
Wakefield, March 28.