The most remarkable railway accident on record happened some years ago on
the North-Western road between London and Liverpool. A gentleman and his
wife were travelling in a compartment alone, when—the train going at the
rate of forty miles an hour—an iron rail projecting from a car on a
side-track cut into the carriage and took the head of the lady clear off,
and rolled it into the husband’s lap. He subsequently sued the company
for damages, and created great surprise in court by giving his age at
thirty-six years, although his hair was snow white. It had been turned
from jet black by the horror of that event.