=Source.=--_The Gentleman's Magazine_, Vol. 100, p. 264.
_September 15._
The interesting ceremony of opening the Manchester and Liverpool
Railway took place this day. It was rendered more splendid and
imposing by the presence of the Duke of Wellington and many
distinguished individuals, whom the Directors had invited. The
concourse of spectators at each end of the line was immense. The
procession left Liverpool twenty minutes before eleven o'clock
drawn by eight locomotive engines, the first of which was the
Northumbrian, with the Directors and numerous distinguished
visitors, including the Duke of Wellington. The other engines were
the Phœnix, North Star, Rocket, Dart, Comet, Arrow, and Meteor. The
carriage in which the Duke of Wellington and his friends travelled,
was truly magnificent. The floor was 32 feet long by 8 wide, and
was supported by eight large iron wheels. A grand canopy, 24 feet
long, was placed aloft upon gilded pillars, contrived so as to be
lowered in passing through the tunnel. The Northumbrian drew three
carriages, the first containing the band, the second the Duke
of Wellington and the distinguished visitors, and the third the
Directors. The Phœnix, and the North Star drew five carriages each;
the Rocket drew three; and the Dart, Comet, Arrow, and Meteor, each
four. The total number of persons conveyed was 772. On issuing
from the smaller tunnel at Liverpool, the first engine, that is,
the Northumbrian, took the south, or right-hand line of railway,
while the other seven engines proceeded along the north line. The
procession did not proceed at a particularly rapid pace--not more
than 15 or 16 miles an hour. In the course of the journey, the
Northumbrian accelerated or retarded its speed occasionally, to
give the Duke of Wellington an opportunity of inspecting the most
remarkable parts of the work. On the arrival of the procession at
Parkside (a little on this side of Newton) the carriages stopped
to take in a supply of water. Before starting from Liverpool, the
company were particularly requested not to leave the carriages, and
the same caution was repeated in the printed directions describing
the order of procession. Notwithstanding this regulation, however,
Mr. Huskisson, Mr. Wm. Holmes, M.P., and other gentlemen, alighted
from the carriage of the Duke of Wellington, when the Northumbrian
stopped at Parkside. At the moment they descended into the road,
three of the engines on the other line--the Phœnix, the North Star,
and the Rocket, were rapidly approaching. Mr. Huskisson and Mr.
Holmes were standing in the road between the two lines of railway,
which are about four feet distant from each other. Unluckily, Mr.
Huskisson imagining that there was not room for a person to stand
between the lines while the other engines were passing, made an
attempt to get again into the carriage of the Duke before the Dart
came up. He laid hold of the door of the carriage, and pulled
it open with so much force that he lost his balance, and fell
backwards across the rails of the other line, the moment before
the passing of the Dart. The conductor of that engine immediately
stopped it, but before that could be effected, both wheels of the
engine passed over the leg of the unfortunate gentleman, which was
placed over the rail, his head and body being under the engine.
The right leg was frightfully shattered, the muscles being torn to
pieces. The Earl of Wilton, Mr. Holmes, and Mr. Parkes, solicitor,
of Birmingham, raised Mr. Huskisson from the ground. The only
words he uttered were: "I have met my death--God forgive me!" A
tourniquet was immediately applied by the Earl of Wilton; and Dr.
Brandreth was quickly in attendance. He was then removed to a car,
and carried to Eccles, a village within four miles of Manchester;
and after his arrival there, was removed to the house of the Rev.
Mr. Blackburn, the rector of that place, where the Right Hon.
Gentleman expired between nine and ten o'clock the same evening.
After the above melancholy accident a question arose as to what
ought to be done with regard to the further progress of the
business of the day. The Duke of Wellington refused to proceed
further. Some of the proprietors and directors insisted that they
had a public duty to perform in carrying the day's proceedings to
an end, and that the success of the project, on which they had
expended so much capital, might depend on their being regularly
finished. They contended, moreover, that the procession _must
go on_ to Manchester, if they wished to avoid a breach of the
public tranquillity. The Duke's scruples ultimately gave way, and
the order was issued to move on to Manchester. On its return the
Duke of Wellington quitted the rail-road about three miles before
the cortege reached Liverpool, and posted off to the Marquis of
Salisbury's seat at Childwell. The splendid corporation dinner
which had been prepared at Liverpool was suspended; and nothing
was heard spoken of but the above melancholy event. Mr. Huskisson
was interred on the 24th at the public cemetery at Liverpool. The
funeral was a public one.