South Eastern Gazette, Tuesday 21 July 1846.

Frightful Accident on the Eastern Counties Railway.

An accident of a very dreadful character, whereby nearly 20 persons were more or less seriously injured, occurred on the Eastern Counties Railway, between 4 and 5 o'clock on Saturday afternoon. The up train from Ipswich, due at Stratford at 56 minutes past 3, did not arrive at that station until about 20 minutes after it's proper time. Several passengers had alighted, others were in the act of entering carriages, and the engine-driver was taking in a supply water, when a train was observed coming rapidly towards the station.

Mr. Richardson, the station-master, was upon the platform at this moment, superintending the dispatch of passengers, &c. The noise of the approaching train at once attracted his attention, and, looking eastward, he saw the imminent danger in which the passengers of the stationary train were placed. He immediately ran towards the engine, intending to induce the driver to go on with the train then at the station, but before he could explain his object the collision took place, and on returning along the platform a scene presented itself which almost baffles description.

The train, which, but a moment previous, and consisted of seven or eight first and second class carriages and two horse-boxes, now presented little more than a mass of broken framework and rubbish. Of a second class carriage which had been attached to the train at Romford, and placed in the rear of the two horse-boxes, there was literally nothing left, and the unfortunate passengers which it had contained were seen, bleeding and wounded, lying about the railway in various directions among the fragments. Two other second class carriages was so crushed as to be rendered entirely useless, scarcely one of their hapless inmates escaping some serious fracture or contusion, and of the remaining carriages all were more or less broken, and their inmates seriously shaken and otherwise injured.

When the first momentary shock had subsided, the station-master, with what assistance he could procure, proceeded to collect the wounded persons and assist them into the passengers' waiting room. Medical aid was at the same time sent for, and in a very few minutes Messrs. Elliot, Vincent, Valence, and Kennedy, all medical gentleman residing at Stratford, where upon the spot, vying with each other in their attention to the wounded.

The worst cases were forwarded with as little loss of time as possible in on the omnibuses to the London Hospital, and some persons, also very seriously injured, after being medically attended to, were sent, upon their own request, to their respective residences.
The following is a list of the sufferers, so far as can at present be ascertained:-

Mr. William Millward, bandbox-maker, Bethnal Green, a large toe of the left foot cut off, and foot otherwise much mutilated.

Henry Olive, one of the company's porters, fracture of the right leg.

John Smith, one of the company's porter's, chest and back much injured.

William Prentice, porter, a very bad fracture of the leg.

Mr. Hiram Morris, "Hoop Inn," Deptford, left foot partly cut off, and the right jaw much injured.

Mr. Richard Murphy, Hendon, Middlesex, solicitor, confusing left leg.

Mr. William Keeler, publican, Westwell, Kent, ("Wheel Inn") a fractured collar bone.

James Stone gentleman's servant, a severe contused face.

All the above were removed from Stratford direct to the London Hospital. Messrs. Keeler, Murphy, and Stone, were subsequently sent to their homes.

The following persons were sent to their own residence, after having been attended to by the medical gentleman at the station:-

Mrs. Payne, of Ilford, Essex, comminuted fracture of the two bones of the left leg below the knee.

Mrs. Weddenhall, of Chiswell, Essex, a supposed fracture of the left thigh.

Mrs. Brownley, a contusion.

A gentleman residing at Chelmsford, leg seriously injured.

A gentleman living at Victoria Villas, Dalston, a contusion of the brain.

It is a somewhat extraordinary circumstance in connection with the accident, that none of the carriages which retained their wheels, nor the engine which caused the accident, was thrown off the rails, nor were the rails and themselves injured in the slightest degree. The engine, after striking the last carriage mounted on its ruins, and remained in this position until forcibly removed, when it fell over and slightly injured the platform of the station. It was however, again placed on the rails, and remove without further difficulty.

Among the passengers in the Ipswich train was General Sir De Lacy Evans. The back of the carriage in which the gallant General was sitting was completely driven in, and a fragment passing upwards, tore his coat and trousers, and severely injured his back and legs. He was removed to the "Swan Tavern," Stratford, in a chaise, and in the course of the evening was taken to his residence.
Sir John Tyrrell, Bart., Mr. Cotton, late governor of the Bank, and several other well-known gentlemen, are also described to have been passengers in the same train.

The truck train had "shunted" the Romford station, to allow the Ipswich passengers train to pass it.

Mr. Morris, of Deptford, has since suffered amputation of the foot. All the other sufferers are going on favourably.