Remembering railway tragedy
The flower-festooned railway embankment at Arkleston on the eastern outskirts of Paisley is the only place in Renfrewshire where cowslips flourish.
Bell-shaped blossoms mantle grassy slopes with yellow carpets on dazzling days of summer sunshine.
But, in winter gloom, when the golden garlands are gone and skeletal trees are silhouetted eerily against a grey November sky, the spectral scenery resurrects chilling memories of cruel carnage which stained Arkleston’s botanical bower with blood more than a century ago when a passenger train crashed with catastrophic consequences.
The terrible tragedy occurred at 4.15 pm on Wednesday, September 9, 1880, when the seven-carriage Paisley-bound train belonging to the Caledonian Railway Company ploughed into a city-bound goods train owned by Glasgow and South Western Railway and transporting heavy pig iron in massive wagons.
The Caledonian, packed with businessmen going home from their
offices in the metropolis, was travelling at 40 miles an hour when it collided with the goods train near the Arkleston cutting.
As the engine left the rails, its front three wooden carriages telescoped and crushed the brake van against the locomotive’s tender, killing guard William Somerville instantly.
Farm-labourers harvesting oats in fields at Arkleston, Bogside and Ryelees Farms helped free trapped, screaming passengers from the overturned carriages.
They were reinforced by coal-miners from nearby Hillington Pit.
Representatives of both railway companies rushed to the disaster scene with police officers from Paisley commanded by Captain Sutherland, along with prominent Paisley doctors Graham, Hutchison and Richmond.
Conspicuous amidst the scenes of death and devastation was Patrick Costello from Paisley equipped with what one newspaper described as “a fortunate supply of brandy.”
As darkness fell, wreckage relics were ignited by rescuers to provide light for their harrowing task which lasted well into the night.
As well as guardsman Somerville, others who perished at the scene were John Tarbet, a Greenock sail-maker and Glasgow stock-broker Alexander Black, aged 80, and brother-in-law of the Rev Mr France of Oakshaw United Presbyterian Church, Paisley.
Gavin Inglis, the Caledonian’s 18-yearold fireman, died a week later from his injuries while Captain McCulloch of Kilcreggan, superintendent of the Blair Shipping Line, passed away on September 12 after having a leg amputated.
Badly-bleeding passengers were conveyed by train to Glasgow Central Station where a temporary mortuary was opened.
Railwayman Alex Ewing, of 8 Moss Street, Paisley, on duty at the Penilee signal-box, was found not guilty of negligence at a trial at Paisley Sheriff Court on February 23, 1881.
On the Sunday after the disaster, the Rev. A.M. Long, of Paisley High Church, held a service for dead and injured victims and their families.
His touching text came from the Gospel parable: “Be vigilant, because you know neither the day nor the hour when the Son of Man comes – nor what tomorrow will bring.”