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the deceased was engaged on
Tuesday, which compelled him to pass from one carriage to the other by the steps, and when in the act of placing his foot on one of them, at the time the train was proceeding at upwards of thirty miles an hour, his foot slipped between the wheels, which as they successively passed over, dragged his legs in, crushing them inch by inch up to one of his knees and above the other."
199:
five o-clock train on
Tuesday last from the station at Euston grove, and having arrived within a mile and a quarter of Harrow, as was the usual custom, he dismounted from his seat for the purpose of collecting from the passengers what is termed the 'excess fares.' ... In the performance of this duty
158:
practice and Port's normal travelling location aboard the train was in an outside seat at roof level. It was part of his duty to undertake ticket checks to make sure second class passengers were not sitting in first class carriages. This task required that once the train was underway he would climb
180:
One of the other guards saw the injured Port lying on the tracks in great pain, and indicated to the driver to stop the train immediately. Emergency first aid was given by two doctors who were travelling on the train and then Port was put back aboard and taken to Harrow. Here the doctors fully
319:, the main London to Holyhead coach route, and near to the station just outside Bletchley. At that time long distance stagecoach travellers would have referred to intermediate stopping points by the name of the coaching inns visited, rather than by town names.
176:
miles (2 km) from Harrow the train was travelling at full speed, about 30 mph (50 km/h). As Port attempted to step from one carriage to the next, he slipped and fell under the train. His legs were run over, crushing and partially severing them.
618:
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611:
1151:
1147:
604:
203:
The jury felt that it was dangerous to require a guard to perform such a duty while the train was travelling at full speed, but returned a verdict of
Accidental Death.
648:
113:. He was dragged under the carriages and had both legs partially severed. Despite attempts to save his life, he died later that day from severe blood loss.
1217:
1202:
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amputated both his legs in an attempt to cauterise the bleeding, but Port died from a severe loss of blood within 3 hours of the accident.
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1007:
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678:
992:
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On the day of his death, 7 August 1838, the train had left Euston
Station at 5pm. About 10 miles (16 km) from Euston and
719:
159:
down to move along the step boards on the outside of the carriages so he could check the tickets through the door windows.
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Thomas Port "left a father, a mother, several brothers and sisters, and a wife and two children to lament his loss."
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occurred on the afternoon of
Tuesday 7 August 1838. Thomas Port, a railway guard, fell from a train on the
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311:
In the referenced article in the
Staffordshire Advertiser, the station at Bletchley was referred to as
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143:'s coronation on 28 June 1838. The whole railway was officially fully opened on 17 September 1838.
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At that time train operation was still largely based upon the standards of
British
215:
Thomas Port's gravestone in the graveyard of St Mary's Church, Harrow-on-the-Hill.
132:
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128:
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indicates railway accidents and incidents resulting in at least 20 fatalities
406:
339:
Staffordshire
Advertiser, Saturday 18 August 1838, a very detailed account.
312:
151:
Thomas Port was employed as a guard by the London and
Birmingham Railway.
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136:
106:
50:
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The first part of the London to
Birmingham Railway opened between
110:
54:
195:
It was reported that "the unfortunate deceased started with the
1228:
Accidents and incidents involving London and Birmingham Railway
192:
A "coroner's inquisition" was held the following Saturday.
374:. 18 August 1838. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
628:
Railway accidents and incidents in the United Kingdom
400:Staffordshire Advertiser, Saturday 18 August 1838.
391:Staffordshire Advertiser, Saturday 18 August 1838.
1194:
348:Buckinghamshire Herald, Saturday 11 August 1838.
223:. His gravestone has the following inscription:
287:With pain distorted and o'erwhelmed with gore:
146:
612:
422:
357:Worcester Chronicle, Thursday 16 August 1838.
270:Bright rose the morn and vig'rous' rose poor
436:
284:Ere noon arrived his mangled form they bore,
243:IN THE COUNTY OF STAFFORD, HAT MANUFACTURER,
219:Thomas Port is buried in the churchyard of
619:
605:
429:
415:
368:"Fatal Accident on the Birmingham Railway"
1218:Railway accidents and incidents in London
1203:Transport in the London Borough of Harrow
290:When evening came to close the fatal day,
210:
187:
116:
1208:History of the London Borough of Harrow
1195:
259:SECOND AMPUTATION BY THE SURGEONS, AND
600:
410:
256:WITH THE GREATEST FORTITUDE HE BORE A
240:SON OF JOHN PORT OF BURTON UPON TRENT
1243:1838 disasters in the United Kingdom
588:Rail accidents in the United Kingdom
315:, a coaching inn that once stood on
293:A mutilated corpse the sufferer lay.
246:WHO NEAR THIS TOWN HAD BOTH HIS LEGS
221:St Mary's Church, Harrow on the Hill
13:
14:
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1146:
377:
135:on 20 July 1837, and then on to
394:
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351:
342:
333:
305:
265:AUGUST 7TH 1838 AGED 33 YEARS.
1:
326:
249:SEVERED FROM HIS BODY BY THE
206:
123:London and Birmingham Railway
99:London and Birmingham Railway
65:London and Birmingham Railway
492:Harrow and Wealdstone (1952)
7:
147:Description of the accident
10:
1259:
120:
95:Harrow train accident 1838
1223:19th century in Middlesex
1213:Railway accidents in 1838
1139:
1026:
958:
916:Kildwick & Crosshills
842:
741:
694:
635:
585:
442:
281:he used his wonted sport:
83:
78:
70:
60:
41:
33:
28:
23:
567:Spa Road Junction (1999)
437:Rail accidents in London
298:
262:DIED FROM LOSS OF BLOOD.
16:Railway accident in 1838
547:Clapham Junction (1988)
522:Eltham Well Hall (1972)
462:Norwood Junction (1891)
1238:Disasters in Middlesex
542:Wembley Central (1984)
216:
572:Ladbroke Grove (1999)
472:Battersea Park (1937)
214:
188:Coroner's inquisition
117:Historical background
24:Harrow train accident
557:Cannon Street (1991)
512:Dagenham East (1958)
487:South Croydon (1947)
1175: /
972:Wennington Junction
907:Shipton-on-Cherwell
517:Hither Green (1967)
482:King's Cross (1945)
457:Kentish Town (1861)
1233:August 1838 events
1179:51.5820°N 0.3541°W
966:Burscough Junction
217:
1158:
1157:
1034:Norton Fitzwarren
594:
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91:
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74:fall from a train
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1184:51.5820; -0.3541
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1040:Norwood Junction
892:Bo'ness Junction
720:Reading Southern
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497:Stratford (1953)
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228:TO THE MEMORY OF
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833:Dalton Junction
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673:Sonning Cutting
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562:Southall (1997)
532:Moorgate (1975)
507:Lewisham (1957)
452:Lewisham (1857)
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133:Hemel Hempstead
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767:Clayton Tunnel
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577:Croydon (2016)
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537:Holborn (1980)
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317:Watling Street
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141:Queen Victoria
129:Euston Station
121:Main article:
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922:Abbots Ripton
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800:Welwyn Tunnel
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702:Sutton Tunnel
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552:Purley (1989)
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527:Ealing (1973)
525:
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502:Barnes (1955)
500:
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483:
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477:Ilford (1944)
475:
473:
470:
468:
467:Ilford (1915)
465:
463:
460:
458:
455:
453:
450:
448:
447:Harrow (1838)
445:
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252:
251:RAILWAY TRAIN
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73:
71:Incident type
69:
66:
63:
59:
56:
52:
48:
44:
40:
37:7 August 1838
36:
32:
27:
22:
19:
1160:
1141:
1017:
1002:
987:
949:
910:
901:
874:Kirtlebridge
821:
776:Kentish Town
770:
660:
643:Philadelphia
446:
396:
387:
371:
362:
353:
344:
335:
313:Denbigh Hall
307:
278:
271:
250:
218:
202:
197:Denbigh Hall
194:
191:
183:
179:
161:
153:
150:
139:in time for
126:
94:
92:
18:
1182: /
1130:Potters Bar
1106:Potters Bar
1088:Welshampton
1058:Llantrisant
1016:(Jun 1889)
1001:(Sep 1887)
986:(Jul 1884)
948:(Dec 1879)
909:(Dec 1874)
900:(Sep 1874)
827:Maesycwmmer
820:(Aug 1868)
794:Staplehurst
769:(Aug 1861)
636:Before 1850
630:, 1815–1899
372:York Herald
277:Gay on the
234:THOMAS PORT
1197:Categories
1167:51°34′55″N
1132:(May 1899)
1126:(Oct 1898)
1120:(Sep 1898)
1114:(Mar 1898)
1108:(Mar 1898)
1102:(Nov 1897)
1096:(Oct 1897)
1090:(Jun 1897)
1084:(Feb 1897)
1078:(Apr 1896)
1072:(Nov 1895)
1066:(Dec 1894)
1060:(Aug 1893)
1054:(Nov 1892)
1048:(Jun 1892)
1042:(May 1891)
1036:(Nov 1890)
1010:(Mar 1889)
995:(Jan 1885)
980:(Nov 1882)
978:Inverythan
974:(Aug 1880)
968:(Jan 1880)
946:Tay Bridge
942:(Mar 1877)
936:(Nov 1876)
930:(Aug 1876)
924:(Jan 1876)
918:(Aug 1875)
894:(Jan 1874)
888:(Dec 1873)
882:(Aug 1873)
876:(Oct 1872)
870:(Dec 1870)
864:(Dec 1870)
858:(Sep 1870)
852:(Jun 1870)
835:(Dec 1869)
829:(Jun 1869)
814:(Jun 1867)
812:Warrington
808:(Feb 1867)
802:(Jun 1866)
796:(Jun 1865)
790:(Jun 1865)
784:(Oct 1862)
782:Winchburgh
778:(Sep 1861)
763:(Jun 1861)
757:(Nov 1860)
755:Atherstone
751:(Sep 1860)
734:(Aug 1858)
728:(Jun 1857)
722:(Sep 1855)
716:(Oct 1853)
710:(Jun 1852)
704:(Apr 1851)
687:(May 1847)
685:Dee Bridge
681:(Oct 1845)
675:(Dec 1841)
669:(Aug 1840)
663:(Aug 1838)
657:(Dec 1836)
651:(Sep 1830)
645:(Jul 1815)
327:References
207:Gravestone
156:stagecoach
79:Statistics
1170:0°21′15″W
1152:1900–1999
1100:Menheniot
1094:Penistone
1082:Menheniot
1008:Penistone
999:Hexthorpe
993:Penistone
984:Penistone
886:Menheniot
862:Stairfoot
749:Helmshore
732:Round Oak
679:Penistone
137:Bletchley
107:Middlesex
51:Middlesex
1112:St Johns
1070:St Neots
1064:Chelford
928:Radstock
868:Hatfield
856:Tamworth
818:Abergele
726:Lewisham
714:Straffan
655:Wetheral
649:Parkside
101:near to
61:Operator
42:Location
1076:Snowdon
940:Morpeth
806:Yanwath
761:Wootton
708:Burnley
171:⁄
111:England
55:England
29:Details
1052:Thirsk
1014:Armagh
934:Heeley
898:Thorpe
850:Newark
788:Rednal
667:Howden
661:Harrow
103:Harrow
84:Deaths
47:Harrow
1027:1890s
959:1880s
880:Wigan
843:1870s
742:1860s
695:1850s
299:Notes
279:Train
45:near
272:Port
131:and
93:The
34:Date
1199::
370:.
109:,
105:,
53:,
49:,
1142:‡
1018:‡
1003:‡
988:‡
950:‡
911:‡
902:‡
822:‡
771:‡
620:e
613:t
606:v
430:e
423:t
416:v
274:.
253:.
173:4
169:1
166:+
164:1
87:1
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
