Boards are the best place to save images and video clips. He wept as he tried to relive the moments leading up to the crash, near Santiago de Compostela in north-western Spain, on Wednesday. David Paul asked Simpson to comment on the findings relating to alcohol levels. [2][3] The Tube was one of the safest methods of transport in Britain in 1975. [41] A large electric fan was placed at the top of the escalators in an attempt to remedy the situation, but soot and dirt was disturbed and little draught was created; the machine was soon turned off. was introduced on all trains entering passenger locations, and in 1978 the 'Moorgate Protection' system was introduced, which automatically applied brakes if the driver failed to do so. [43] The Fire Brigade worked for several hours to release Benton, but it became apparent that Liles needed to be removed first, which could only be done by amputating her left foot. [84], When platform 9 reopened there had been changes introduced to aid drivers. It was crushed from 16 metres long to just 6.1 metres. Whether his behaviour was deliberate or whether it was the result of a suddenly arising physical condition not revealed as a result of post-mortem examination, there is not sufficient evidence to examine, but I am satisfied that no part of the responsibility for the accident rests with any other person and that there was no fault or condition of the train, track or signalling that in any way contributed to it. Instead the blame fell wholly on the 56-year-old driver, Leslie Newson. [34] Working conditions for the emergency services became increasingly difficult throughout the day. After assessing the situation, Dean realised that he did not have enough painkillers with him, or in BP stores, so he went to the Moorgate branch of Boots where the pharmacist gave him the shop's entire supply of morphine and pethidine. The man did not drink alcohol often, and on February 27, he was shopping for cars for his daughter. She died. [32] One of the doctors from Barts later described the scene: The front carriage was an indescribable tangle of twisted metal and in it the living and the dead were heaped together, intertwined among themselves and the wreckage. Investigators understood the mechanism by which the Moorgate train crash occurred. Collect, curate and comment on your files. A Net Inceptions project. The crash forced the first carriage into the roof of the tunnel at the front and back, but the middle remained on the trackbed; the 16-metre-long (52ft) coach was crushed to 6.1 metres (20ft). Streamline your workflow with our best-in-class digital asset management system. If the train passes any of these at more than 12.5 miles per hour (20.1km/h) the emergency brake is applied. Donald Dean and a team of two doctors and two nurses walked around to the station to assist, and were the first medical assistance at the scene. Theories include suicide, he was distracted, or that Newson was affected by transient global amnesia or akinesis with mutism leaving him unable to move. At around 6pm Frank Nice, a firefighter at Paddington red watch, took over the rescue operation where he was ordered to the front of the train to assist with the rescue of Jeffrey Benton, 27, and Margaret Liles, a 19-year-old police officer. [89][90] Resistors were placed in the traction supply of trains, to prevent a train accelerating when entering the platform, although the value of these resistors had to be changed after installation. A buffer stop, which had once been hydraulic, but had not been functioning as such for some time prior to the crash, was at the end of the tunnel, in front of a solid wall. However, when rescuers pulled him out of the wreckage four days after the crash, there were no indications that he had done anything to prevent injury to himself. Newson used the notebook to record how to deal with train defects, and notes on how to be a better driver. Relays switch the resistors out when the train is permitted to leave. In order to free Margaret from the wreckage, doctors had to amputate her foot. All rights reserved. With no casualties remaining, the Fire Brigade were able to use flame cutting equipment. [42], By 12:00noon only five live casualties were left to be extracted;[39] by 3:15pm only two were left: Margaret Liles, a 19-year-old Woman Police Constable (WPC), and Jeff Benton, who worked at the London Stock Exchange. In the deep lines at Moorgate, ventilation is produced by the piston effect, created by trains forcing air through the tube lines. The third car was damaged at both ends, more significantly at the leading end as it rode over the second. Moorgate is an interchange between the Underground network and suburban overground services. It was only during the 1890s that the entire system switched to electricity and became the clean and environmentally friendly travel that commuters have become accustomed to in many major cities across the world. [7] There was a speed limit of 40 miles per hour (64km/h) on the line, and a limit of 15 miles per hour (24km/h) on entry into Moorgate station. The first trains were powered by steam. [94], In 1977 the BBC One programme Red Alert examined whether an accident like Moorgate could happen again. Steve added: " None of the crews working down there wanted to leave. The station was named at one time "Moorgate Street". Unearthed photos show the devastating aftermath of the Moorgate tube crash. The most mysterious fact surrounding the crash came from two rail workers who were on the platform when Train 272 arrived. A passenger waiting to take the return journey stated that Newson appeared "to be staring straight ahead and to be somewhat larger than life". The sights, smells and carnage I will never be able to forget, but I, along with others, will always be proud to say that I played a small part in a major rescue and recovery incident. After the crash, Chief Fire Officer, Joseph Milner, paid tribute to "my 1,000 selfless heroes". It was all over in no time.". The train carried approximately 300 passengers; it was a Friday and, as it was the peak of rush hour, most of the travellers were commuters. Moorgate Crash (Flickr set) | District Dave's London Underground Site The Administration team are: Dstock7080, londonstuff, tom, rincew1nd and whistlekiller2000, The Moderator team are: antharro, Dom K, goldenarrow, metman, MoreToJack and superteacher. 2023 Getty Images. [24], Forty-two passengers and the driver died; seventy-four people were treated in hospital for their injuries. ", The cause of the accident remains a mystery, but following the disaster, a 10mph speed limit, previously 15mph, was introduced on all trains entering passenger locations, and in 1978 the 'Moorgate Protection' system was introduced, which automatically applied brakes if the driver failed to do so. Last night Mark's mother Janice, 61, and sister Melanie, 40, were at his bedside after flying out from their home in Mansfield, Notts. At 8:38 that morning, a Northern Line train, number 272, departed from Drayton Park a single minute late. Streamline your workflow with our best-in-class digital asset management system. No fault was found with the train, and the inquiry by the Department of the Environment concluded that the accident was caused by the actions of Leslie Newson, the 56-year-old driver. Tap into Getty Images global-scale, data-driven insights and network of over 340,000creators to create content exclusively for your brand. It was only when they worked their way along the tunnel that the situation was declared an emergency. [92][93] On 28 February 2014 a memorial plaque was unveiled by Fiona Woolf, the Lord Mayor of London, on the side of the station building, in Moor Place. . [95] The writer Laurence Marks, whose father died in the disaster, presented Me, My Dad and Moorgate, a Channel 4 documentary broadcast on 4 June 2006; he stated that he believed the crash was due to suicide by Newson. [66] An analysis of Newson's kidneys by the toxicologist Anne Robinson showed his blood alcohol level at the time of the post-mortem was 80mg/100ml. Save up to 30% when you upgrade to an image pack. Moorgate crash victims to be remembered with memorial in Finsbury Square By Tristan Barclay Share On the anniversary of the 1975 Tube disaster which killed 43 people a campaigner is set to. Want more local news? By the time of the Moorgate crash, 12 of the 19 locations had the equipment installed. This became known informally as Moorgate protection. [44], The use of the flame cutting equipment had a detrimental effect on the atmosphere on the platform. No fault was found with the train, and the inquiry by the . [34] By 9:30am Moorgate and many of the surrounding roads had been cordoned off to allow space for the co-ordination teams above ground to manage the flow of vehiclesparticularly for ambulances taking casualties to hospitals. In fact, his hand was still holding the brake. After a long campaign by relatives of the dead, two memorials were unveiled near the station, one in July 2013 and one in February 2014. 2023 Getty Images. [65] David Paul, the coroner, was unhappy that a government inquiry had already begun, as evidence was in the public domain, and could affect the inquest's jury. At the end of platform 9 in 1975 was a red warning light atop a post, situated in front of a 61-centimetre-high (2ft) sand drag placed to stop overrunning trains. The Getty Images design is a trademark of Getty Images. He did not find one and spent his time reading the advertisements on the walls at the rear of the carriage. It remains one of the darkest days in the history of the London Underground after a devastating crash left 43 people dead and 74 people injured. [62] Initial findings showed no drugs or alcohol in Newson's bloodstream, and there was no evidence of liver damage from heavy drinking. Les currently resides in London and is a freelance writer with a long standing passion for the unexplained and paranormal. [44][45] As soon as Benton had been removed, all equipment was turned off and silence was ordered among the emergency services. Photo: London Fire Brigade. London, UK ID: G2Y1XY (RM) We were right at the very front of the train about 10 to 12 feet behind the driver's cab. These showed that because of the station lighting, it was impossible to clearly see the driver's eyes. Grow your brand authentically by sharing brand content with the internets creators. [4] [60][72], McNaughton published his report almost a year later, on 4 March 1976. Collect, curate and comment on your files. Millions of high-quality images, video, and music options are waiting for you. A southbound train on the Northern Line (Highbury Branch) crashed into the tunnel end beyond the platform at Moorgate station. Before his shift began he had a cup of tea and shared his sugar with a colleague; he jokingly said to the colleague "Go easy on it, I shall want another cup when I come off duty". Shouts were made for any people trapped to respond; there were no responses and the site medical officer declared that all the remaining bodies in the wreckage were dead. This tragic. 2009-2021 Historic Mysteries. He informed the coroner that "it is generally accepted that as much as 80mg/100ml may make its appearance in a decomposing body after four days in a [relatively] high temperature". Grow your brand authentically by sharing brand content with the internets creators. Harrowing photos from London Underground crash at Moorgate station 47 years after 43 people were killed. The Varangians: Viking Conquerors turned Byzantium Honor Guard, The Secret Necropolis of Ancient Varna and the First Goldsmiths.

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