Tales of Terror and Mystery
The Lost Special
Outoftheseven,fourbelongtocollierieswhichareworkedout,oratleasttoshaftswhicharenolongerused.ThesearetheRedgauntlet,Hero,SloughofDespond,andHeartseasemines,thelatterhavingtenyearsagobeenoneoftheprincipalminesinLancashire.Thesefoursidelinesmaybeeliminatedfromourinquiry,for,topreventpossibleaccidents,therailsnearesttothemainlinehavebeentakenup,andthereisnolongeranyconnection.Thereremainthreeothersidelinesleading—
(a)TotheCarnstockIronWorks;
(b)TotheBigBenColliery;
(c)TothePerseveranceColliery.
"OfthesetheBigBenlineisnotmorethanaquarterofamilelong,andendsatadeadwallofcoalwaitingremovalfromthemouthofthemine.Nothinghadbeenseenorheardthereofanyspecial.TheCarnstockIronWorkslinewasblockedalldayuponthe3rdofJunebysixteentruckloadsofhematite.Itisasingleline,andnothingcouldhavepassed.AstothePerseveranceline,itisalargedoubleline,whichdoesaconsiderabletraffic,fortheoutputofthemineisverylarge.Onthe3rdofJunethistrafficproceededasusual;hundredsofmenincludingagangofrailwayplatelayerswereworkingalongthetwomilesandaquarterwhichconstitutethetotallengthoftheline,anditisinconceivablethatanunexpectedtraincouldhavecomedowntherewithoutattractinguniversalattention.ItmayberemarkedinconclusionthatthisbranchlineisnearertoSt.Helensthanthepointatwhichtheengine-driverwasdiscovered,sothatwehaveeveryreasontobelievethatthetrainwaspastthatpointbeforemisfortuneovertookher.
