Accident at the Staiths

[janwhin]

There's quite a common photograph of this accident at the harbour but this is the report of it in the Morpeth Herald of 17 December 1920:

"While the Broomhill engine was shunting waggons laden with coal along the staithes at Amble Harbour on Tuesday morning, two ten-ton trucks broke away from their couplings and toppled over the end of the loading spout into the steamer Urpeth, which was being loaded. The trimmers in the ship's hold managed to scramble into safety and a man named J. Coulter had a very narrow escape. When the trucks were on the point of coming over he happened to see them and was just able to jump clear. One waggon was smashed to smithereens, but the other was in such a condition that it can be repaired. Happly, no one was hurt, which was wonderful, as it might easily have been that some of the trimmers might, having been busy around the hatches. In the afternoon the vessel was removed down the main quay when the debris was cleared off the ship by means of a crane."