Station Master run over at Arnside Station THE WESTMORLAND GAZETTE 24th June 1893 SATURDAY 1st JULY 1893 SERIOUS ACCIDENT TO THE ARNSIDE STATION MASTER On Saturday a serious accident happened to Mr. Summerfield, the station-master at Arnside, who will have the sincere sympathy of all who know him. Mr. Summerfield had been to the signal box, situated a short distance from the north end of the platform, and was returning to his office when the train which leaves Grange at 2.45pm for Kendal came up behind him. The driver and fireman Messrs John Whittam and John Cornish, of Carnforth, noticed him walking in the direction of the station, in the six-foot, quite clear of the train, and saw him look back. As the engine approached him, Mr. Summerfield seems to have stepped on the sleeper ends, and the driver, who saw his danger, shouted to him, being so near that there was not time to touch the break lever. At almost the same moment the end of the buffer plank of the engine struck Mr. Summerfield on the right shoulder and threw him round. The driver at once stopped the train, and on going back found the injured man sitting in the six-foot close to where he had been struck, holding his leg. On examination he found that the train had passed over the leg just above the ankle, and crushed it frightfully. Mr. Summerfield, who was quite conscious, was taken on to Kendal by the train, where the leg was amputated just below the knee. He has, happily, not sustained any further injuries, and it is hoped that he will soon be able to leave the hospital. The injured gentleman who is highly respected by all who knew him, is 53 years of age, and has been stationed at Arnside for a considerable number of years, having been stationmaster at Silverdale previously. At present he is progressing favourably. SATURDAY 26th AUGUST 1893 SILVERDALE RAILWAY PREFERMENT Mr Stevens, from the goods department, Barrow, has been appointed station master at Silverdale in succession to Mr. Chapman, who has been promoted to Arnside. The change has been brought about through Mr. Summerfield's unfortunate accident a few weeks ago. SATURDAY 30th SEPTEMBER 1893 ARNSIDE THE LATE STATIONMASTER Mr Summerfield, the stationmaster who met with the unfortunate accident on June 24th , which necessitated the amputation of his right leg below the knee, returned home from the Kendal Hospital on Saturday last, and received a cordial welcome from many friends. SATURDAY 14th NOVEMBER 1896 SUMMERFIELD - On the 14th inst, at Ashleigh, Arnside, Joseph Summerfield, aged 56 years ARNSIDE DEATH OF THE LATE STATIONMASTER The death of Mr. Joseph Summerfield who for many years has been in the neighbourhood of Silverdale and Arnside, as stationmaster for the Furness railway, took place on Saturday at his residence, Ashleigh House, Arnside. Mr. Summerfield was born in 1839 at the village of Watford, in Northamptonshire, where his father was a railway signalman. When about 15, he made his way into the north of Scotland, where he got employment amongst the electric telegraphs for about five years, when he obtained the position of stationmaster at Banff, on the Great North of Scotland Railway for 11 years. Then he again transferred his services to the electric telegraph as inspector of the Aberdeen section. In 1873 he came to Lancashire in the employ of Tyre and Norman the electric engineers of the Furness railway, and in June 1874 went to Silverdale as station-master, where he remained till 1888 when he was transferred to Arnside. He had the misfortune in June, 1893, to be knocked down by a train and lose his right leg, from which accident he has never regained health and strength. Last July he had to take to his bed and never rose again. His remains were interred at Silverdale cemetery on Tuesday. A large number of friends, railway officials, and employes were present. Mr. Summerfield was much respected by all who knew him. He leaves a widow, three daughters and two sons. THE WESTMORLAND GAZETTE - SATURDAY 1st July 1893 http://keswick.ww1.googlepages.com/keswickatwar
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