‘The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway line from Manchester Victoria, through Miles Platting, Failsworth, Hollinwood, and on to Oldham, opened Monday 17th May 1880 to passenger trains, the contractor for the line having been a Mr Evans, but Failsworth did not get its own station (on Hardman Lane) until 1881. Goods trains had been using the line since the 15th of the month, and indeed the first one through, carrying bales of cotton for the Hollinwood mills was decorated with flags and hunting. It was a stretch of unbroken downhill run all the way from Hollinwood Station to Dean Lane Station, Newton heath, the ascent being a rather slower haul. Where the line crossed the path from Wrigley Head to New Moston there was a gated level crossing in 1885. This was a typical rural crossing with gates on either side which were kept locked, and only opened to allow carts and animals to pass over, there being smaller swing gates (kissing gates) at each side for pedestrians.

During the day there was a man who had a cabin nearby who held the key for the gates, and who was responsible for safety at the crossing, but when not present, Mrs Elizabeth Cooper and her husband John, who was a cotton operative, and who lived about a dozen yards from the crossing, took charge. Mrs Cooper later stated that she had initially been employed by Mr Evans, contractor, at five shillings a week, but when the line had been completed John Worthington, station master at Hollinwood, made a fresh arrangement with her and paid her half a crown a week part time.

On the Thursday evening of the 50th August 1883 it was getting dark when brothers Harry (8) and Stephen (9) Bullows of Ricketts Street (Parkfield Road north) New Moston, set out from home to go and buy tea— cakes from a shop in Evening Street, Failsworth. As they were nearing the crossing they met their friend Samuel Stringfellow (9) of Jones Street (Eastwood Road) who was on his way home, but he turned back and accompanied them on their errand.

On the way back to New Moston after purchasing the muffins they yet again arrived at the crossing , it being about a quarter past eight and getting dark. The trio heard a train whistling down where Failsworth Station was sited, and Samuel ran safely across the line before the train came. lie shouted to the, brothers to wait until the train had passed. They then started to go across, and whilst they were doing so, another train heading for Manchester bore swiftly down from Hollinwood.

Then the train had passed Samuel could not see either of the brothers, but he looked for them, and saw something white on the line which turned out to be the handkerchief in which one of the boys had been carrying the muffins. He then went on four or five yards further and found Harry lying outside the rails. He did not stir. Meanwhile, Mr Cooper was just getting ready f or bed when two boys rushed in yelling “Eh, Mr Cooper, there’s two lads knocked down on the lines” Quickly pulling his trousers back on’ Mr Cooper ran to the spot indicated by the two lads, and the first one he found was without a head. He was about six yards from the stones of the level crossing, and was lying outside the metals, and in fragments about the line. The elder boy was about eight yards from the stones and was cut about the head — he was not quite dead but died soon afterwards — just before his father came up.

On Saturday morning the 1st September 1885 an inquest was held by Mr Price, coroner, on the bodies of Harry and Stephen Bullows at the Sun Inn, Oldham Road, Failsworth. John Bullows, father of the deceased, explained: “I am a self—actor minder (mule spinner). The boys had been sent to Failsworth to buy some bread, and a short time afterwards three boys came to my house and asked if the children were in. I replied ‘No, they have gone to run an errand to Failsworth,’ and they answered ‘They are killed then.’ I went to the line and saw their bodies. Where is no other way into Failsworth except by the level crossing unless you go about a mile and a half round” He added that a bridge should be built over the crossing, but the coroner replied that he would have something to say about that later.

Samuel Stringfellow said that he did not see any lights on the gates, but did notice them on both engines involved. (Failsworth Station can be viewed in a straight line from Hollinwood Station, and vice versa, the crossing being half way in between).

John Cooper who helped his wife Elizabeth look after the crossing gates, said : “I, or some of my family look after the crossing while we are up. I do not consider it any part of our duty to look after the safety of foot passengers except on alternate Sundays. The L & Y engaged a man to look after the crossing from 7am to 7pm, and our wages went down from five shillings a week to two and sixpence a week. Several jurymen thought that they did quite enough for their half a crown.

James Eastwood. of 14 Hulton Street, Failsworth, said: “I was the driver of the engine which passed over the level crossing at Wrigley Head at about 22 minutes past eight on Thursday night. On going over the crossing I felt a jerk as if something had gone under the wheels. I examined them at Failsworth Station, and on one of them, as well as on the side pipe, there were marks of blood and pieces of flesh. I whistled before getting to the crossing, and there was one white light on the front of my engine which could be seen from Hollinwood Station to the crossing.”

Mr Price, coroner, recorded the verdict of "Accidental death" and the Bullows boys were laid to rest in St Mary’s Churchyard, Moston, on Sun­day 7th September by the Rev T Wolstencroft. 2,000 people lined the route, and the boys were interred side by side next to the church in plots 215 and 220, but sadly there is no gravestone.

The deaths of the brothers, combined with the death of Elizabeth Salt at the same spot in 1880 caused people to press even harder for either a bridge or “subterranean passageway” where the level crossing stood. In the event it turned out to be the latter.

Previous to the Bullows incident of 1885, on Friday the 10th September 1880, Elizabeth Salt, a fish hawker from Miles Platting had been negotiating the level crossing at Wrigley Head heading for New Moston at about 11.lSam when the 11.05 train from Manchester Victoria was coming up. Our mutual friend Mrs Cooper told her not to cross — but she uttered those immortal lines “I’ll be across before the train comes.” Her body was dragged a distance of thirty yards and her head was frightfully mangled. Her basket of herrings was taken by the train a considerable distance up the line towards Hollinwood. The driver also whistled (with it being a steam train), but to no avail. Her body was taken to the Sun Inn, Oldham Road, Failsworth, to await the coroner.

On Monday 15th September hr P Price presided. She was a 58 year old fish hawker of 11 Elias Street, Miles Platting, (off Queens Road), a widow with two children, the youngest being about eight. We must assume that she was out selling “fish on Friday,” the herrings being salted. It is a sad twist of fate that the train which killed her had passed by her Miles Platting home less than ten minutes before.

Mrs Cooper said “I try to stop foot passengers as best I can when trains are coming, and most oblige, but the deceased was an exception. I had been dealing with her for about four years, and I told her that I wanted no fish that day. Again I told her to stop, but she got across the first set of lines, but on reaching the second set she was knocked down by the train. The last time I saw her alive she was crossing the six foot. (Space between the two sets of rails). When the train had passed I saw the deceased’s body lying between the first and second rails. The body had been carried 10 or 12 yards by the engine — she was quite dead. She seemed very much bruised about the neck and head. I have a timetable by which I can tell if a train is about to pass.” A juryman asked her if she could read, to which she answered ‘Ta little.” This would have made no difference in the Salt case, as they were both out and. about, both seeing the oncoming train. She continued “Altogether 400 or 500 persons go through the crossing every day. The deceased was a very active woman, and I can see a train when it is a long way from the crossing, and it was a very clear day on Friday. Passing through the wicket gate (yet another name f or the small swing gates) on my side of the line the deceased would have her face towards the train.” Her son~, William Cooper, of Wrigley Head, a miner ?or could it read “minder”? was also asked. if he wanted any fish, but when he declined, Salt said “Well, aw ‘11 make off then.” (Mrs Salt apparently spoke in dialect, or this was William’s version of it).

William Anderson of 480 Oldham Road, Newton Heath, said “I am an engine driver in the employ of the L & Y Railway Co. I was the driver of the engine leaving Manchester at 11.05 on Friday morning Last. At about 60 or 70 yards from the crossing I whistled to warn persons that a train was near. There was no one near the crossing at the time. I heard my mate say ‘Has that woman gone over the crossing?’ I replied ‘I have not seen any woman on the line.’ My companion then said ‘There is a woman in front of the engine,’ and I signaled for the brake to be put on soon as possible. (The guard in the van at the rear of the train had a wind— down brake which could be applied — indeed in the USA they are termed “Brakemen.”) I then saw the woman lying in the four foot (between the rails) behind the train, and near the crossing. I did not leave my engine’.

Albert Kenyon of Heywood said “I am a firer (fireman) in the employ of the L & Y Railway Co. I was on the engine with the previous witness on Friday morning last. About twenty yards from the crossing I observed a woman with a basket on her arm. She was on the opposite side of the lines from the engine. She neither looked up nor down, and walked very del­iberately across. She did not seem to know that the train was approaching. As soon as I saw her I whistled and put the brake on, but before the brake was on we were over the crossing. I addressed my companion and said ‘we’ve killed a woman.’ At that time we should not be going more than 25 m.p.h.’

Thomas Salt (18) of Hoyland, Barnsley, said “I am an apprentice watch and clock maker, and the body upstairs is that of my mother, who is a widow. My father (Thomas William Salt) who was a baker has been dead for thirteen years.”

A juror said that this was a very important crossing connecting two rapidly—growing villages, and it was very important that some other provision (f or a type of crossing) should be made.

A verdict of “Accidentally killed” was returned. After the verdict had been given the coroner asked the jury if they had anything to say in .respect of the competency of the woman who had been appointed to look after the crossing. Most of the jury expressed an opinion that the woman was not a fit person, as she was old and feeble. (Yet she was still looking after the crossing some four years later when the Bullows brothers were killed). Also at the inquest was the Governor of the Ancoats Industrial School, where her younger son attended.

On the 15th September 1880 Elizabeth Salt was buried in St John’s Churchyard, Failsworth, by the Rev J Barnes, certificate No.1427. There was never a stone to her memory — probably having being interred in the paupers section.

Why was the eventual underpass so long in coming? Various toings and froings had gone on f or many years between the Failsworth Local Board, the L & I Railway Ca, and other interested parties, but the subway wasn’t built until 1884. Jas it because “in January 1884 it was officially announced that Mr Dan Asquith, who had been f or many years treasurer to the L & Y Railway Co had been absent since Tuesday last under circum­stances which leave no doubt that there are irregularities in his accounts,” or is there a different reason?

Obviously nobody wanted to pay f or a bridge which would have to soar to a great height and come down again as suddenly on the other side, wide enough to take a few carts and pedestrians. Who would finance it? — The Failsworth Local Board, the L & I Railway Co., even the Rochdale Canal Co, and residents of New Moston could have been asked to chip in. It would carry no toll, and therefore would be a dead loss.

However, the white—tiled subway (Bridge 21) was eventually built, and illuminated by a gas mantle which was installed in 1917. It has about 8ft l0ins of headroom, is about l2ft wide, and roughly Soft in length. Even with four grid tops in place beneath it it is still prone to flooding in wet weather. Indeed in July 1956 the subway was flooded to such a depth that people were forced to cross the railway lines, which takes us back to square one.