The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1868-11-14 00:00:00

AN APPALLING CATALOGUE.

A ghastly catalogue of riots, disasters, and murders has
fanned the burden of American news for the last two or
three days writes The Timex' correspondent, under date
Philadelishiss, Oct. 27). We are told with the approach of
cold w ese her to look out for accidents on railways, and the tint
frosts usually bring with them a railway disaster of large
proportions. This year it has happened upon the Hudson
River Railway, Mir of Commodore Vanderbilt's lines, a road
that runs silong the east lausk of the Hudson from New York
to Albany. All express train left New York at half-past six
p.m. on the 23rd of October, carrying over 210 passengers,
and eomposed of nine of the long American carriages, live
of them being sleeping cars. At eleven o'clock it approached
its destination at Albany, and seas running at a speed of
thirty miles an losur. When within tws. miles of the station
the engine crossed a detective rail, which broke. Three
luggage vans passed safely over; but the passenger
carriages were thrown from the line, snapped their
couplings, ran with great velocity NO yards, until their
progress was chit bed by is honk of earth, and then three of
them ran into each .41m., closing up like a telescope, and
mangling every one in their not. 'rho seats and furniture
if these roaches mre smashed to at nun, and one-half the
train was a perfect wreck. Three persons were killed by
this disaster, twenty were seriously Injured, some of them
fatally, and probably tidily otlsets recelvad wounds and
bruises. The despatehe. say, .• the accident is attributed to
carelessness on the part of the railway company in failing to
have a splintered rail repaired s '' but no one will ever lie
made responsible for that carelessnesa. Our gigantic rail-
way corporations are too powerful for courts or juries, or
even legislatures to control them.
This was one midnight disaster. Another happened on
Long Island Smunl, and resulted iis the total wreck of one
of those fluting palaces that ply on the Sound between New
York and Boston. Al one richsels on the morning of October
23 the steamer Northampton, laden with passengers, was
entering the harbour of New (laves, Connecticut, another
hugs: steamer, the Coal /nonfat, was coming out, and struck
the Northampton amidships, cut her abuost hi two, and she
sank in less than ten minutes. The wildest terror seized her
passengers. There were the customary appliances for
saving life on board, boats, and life-preservers ; but the
waiters of the Sorthampon took possession of the life-pre-
servers, and there was a tight on board after the collision,
the panic-stricken passengers supposing that some of these
articles were intended for them The other steamer kept
alongside, however, and both waiters and passengers were
taken on board, all being *lessened PO far as is known. Two
persons were badly scalded by this disaster.
A political riot occurred in New Orleans on the night of
October 24. In that city political animosities are intense,
and both parties sire lahouring ...Ludy to carry the election.
Both hare tssrehlight processions, the Repuhhcan torch-
bearers being useally negroe., sane the Democrats are ,
whites. On the night of the 24th ss number of clubs, both '
white and black, were parading the streets. when one of
each party happened to come together in St. Cliarles-sireet.
Firearms were brought out ilk an instant, stones were hurled,
and a light began. The negroes were driven into Canal.
street, pursued three blocks, broke, and fled. Firearms
were heard in all direction., and the streets in that quarter
were tilled with excited whites, threatening to murder every
negro they caught. After an hut had passed a squadron of
cavalry appeared and dispersed the mob, when quietness was
restored. Six negroes and three whites were killed in this
, riot, and fifteen or twenty were wounded. The scone of the
s disturbance is said to present all the features of a battle-
, field. The houses are tilled with bullet marks and the
streets strewn with torn clothing and 1. brie Many
wounded men were carried away by their partisans, so
% that the real extent of the casualties cannot be ascertained.
s 111 Arkill2.lo, near the State capital, Little Rock, on the