The Sun.
London, England, 1849-08-28 00:00:00

RAILROAD ACCIDENT.

At about a quarter past eight o'clock on Thursday
morning, as the early train from Philadelphia to this
city had reached Clarksville, about two miles the
other side of Princeton, a terrible accident occurred,
which has ere this carried mourning into many fa-
milies. The facts, as near as our reporter could learn
them on the spot, were these :—At the place where the
accident occurred there is a turn-out, leading to the

bank of the Delaware and Raritan Canal. For the

purpose of making this turnout available, there is,
of course, a switch, which, when turned in the proper
direction will not interfere with the direct progress of
the cars, hut which, when occasion requires, will lead
the car or cars off the direct track and conduct them
of necessity to the brink of the canal. To guard this
switch, and to prevent accidents, the company employ
a man, who, with his family, live near the spot, and
whose sole business is to see that the switch i 3 kept
in a proper direction. As the cars were passing this
spot yesterday morning the engineer perceived, when
too late to avoid the accident, that the switch was
turned the wrong way, and that the cars were fast
making their way for the canal. The engine was im-
mediately reversed, but the impetus was too great
—the speed being some thirty miles per hour—to
prevent disaster. Shocking to relate, the engine
plunged headlong into the canal, dragging after it the
platform car, on which were the freight and baggage
crates. A tremendous concussion ensued, and
the first and second passenger cars came
in violent contact. To use the expression of a wit-
ness to the terrific scene, they were dovetailed toge-
ther. The scene of horror that ensued may be
imagined, but cannot be definitely described. Both
cars were filled with passengers, and the bodies of
those passengers, of course, interposed between the
cracking and breaking parts of the cars. The engineer
leaped from his perilous position and escaped unhurt;
the forward breakman remained at his post until the
very last moment, when seeing that he could do
nothing to avert the catastrophe, he also leaped off,
and was injured but slightly. When the concussion
had taken place, and the passengers had time to
recover their breath, their ears were assailed by the
most piteous cries of distress and implored aid. The
conductors of the train and the passengers im-
mediately set about the work of release and rescue,
when a shocking picture presented itself to their
view. Here a mangled corpse, there a wounded and
writhing man, and again a helpless woman, shrieking
with agony and covered with blood, met their
view. The work of destruction having had its
sway the work of mercy commenced, and in a com-
paratively short time all the surviving victims of this
unfortunate accident were released from their position
in the cars, and removed to places where their wants
might be attended to and their wounds properly
dressed. On casting about it was found that Mr.
William Conover, of Trenton, superintendent of
repairs on the canal, was killed, as was also an un-
known man, apparently an Irish-man who had taken
passage in the second class cars. These are the only
two persons who were ascertained to have been killed
outright. There was a rumour of an infant having
been crushed, but our reporter could not follow the
rumour to what seemed to him fact. It is believed by
many that the switch was turned the wrong way by
some evil- disposed person, as the wife of the man
whose office it is to attend to it states posi-
tively that she saw the switch at five o'clock
in the morning, and that at that time it was
turned in the right direction. But as the matter
will no doubt he fully and fairly investigated, we will
say nothing about the rumours. Several rumours
in the form of letters and cards have reached us, but
as the facts which we give are from the personal ob-
servations of our reporter, and from the information
given to him by eye-witnesses on the ground at the
time, we shall not give them. An incident occurred
at the time of the accident, which is now told to every
one who listens to the story of the lamentable
affair at Princeton. It is as follows :—As the cars
approached the canal, and when the catastrophe was
beyond all doubt unavoidable, a mother, who had been
seen fondling a beautiful infant, darted from her seat,
and in an instant had tossed the smiling cherub clear
from the cars upon the grass which grew at the road-
side. A thrill of terror, for the moment, seized the
few spectators who witnessed the act of the mother,
fearing that she might have frantically destroyed the
life of her child—but it was otherwise. The
child landed upon the grass and was unhurt, while
the mother was considerably injured, though not i
fatally. The chances are, however, that had she re-
tained her hold upon the infant, it would have been
killed.--New York Herald, August 4.

TAX ASSESSORS and COLLECTORS
Taking these individuals as a body, they are an
uneducated, pompous, overbearing set of officials, who,
dressed in a little brief authority," entirely forget
that their position with regard to the public is servile
instead of authoritative. Their ignorance renders
them totally unlit to be invested with the slightest
power which they are of course at all seeming oppor-
tunities most anxious to display, and to which they
add insolence. It is the manner in which people are
treated by these Jacks in Office that renders taxation
so detestable in the eyes of the public. Govern-
ment should be more careful to select these officers
from the ranks of gentlemen who from misfortune
may be reduced so as to be glad of the post, and
would never forget that natural bearing, which,
moving in good society, and education, makes a
second nature. The public manner in which the
income tax is collected is shameful, and entirely
annihilates that feeling of independence which should
inhabit the breast of an Englishman. When this tax
was instituted the public were assured it would be an
inviolable secret as to each other's affairs. How is
it ? In the first place, from the class of people who
are entrusted with the assessing and collecting,
secresy is absurd—they are too pregnant with
the imaginary importance of their knowledge to ab-
stain from tattling, and the consequence is that people's
affairs are now as public as they were wont to be
private. Papers with the amount are sent to estab-
lishments, not in an envelope, but open for the in-
spection of any one about the place ; and the collec-
tors not untrequently stalk into a gentleman's office,
no matter who may be present, and ask aloud for the
amount due for income-tax. The appeals, too, are
quite public. how many people who have actually
sustained heavy losses are compelled to pay an income-
tax to avoid exposure, or the inquisitorial curiosity
of a collector or assessor? These parties, from pique
or a desire to pry into a gentleman's affairs, may
surcharge, which is at once accu,ing the person with
perjury; for a form his to be signed declaring the
return to be correct. This is far from what ought to
be or what is intended. If a man has suffered lows,
or his profits on a large bu,iness are small, why
shoul.l he be compelled to submit to interrogations,.
and give explanations to a set of public menials
Where is the utility of his filling up a declaration
if
the belief of his statement is optional? Everpyrdeceeiptf.
for this tax should also embody a printed le
secresy, to be signed by the collector who, we repeat,go
should be a gentleman.—Sheffield Times.