Litchfield enquirer., 1831-12-22
WRECK ON THE RAILWAY.

shipwreck, on the Liverpool and. Manches
 ter Railway iu England. It wilIsbe req with interest.
 There are two separate trains for pas
 sengerS, one of the first class, the other c
 the second-each making three trips da 1 to and fro. The first is close carriage, O
 a train of coaches, each accommodating Il
 passengers in three separate apartments
 running through, a distance of s2 miles, il one hour and thirty minutes. The secont class is composed ofopen cars-runs thro in two honrs-fare Ss. Cd. sterling. Fare for the first class 5s. These trains ofter carry from 200 to 800 passengers. The average number of passengers per day, be- tween Liverpool and Manchester, for the last two, weeks, has been 220O.
 ' staFsed this sDoFning in the first class with six coaches in train, and about 100 passengers. And little did think, that l had crossed the Atlantic so mercifnlly, to be wrecked on the Railway. 1t is evident, however, from my present occupation, ,tllat l got off with life, and without serious in- jury. But give mo my election, and had rather go upon rock in a ship under full provided it be in the day time, with a tolerable chance of escape-than run the chance of wreck on the railway.
 The first half way we passed in fine style, and high spirits, not dreaming of the peril that awaited US. And having replenished the water for the engine, were soon under full speed again. I had frequently put my head out of the coach to look backward and forward, and abroad-to make such obser- vations as curiosity and the novel interest of the scene prompted. Sometimes train, coming from the opposite direction, might be seen ahead, and soon it would brush by US, at a distance of three feet, with such velocity, that, pent up as we were, we could no more count the number of coach- es, than the spokes in a woman's spinning wheel, when buzzing in its swiftest turn. l speak as matter of fact: not that we could not see them, but their speed added to ours, each going in opposite directions, rendered it absolutely impossible to count the coach- es as they passed our window. The rear itself almost at the same instant with the front. All we could perceive was: It is here, it is gone Sometimes we ran IS miles an hour; sometimes 20; some- times 25. I should judge we wero running at the rate of 25 miles, or more rather than less, when I looked out of the window for- ~arA. and instantly exclaimed, as ny friend says. thrice, (thO0gn uU uuT nIyseH rocoss feet it,)' We are gone we are gone we are gone!' And surely l had good reason to make the inference. For at that instant saw the engine deserting her proper track, md staggering and plugging headlong down the bank; reluctantly indeed, as if con- scious of its charge and responsibility !- And what could the train do but follow !- | had 10 sooner uttered these words than, crash ! crash crash! went tho whole train. And instantly the engine lay bottom up.- wards, directly abreast of our cal, the fourth in our train, discharging its steam directly in our face. By this time all was at rest. a heap of ruin. The tremendous crash, by which we were brought up, may in part be estimated, when it is considered, that ai- though we were running at such rate, we did not make headway of more than two rods after the engine plunged from the raj road. But you will be in pain to see us ou of the stean. 'Open the opposite door said I, 'open the opposite door! M! friend, being nearest. made the attempt but not succeeding, jumped through thu window. There were two ladies. gentle man, and boy, still remaining with me il tho same apartment of the car. And how wo all got out, I could not afterwards re collect. The escaping steam proved t come from the safety valve, and of cours
 gave us nothing more than very-ver.
 hot bath. The forward car, next the en
 zine, was drawn after it., and thrown ove' l with all it's passengers. The next plunge
 into it, and stove its back in pieces. An
 each car run against its predecessors in tn
 same manner, making more or less spllntcr'
 nntil all was brought up at rest, and bega
 to disembogue their occupants, each actu
 a,ed by the principle of self-preservatior
 Soon however they began to help one anc ther. and look after the killed and wound
 ed. After seeing my own apartment c'ea'
 ed of it's tenants, ran around in front the circle, (for the wreck now made a c'I
 cIc,) and the first thing which arrested m
 attention was the dragging out of the Eng neer. who lay buried under the Engine
 the machine having turged bottom upwar'
 The moment he was drawn out, he stoo
 upon his feet, but his face and head vel
 frightfally disfgured with blood and das Some one immediately grasped his ham and shook it very cordially. congratulatir
 him for his life preserved. He was carrie |, awav. and have not heard from him sine and therefore cannot tell how much he vi .:.l Frt,vonUh the exceeding mercy