The native American., 1837-08-19

RAIL RsAD ACCIDENT. Portsmouth, Va. August ii
1t appears that the regular daily train left Portsmouth
on Friday morning at o'clock, with thirteen passen
ger and other cars and nearly two hundred passengers
the greater portion of whom composed party OF
pleasure from the counties of Southampton, Isle OF
Wight, and Nansemond, who had come down the pre-
vious day, and been steamboat excursion 10 old
Point Comfort &c. and returning TO their homes
The train having made the usual stop at Suffolk, had
proceeded on to Smiths bridge, high embankment
over Goodwin's Landing, mile and half beyond.
Here there is gradual rise In the road and at the ter
mnation of the embankment the road makes curve.
But before we proceed further should state, that
there was lumber train then on its way down, with
fifteen heavily laden with staves which must ne.
cessaTy pass the passenger train at one OF the turn
outs above Suffolk. When the locomotive Of the pas
senger cars had reached the cpc and while the whole
train the embankment, (Which at that place is
at greater elevation than at any other the whole
line, being 35 feet hgh,) the lumber train suddenly
appeared in sight, sweeping down the curve The
engineer of the passenger train promptly stopped the
locomotive; but he of the lumber train either
BILE lowing to its being descenD to stop his, or
did the danger in time, for his engine drove
friousy against that of the passenger train, for
cling it back upon the first car, which driven
against the second, the second against the third and
the two latter crushed to pieces in the the dread
fu concusson. The greatest havoc, however, was in
the second car, the first having been lifted from the
rails and propelled 0uer it, taking it il were, fore and
aft and crushing to death or horribly manning the pas
sengers who remained in it!
Those killed were Miss Elizabeth McClenny,
daughter of Mr.. iona. McClenny, Of Nansemond,
Miss Margaret Roberts, daughter of David Roberts,
Esq Of Isle of Wight, and Jemima Ely, daughter OF
Mrs Margaret Ely, of the same county, who was her
self dreadfully hurt.
Among those who were dangerously wounded were
Mrs. Ely, Mr.. Wiley Watkins, his wife, infant child,
and maid servant VIM. Daughtry, Miss Martha and
Miss Eliza Holland Mrs. Meredith Watkins, Miss
McClenny the younger Mrs. Story, Mr.. Reese Phelps
Mr.. Jas. M. Holland.
When the directors and physicians left the engine,
it returned to Suffolk for wood and water, prcpelline
before it the coach in which they had come up. The
night was dark, and heavy rain falling, that
lookout could be kept the road. When within
hundred yards of the watering place. the coach ant
engine passed Mr. James Woodward, and Mr.
Richard Oliver, two citizens of the neighborhood, wh
Were walking on the track and so mangled them tha
the former died almost Immediately, and the latter il
so badly injured that he cannot possibly recover. Th
accident wholly unavoidable; the engineer coul,
not see, through the darkness, (havng large passen
ger coach before him) that the unfortunate men wer
in his way; and they by the cause, together will
the pattering Of heavy rain falling at the time,
rendered unconscious Of the approach of the train
I'll they were struck down.
The days disasters stated as follows: kilIe,
l3 severely wounded, 25 or 80 slightly.