New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1849-05-28
NETWORK TRIBUNE.
The Disaster on the Troy and Whitehall
Raitroad.

Railroad.
We find ia the Courier the following graphic
account CT the recen, disaster which have already
noticed One Of the Editors Of ths Couri9 was pss
senger on the train at the time Of the disaster
AZ already stated the accident occurred at place
called Tslmadge's ROad-s.x mies this sidc Of Bal
.,on The spot il named from the owner Of the farm
through which the track passes-Mr. John Tailmadge
a farmer OF large means, fair character, but vndicve
temper road leading from Ms house on the Hudson
through piece Of woods 20 his heds crosses the Rail
road track and usual planks are laid between the
rails, forming bridge tor wagons, &c.
The train left Troy A. oclock-ihere beng oeslde
the locomotive and tender, baggage car car occs
pied by emig ants and two hrstclass cars hed WITH
passengers ], was running AZ The rate Of about
fosaiy miles per hour When the iocofnorff just ~ me
bridge was felt 20 stlke some obstacle ne % heeI
instantly .hu. % s.eam but the impetus was 40 grest
that The ocornytlre ran I'VE rode, the rght SIDE
going oDiQuey up rocky bank, untn u stood - AZ
angle Of about 80 degrees, VI IN II tel upon the rack
The engineer and fireman both stood a. their posts End
were buried beneath the fragments Of the locomotive.
They crswled out thernseves-the head Of William
Dodge the engineer seeming 70 be mass d gore and
the fireman, John Fronk, apparently crushed
They laid upon the and found 70 be alive,
but shOckngy hurt Fronks hrst remark was where
Dodge Tim well enough o. take care Of him Both
we're perfectly sensible and related al that they
knew o. the incident. Dodge had seen nothing on me
track and only knew Of danger when the locomotive
struck lie Instantly did AL he could and kno" NJ y
would be- fatal % jump OIL stood st a"ailhs INC s1f
The engine rushing up the bank seemed % nee IA fhc
air some ten feet Il By desperate plunge ana tnen
fe with Tremendous force upon the road bufying MN
in its ruins terrible cut laid open the whole eit de
OF hs face hi. jaws were badly crushed and ne Sit
shoulder bruised. fr0nks ef, leg vas broken t~lce
his foot laid open with deep cut some three inches
Iopg-hs body bruised. and from internal injuries DC
had great difficulty IN breathing.
On examining the track the bridge. two large
stones we're found % have been drrcD d0rn between
each rail and the plank. sleeper tho eng ne
therefore struck on both sides once and lifted
some two inches from the rail On one sidc me stones
had been thrown out by the conclusion and lay siae
the rail, on the plank ON the other tney were tL-
wodged H. In a few minutes Mr.. John Iallma1ge' me
owner Of the farm up having seen the accident
when coming from his field one-eighih u mie on
He said he had crossed the track halt an hour before
but nobody. handcer ran over u Two n"1is
tefore the accident and there was then no oD-tace
The stones had been put there therefore, between
and o'clock and no one vas known 10 nave p'en III
the vicinity but Mr T.
rbfs ~ ycourse pronpfed a suspicion that he had
been concerned IN IT, Farther inquiry showed that ne
had grudge against the Company having lost COW
killed hy the train three weeks before inc CON
many had urged him % keep MS fences IN repair re
had refused-saying he was willing they snouio k al
bic cows the Company must poy iOI them. ny
had refused 70 pay for me one ne .o,t s,o ~ I
threats which be had repealed led the company 10
watch the road that spot. Twice biiets OF WOOD ac
.1raeIy shaped had been found driven down between
the rail and the plank over a sleeper, on TINS very
bridge and had been removed before the passage OIL
train.
Mr. Ialmadgc denied ali knoWfuEf ~ u' "',-if
and said he would rather give 500 than have had ~
happen Those various circumstance however, Oh
course made Il clear that he ought 10 be subjected 10
strict legal examination and We understood from Mf
Harris the Deputy sheriff OF the County VINO was
present that he would undoubtedly be arrested Mt
sargent the Superintendent Of the Road SAID tnai 10
effort would be spared 10 detect the offender
The downward train from Saratoga reached me spot
about two hours the accident and took the passen
gers from Troy onward. special locomotive sent
for from Troy up at one, and TOOK oo"h 'hose
from Saratoga. Dodge was taken 70 ballston' whore
his family reside and heard that he died on inc
way but believe IL 20 be error lie may nave iaiht
ed from loss Of blood, but probably nothing more
Fronk suffered good deal from lack OF medical hd
but was doing well at ) o'clock, when hereeched Troy
No other injured except Mr. filkins the baggage
master who bruised good deal, but not seriously
by the upsetting OF the baggage car.
We have given this detailed notice Of this disaster
partly from its interest but mainly on account Of rs
public importance. IL OF the few cases ID winch
wnole train OF cars having some $50 passenger was
thrown OF the track by nHfid act, premednated Tor
weeks and done with the utmost and dehOcfatOn
Nothing but the banks each side prevented the whole
train from being crushed. and large portion OF It's
passengers killed Ii 10 not easy 10 conceive OF any M
man temper malicious enough TO prompt 10 such an
oct yet II done by and every considera
ton Of public security well every dictate oil JUS
tce demands that nothing should be LETT undone 10 de
tect and convict the inhuman offender