New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-02-18

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TERRIBLE ACCIDENT ON THE NEW DIRK
AND ERIE RAILRoAD-Loss OF LIFE.-The most ter
rble accident which has yet occurred upon the Erie
Railroad. befel the train coming to New-YoTk yes
terday morning The writer Of this account! was an
eyewitness and participant in the thrilling scene
and will briefly sketch what came under his notice.
When the engine, with a baggsge-car and four
passenger.cars attached, had come to sharp curve
in the road, about two miles west Of Eqununk those
OF Us who were In the next to the last car were
suddenly startled from our seats thrown hithe1 ana
thther by that percliuar joting motion, which Is
well known to the experienced as indicating tnat
the car is of from the track. We were orawn
over the sleepers for the distance of forty rods, Ell
pecting every instant that the car would fall to
pieces. The stove was At once upset. and the Goals
scattered in every direction, binding our eyes with
smoke and ashes. When the engine was stopped,
upon rushing to the door, the first sight taat met
our view was the Delaware River rushing by, di-
rec,ly beneath at the foot OF walled precipice,
Of at least thirty feet in height. The next moment
the conductor the train came drifting by upon
cake of ice calling for help, and assuring US that be
had already fallen through the crumbling fooihold
two or three times 4 short distance behind him was
passenger in similar situation. The ice was drift
ing at the rate of five miles hour, and 1t required
fast running to keep in line with them. Ropes
were procured from the engine, and after some min
utes of fearful suspense with the aid Of skih and
board thrown to one Of them TO be used as paddle,
they were both rescued in helpless condition. BY
this time learned that the passenger car behind
u.s. the last of the train, just the other SIDE of the
curve thrown entirely into the Delaware River, with
all who were in it We fastened to the spot, AID 10!
thirty feet below US the car, almost buried under
the water, and the poor creatures within were
tbustipg their arms out of the windows calling
for help. Two or three of them hal crawed
upon the roof and were beseeching US to save them
The scene at first seemed to strike every one dumb
with horror The smooth-walled preciPice could
| not be descended We were obliged to so Little
further up the river where there is WALL but only
gravel bank, and there slide down to the waters
edge The car, at its nearest end, was about Is fee!
from the shore the water was deep and running
very swiftly. Boards were found upon the beach,
but none of them were long enough h.er half an
hours hard work dead trunk of hemlock tree
was showed into the last window, and the other end
resting upen the shore With the aid OF this bridge
was built upon which those able to walk were led,
and those too much frozen TO move were carried.
An AK was procure and holes cut through the roof,
and one after another the unfortunate passengers
were lifted out. It was one Of the most thrill
ing scenes ever imagined young girl was
Drawn up, and at once began TO plead that her
| mother mis- ht be saved a husband begged for his
wife's re scue-friend struggled to save friend. An
old lady OF seventy years was drawn out OF the water
insensibe but she afterward revived. Upon getting
the sufferers ashore, the only way to get them to
place of relief to put ropes around their bodies
under the arms, and draw them directly up the pre-
cipice The severe cold ncap actaod them for rails
ail hams alypR
garments OF the ladies were frozen sim as soon as
thev we're drawn out OF the water in the car. one
man nv the name of Hyatt was quite dead "heh
,sken from the ice The sufferers lwounded dread
| fully some of them and all more or less oruseoJ
were taken into the two remaining unlnJured cars
| AID there made as comfortable as they could be,
| chilled through with dripping garments Inougn
two or three persons said 10 be missing, 1t was
thought best to come with the wounded, aRd they
were left some Of them at points upon the route
and those able and willing to do so continued their
| tourney to New York
There is every reason to believe that four persons
have been killed, and the number Of wounded must
be twenty or thirty. The energy of two or three
sentIemen who were themselves injured, In getting
out the sufferers most praise worthy 1t Is only
nroper tribute to their sefsacrfcing endeavors, to
mention the names Of Mr. John E. Telfree, OF lIh-
ara. N. Y, and Mr.. J. w. Armstrong, an agent OF
the firm of Stone g. Starr, No. Al Broadway. The
latter had received wound behind the right
ear. but was ndefstgable inl devisng means Of re-
lief cutting through the roof breaking OUT the
windows, and with his own hand, extricatng one
after another. The immediate cause OF the accl-
dent was the breaking OF rail at the curve 1t is
the general opinion OF the passengers that the cars
were not moving faster than twenty miles an
LIANT n
.need AT sharp curve upon the edge o.
such a precipice, the public can judge. But
uha, can be said In extenuation of the fact, tina
.hs si,nalrope connecting with the engine did no
run through the last two cars When the accident
be,ap. dozen men made rush for the bell-corc
and il was not to be found. Judge OF our disap
nointment. our horror, when it was known, In az
instant, that we had no means Of preventing tn
min that seemed inevitable. Several have sinc'
said that they remarked before the occurrence tina
there vasthis neglect Let there then be athorougl
ipyestisat alton, and let us know who was thus cupa
BILE The conductor was in the last car himself, ant
could simultaneously have ruDg the bell at the en-
CINE and those in the next car could nave done SO
This careessness is deeply felt by the passengers
a most grevious wrong, not only doneto the deaf
and wounded, but to all whose lives have thus beer
periled K g. s. D., NO. w foui!n ST.
SUMMARY OF LOCAL AFFAIRS. For few
DAYS past, Coroner Ives has been investigating
case Of murder which occurred recently, the victim
having On last Friday morning died at the NewYorl
Hospital from the effects of injuries received on TIT
evening of the Goth ult., at porter-house, on th'
sou,h-wes, corner of Vestry and WsshiDgton-sss
Owing to the fact that some OF the parties implicated
had not been arrested the matter has not heretofore
been made public. The victim il John Cannon,
native Of Ireland 60 years of age, who at the time
Of receiving the injuries which terminated fatally
| La Wa EN-