Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1852-02-27
EFom The N. Y. Tribune Of Wednesday.
Terrible Accident on the New York and
Erie RaiIrOad-LOss OF Life.

Terrible Accident on the New Kofk ana
Erie RailrOad-LOss OF Life.
The most terrible accideui which has vet oc.
Cured upon the Erie Railroad, belel The train
coming 70 new York yesterday morning, The
writer Of this account was on eye.w ness and
participant 10 the thrilling scene. aud will brief.
~ sketch what came under his notice.
When the engine. with baggage car aud
four passenger cars aIAched, had come 10 u
sharp curve in The road, about Two miles wesI
Of Eluinunk, those Of US who were in the next
TO last car we're suddenly started from our seats,
thrown hilher and Ihilher by that peculiar JOLT
ing motion. which is we'll known TO the expert
enced as indicating that the car is of from the
track. We we're drawn over the sleepers for
distance Of forty rods expecting every instant
that the cars would fall 10 pieces. The stove
was at once upset, and the Goals scattered in ey-
eIy direction, binding our eyes with smoke and
ashes. When the engine was stopped, upon
rushing to the door, The first sight that met our
view was the Delaware River rushing by, direct.
ly beneath, al the foot Of a walled precipice, ol
At least thirty feet in height. The next moment
the conductor Of The train came drifting by up.
on cake Of ice, calling for help, and assuring
US that he had already fallen through The crumb-
ling oothold Two or three times. shorI dis
lance behind him was passenger in a similar
situation. The ice was drifting al the rate oI
five miles an hour, and it required fast running
10 keep in line with them. Ropes were pro.
cured from The engine, aud aller some minutes
Of fearful suspense, with the aid Of q skif aud
a board thrown 10 one Of them to be used as a
paddle, they were both rescued 10 helpless
condition. By this lime we learned than the
passenger car behind Us, the last Of the train
was just The other side Of the curve, thrown en-.
tirely into the Delaware River, with all who
were in il. We fastened to the spot, and lo
thirty feet below US was The car, almost buried
under The water, and the poor creatures within
were IhrustiDg their arms out Of The windows
calling for help, Two or ihroe of them had
; crawled upon the roof and were beseechng US
; to save them. The scene al first seemed Io
strike every one dumb with horror. The
smooIh.waled precipice could Ibe descended
We were obliged TO 60 lille further up the
river, where there is no wall, bun only grve
bank, and there slide down 80 the waters edge
The car at iIs nearest end, was about 25 lee
IRON the shore The water was deep aud run
: ming very swiftly. Boards were found upon The
beach, but none Of Them were long enOugh.- -
! After half an hours hard work dead trunk o
hemlock tree was showed into The lasI window
and the other end resting upon. the shore. Wnt
the and OF ,his a bridge was built, upon which
those able TO walk were led, and those too muct
Q frozen were carried. An axe was procured anC
holes en-, through the roof, and one after anoIh
er Of the unfortunate passengers were lifted out
Ii was one Of the most thrilling scenes eve
: imagined. A young girl was drawn up, and a
: once began 10 plead thai her moIher might bt
saved; husband begged for his wile's rescue
friend struggled 10 save friend. An old lady
Of seventy years was drawn out Of the wale
insensible, but she afterwards revived. Upor
: getting the sufferers ashore, the only way Il
! get them 10 q place Of relief was 10 put rOpei
around their bodies under the arms, and draw
: them directly up the precipce. The severe
cold ncapacitaled them for raising hardly fin
ger TO aid themselves, The hair and garments
of the ladies were frozen stiff as SON as they
were drawn OUT Of the water in The and placed
in the car. One man by the name OF Hyatt, va;
= quite dead when taken IRON the ice. The suf
ferers (wounded dreadlully some Of them, ant
all more or less brused,) were taken into the
two remaining uninjured cars and there made al
comfortable as they could be, chilled through
with dripping garments. Though two or three
e persons were said TO be missing, ii was though
best 10 come on with the wounded, anl they
were left, some Of Them, at points upon the
route, and those able ond willing TO do so con
.inued their journey to New York.
The immediate cause Of the accident was the
breaking of rail at the curve. It is The gen
eral opinion Of the passengers that the cars
: we're not moving faster than twenty miles ar
hour. Whether thai was a prudent rate o.
speed at u sharp curve upon the edge of such
precpce, the public can Judge. But wha
can be said in exIenuaIion Of the fact, that the
signal.rope connecting with the engine did no
r,,n through the last Two cars When the ac
cideni ht aan, dozen men made rush for the
: beIl.cord and !: was not 10 be found. Judge o
our disappoin,msnt, our horror, when il wal
known in an instant JhSt we had no means o
preventing the ruin that seemed lneviable.--
Several have since said that they remarked be
fore the occurrence that there was Ibis neglect
: Let there then be q thorough investigation, ant
LEI US know who was thus culpable. The con
duc,or was 10 the last car himself, and could IN
spontaneously have rung the bell at The engine
and those 10 the next car could have done so
This carelessness is deeply felt by the passen
gers as a most grievous wrong, not only done
10 The dead and wounded, but TO all whose lives
have thus been periled.
r. S. S. D.. No. 292 Fourth ST.
Two persons were killed aud about twenty
wounded.