Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1853-05-12
Che Nous GIraner.
Frightful Railroad Disaster.

/ Railroad Disasters tnaL ever ufhsPTeu III thls
country. took place. at Norwak, CT, on the Rail
road running from New York TO Boston. At
that place. the road runs over the mouth of the
river there emptying into the Sound, and
there is a lateral slide draw bridge, through
which steamboats, and other craft are daily pass
ing to the landings above. Al the bridge there
are signals TO show when the draw bridge Is in
It's place or not but there is curve in the
Railroad, 0 or 10 rods distant, on the New
York side, which cuts off the sight from the
signal, so that a train running at full speed
would rarely be able to break up before reaching
the bridge. Last Friday morning. just after the
passage of steamboat through the drawbridge,
and before il could be returned to It's place, the
train from New York, A miles distant, came
round the curve at the speed of 90 or 30 miles
an hour, when the engineer, though he AYERS,
falsely it is thought that the right signal was
up, discovered the danger, reversed the steam,
blew The whistle, and leaped off, when the en-
CINE, baggage car, two passenger cars.aDd one
half OF thiid car, which divided in the middle,
were precipitated through the draw down Is feet
into the river below, which, it being then at high
tide,mus have been IL or Is feet deep; and about
200 human beings confined in these cars buried
beneath the surface Of the engulphlng waters.
! The scene that followed, to use the language Of
gentleman who was in the part of the car that
! h.. iof,o th, HIN md hn
us many particulars not found in the published
accounts, begyared all description! The first
thought was that not soul who.t thus went down
could be saved But fortunately the half car
and one of the whole cars, falling partly on the
engine and baggage car, were broken to pieces,
and presently the walls and screams OF the VIC
TINS struggling to the surface were heard. Boats
were in moment on the spot and the manned
and the unhurt were rapidly hauled in from the
wrecked cars, and severll but not many, re-
leased and got up through the top of the unbro-
ken car, still buried in the water till the greater
part of those who went down to seemingly Ger.
tain death, were rescued, though many in
wounded and some in dying condition. The
number of dead bodies found at the last account
was 60, but it is feared that number will yet
reach Is.
Among the lost were many physicians, who
were returning from Convention in New York.
Boston suffers almost as severely as by The burn
ing of the Lexington, DR.. Charles e. Ware, and
Mr.. Sayles, merchant, and son in-aw of B. F.
Hallet', ESQ being among the lost. The other
setss New Hampshire, Maine, &C., and one,
Mr.. Sampson, from Bellows Falls, VI.
Great and just Is the Indignation everywhere
expressed against the Eng'n, er, and the Corpa-
ton employing him. Two years ago he was in
their employ, when getting injured in some acct
dent of his own causing they paid him heavy
damages. with which he went to California, and
having returned month OF two ago, was again
taken into their employ! 1t is said he is arrested.
Will he be adequately punished? His crime
was the speed with which he came up, and
which, however careless might have been the
signal man, potit out of his power to prevent the
catastrophe. II our Legislatures won't attendto
this, let Lynch Law rule.
APPOINTMENT OF Town AGENT TO SELL
SPIRITS IN MoNTPELIER.-We understand that
Mr.. Z. c. Holmes, Of the firm Of Bancroft and
Holmes, has been appointed agent to sell liquors
for medicinal, chemical, and mechanical purpo.
SEES in Montpelier. Mr. Holmes is good Judge
of Liquors, and will not be imposed upon in his
purchases SO as to gel those that are adulterated
on his hands, and we hope that he will be en-
couraged and sustained by our community i'll
carrying into effect his present declared inten-
tons of not only selling none but the pure arti-
Gle, but in living up 10 good talth, to the law in
all other respects.
PRor SPENcER's MEsMERIc EXHIBITIONS
Professor Spencer, of New York, has, for seve-
raj of the past evenings, been lecturing in this
place. on The philosophy Of Mesmerism, Magic
Witch craft Spirit Rappings &C., and illustrat-
ing his positions by numerous experiments, in
mesmerizing subjects taken from his audiences,
all which constitute tlonal and extremely In
teresting entertainment None need hesitate to
attend his exhibitions, aud few who do attend,
will regret, we presume having done SO.
The Season ia Massachusetts, this year is
| little or none torwarder than in Vermont
Their cold, raw, east winds, while they keep
back vegetation, are singularly comforess, aud
made us wish to get back behind the screen
ing hills OF Vermont.
Posr MASTER IN decentralization Chas.
G. Eastman has been appion,ed Postmaster in
Montpelier, in place of Charles Lyman, the whir
ncunbe:.t to take effect on the 10Th.
A SECOND WILLIAM TELL-About month
ago, as we learn from the Courier des Eiats Unis.
a case was brought before the Correctional
Police of Spires city Of Baden, which is
certainly without parallel in the annals of
Justice. A weaver of Spre, who had been
much extolled as marksman, undertook, by
desperate experiment, to establish his reputation
beyond dispute. To this end he loaded his
pistol and repaired TO hs garden, accompanied
by his son, a lad about twelve years old. He
ordered the child 10 stand at fifteen PAGES from
him, with potato upon his head. The bow
obeyed, without making any resistance; and
the father preserving the utmost GOODNESS, fired
his pistol aud dlslolged tho potato the ball
piercing it through the very Genre The weavers
neighbors, to whom the fact was related, refused
10 believe IL, and would only he convinced by
repetition Of the toolhardy exploit. It was now
night, but the intrepid marksman insisted upon
an Immediate reputltlon Instead of the potato.
he placed upon his boys head lighted lantern,
at which he discharged his pistol with the SANE
success as before. The fame Of this extraord.
nary exploit coming to tho ears of the police,
they deemed it their duty to arrest this second
William Tell, and put check to his wild am
bltion by the agency OF the law. The Justice,