New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-04-30
THE GREAT RAILROAD ACCIDENT.
Newspaper Accounts Of the Calamity.

Newspaper Accounts Of the Calamity.
We copy from The Chicago Tribune of the 26th inst
the following details of the recent heartrendng caam
ty, heretofore announced by telegraph:
TERRIBLE COLLIsSIoS-Two TRAINS RUINs-FIFTEEN
TO TWENTY KILLED-FRoM FIFTY TO SIXTY INJURED.
TUESDAY MORNING, 5 O'Clock A. NJ.
The Express train which lett this city at nine o'clock last
night the Southern Michigan Road came in collision at
the crossing about eight miles out, with emgrant and
freight train coming into Chicago on the Michigan Central
Railroad.
The locomotive of the express train struck the sixth
filled with passengers and in moment the locomotive
tender baggage and second class car of the
press train together with three emgrant of the Mch
gan Central train were heap of ruins.
On the northery side of the Central track, one first
class passenger thrown upon ITS sde and grOans
and assaed the of those who fastened from the
rest of the first class which retained their position
These this aided TO escape from the confusion
and from the danger of sufocaon and it found that
dangerously injured though several received
severe bruises.
The scene which presented itself upon the other side of
the Central track be fully described and time will
not eace the memory of that terrible and heart rendng
spectacle from the mind of the unwilling behoder
We saw a heap of ruins from beneath which shreked
out upon the midnight air cries for help mingled strange
dcord with the deeper toned groan of the dying One by
one those who were able crawled out from the rubbish
while the unnjured fully employed in rendering
sistance to those unable to extrcae themselves
Each moment the became if possible, heart
rendng Here sat poor woman with broken limb and
her little daughter stood by her side weeping and begging
for assistance There lay young German, dead his sister
by his side wrngng her hands and crying men bruder
men bruder" Here child crying ., my father there
woman wailing for the loss of her infant woman dead
her mangled features but partially concealed by cloak
and AT her side only faithful doc.
Three children from three TO ten years of ge,
taken ON the water and placed side by side At the
head of one sat IL bert ed father No came to claim
the other two.
An infant picked out OF the ruins unframed but no
mother could be found for it,
Those most dangerously injured conveyed into the
unframed cars and rendered as comfortable possible.
With some the struggle between life and death seemed
certain.
In this place was exhibited the kindness of womans
nature and the sympathy of many true heart found
expression in timely action.
It general opinion that from II to Is bodies lay
beneath the ruins though il impossible 10 ascertain
with any accuracy. -Four bodies had been taken out
From ~ TO 90 seriously injured and some of these
cannot The emgrants on the Central road sui
fered the most.
The cause of this collision rarely equaled in its
fatal and terrible results is beyond Onecure The night
bright as nearly full moon ana the ceares atmo'
nbere could make it, The two roads each other at
nearly right angles and for long distance straight
line Ii seems ii impossible for both engineers not
seen each others trains for the distance of at least
half mile If not mile before reaching the crossing But
comment yet the is out ofhe question Let
ped community let the survivors OF the killed let the
MANNED for life hold all those in any way connected with
Ibis wholesale destruction OF human lie to the srlctest ac'
,ountability.
The news Of the collision, which occurred about ten
o'clock was brought to the city by the locomotive Of the
.migrant train Messengers dispatched to the city
rom the depot and Drs Palmer and Clark and of the
Editors of The Tribune under way At the Cen
raj Railroad Depot locomotive and passenger in
waiting them and by II o'clock they had reached the
stal scene.
The physicians with admirable self possession proceeded
Immediately 10 do all in their power for the grooming suffer
u.s. In the course OF two hours they had administered
more or less Of relief to all At Il the first class pas
engers from Chicago transferred to the Central pas
,enger and brought up to the city Up to that time
had from the ctyto bear away the wound
ed and dying who had been crushed in the cars of that
road and yet hours and half had elapsed since the
coson and yet those poor creatures in ali the agones Of
broken limbs and smashed bodies could not be conveyed
10 any house or bed except on that road
1t must re borne In mind that each of the tracks which
concentrate at this crossing are thanked with water on both
ncn,s difficult and at some impossible. "
The ruin of the cars was in itself terrible sight Piled
.np,ers doors &c &c On side lay the crushed