The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1853-05-05
TUESDAY MORNING, April aGtl


CaieGso JaanlaL
TUESDAY MORNING, April s6th Is53
The Express train which LETT this city ata O'Clock
last night ON The Southern Michigan Road, came ~
collision at the crossing about miles our, Win
emigfant and reght train coming INTO IhIeaSo On Ae
Mich. Central Railroad.
The locomotive OF the Express train struck the
J SIKH car filed with passengers and IN moment the
locomotive, tender, and one IA class car q us
& Express train together with emgrant cars OF the
Mich. Central train were heap q ruins.
On the north Tls side Of the tcHtfal tFack one hts
class passenger Car was thrown upon lis side, and
groans aud sassailed Tho ears Of those who has
from the rest OF the first class ears feiah
u cd their position. Those IN his aided to es-
cape from the confusion, aud from The danger of suilo
cation, and j, found that none were dangerously
, iijared, though sever received severe bruises.
The scene which presented itseA upon Inc .1hsF
and time will not eIsee the memory Of thai tsfriole
and hearth ndins spectacle, from the mind 81 the uh
willing heholier
shrieked out upon the midnight air, cries for help
mingled in strange disrofd With the deeper toned
> groans OF the dy Tag. une by one those Who ere
able, erawled out from the fuhhish while the hnins
jured fully employed ia rendering assistance 10
those unable to extslcate themselves.
Each moment the scene became, II possibte- more
heart -renaiRg. Here sal poor conan VIII ofoAeh
limb, and her lis daughter stood ~ her SIDE Weep
Geraan dead, ms sister NY Ills sae, wiring rs neF
ihan5s aud crying "ueir Bruder, mein y uder'
Here child crying "Omy father.' There wom ~
waing tor the lossof her intaat. y woman deads
her led features hut nsyt!ay concealed 3! u
CLOAK. and a. her side only d iatthiut deg,
Three children. from three T. ten years q ase We're
taken from the water, and placed side by side. Al
, the head Ct sal the bareated father. ~ oae
came near 10 cidimthe othertNo
:. An infant was picked out of the ri rs uaharmedt
bat no mother could be found Ter it.
/, Those most dangerously injured we're conveyed in.
10 the unframed and rendered comfortable as
possible. With some the struggle between life and
death scented uncertain.
In this place Exhibited the kindness OF wo,I
mans nature, aud the sympathy Of many true
heart found expression in timely action.
. 4 So Naft
lay beneath the ruins, though il impossible to as.
certain with any accuracy Four bodies had ben
and some ettaese cannot rerorsr. The emigrGats on
The Central road suffered the most.
The cause OF this collision. rarely il ever eqasie3
in It's fatal and terrible results beyond conircgare
The nIghtHas a bsight as nearly IL moon ANA the
clearest atmosphere could make u. - roads
crossed each other st nearly right angles, and run for
along distance On straight Inns. II seems If iti
was impossible for both engineers not 70 hay seep
leach otlsrss trains for the distance of az least half
mile II not mile before reaching the crossing. But
comment YET the Of the question:
Let an outraged community, let the Survivors OF the
way CONNECTED VITA this wholesale destruction Of hu-
MAJ life 70 the stri ctest accountability.
: Ina news Of the collision which occurred about
Etenoe!ocs, was 5fousS BY the locomotive OF tbs
cmigrsnt train. Messengers were dispatched 10 the
fway. A, the Central R4iIroa3 depo. locomotive
and passenger ear we're 10 waiting ar them, aat by
+ l@oc.ock they mas reached the tat&s scene.
4 The Physicians with admirable SELF possession,
preceded Immediately TO do an in their power iot
the groanIug sufferers. In the course Of Two heurs
they had administered more or Hess Of rod to ALL
At half past two the first class passenger on uAira
&C. ere transferred Ia lie Central p3ssff,rr oaans
bEoasht np 20 the CITY, tp 10 that tiHe locomo
tfe hs Come from the eitg ~ bear aaaf the Ynaa4-
: va and dying who h5d been crRsts4 Ia tae GERS
that road aud yet tpar Ayurs and half had FL Hsrd
SINCE e collision! ana SEE those goef cte@Gres III
aEtle agoHfes Of broken l#abz aud spa.he3 bodies
could rot be conveyed 10 any house o. bed except
that road.
L muss.te borne in mind that each If tha tracks
which concentrate u tins crossing arr Hantrl wltH
water on both sides. that fAr gattIag from onc
place 70 another, Is u ali points difficult, at
Possl tide.
The ruin ofthe cars was i itself terrible sight
Pited Up the water ay an immense heag of @h@els
!ton ratings, ssinters, doors. s.e., Ga
as o'c}ock. Ptrcaed the top OF all At e etght
fOt twelve feet shove the waters edge, the bag
gage car OF the Express train, with hali perfectly
sound, got even the end glass broaea Fae other cad
had burst open aa4 portion 81 The trunks htt ro.iod
down the heap into thu water below.
beneath enc ese q tAe car appeared the bald head
ana one hand o! an cid man. Tie leg OF aud tn
Joiy n another were also visible beneath the
~ the east OF the rains bafneI bright iiee kind
leo from She sllueEs, whose igE Gekrrsi across the
quiet forms Of three caiidrea, ana shane brightly
aEoh the passengers Th0 gathered around il, Aauth-
er fire Was also burning tsest eftbe Espfess train
No ore IA the trsi class Pr ssenser sercHs-
W injured. Fae engineer, trenan, and co4aactor es
capped US usual
i no have just returned from the scene Of
I des1!alloR and hofror, where the C0sunugss Jars
are sitting upon tie fitc!ess remains % seven
bodies. 4. NJ. Castle, i foreman. Such a
sight. IS almost inGescrI5 Bile. Limbs cualglatc.
/ = smashed. Heads bruised, and blood cover
ling tie floors, Women anrIoIs o get sizhi
Hot their dead hasbgnG patents OF their can
tren. 0 ronIs filed with the wounded, still
living but injured fatally. One man. Joan VII
4 Aam&oa Of Lake staten, was Ia deua eondi~
ton. His over limbs compie sly smashed
Ars. Newman, BaANaE1, WHgTG. and others
. Of the medical faculty were administering to the
suffering with every care, and al the aueatien
that kindness and eXeElion could beslow. Was
freely volunteered on all sides al the hands OF
q those present
The crowd around the depot was immense
and the streets were filled with men, women
ana children, going and coming from the SEA-
cuing scene. There was 80 much excitement
and confusion that We could not earn the tnas
Of the sufferers and VIII wat the report Of the
: Coroner's Jury, trusting that IFS verdict will be
in delail aud emphatic.
The streets aIe filled with those that were in
Jured but not iatalr-ther friends taking them
j home and taking the best care OF them Every
carriage - filled IN carrying oil the injured
he engineer on the Southern road was saved
4 by jumping from the locomotive ialo the water.
before the collision took place. lis locomotive
!. is perfect wreck. Whether he reversed the
engine before saving himself, is not known. Ii
Is judged he did not, Us his tain ran clear
tAlOuBa Tue p6heT 10 INC passenger car DICK OF
: he tatgage car before Stopping, as this car
broke down directiy where the roads cross.
1 his cafeless toying witt human lffe arpcafs
10 he becoATug fashionable and favorite ras.
time OF Rairoad Companies which viitupus
indignation, without tear, should stamp indel-
bic upon lie brows 0. such wholesale MURDER
. Eufs.
''There is nobody to bame'r is a stale cry.
bit no answer the wall Of sulf,rrur an4 expir
u ing humanity as II came up this morning 81 the
, Southcgn Altrh gan station in its agnny--uu
salge for the eye that weeps IN pity over snch
sud sights as this.
II this instance, tushrfal as il Is, and enough
10 s'arle he trmest nerve, the lime is almost
cr0ywhere among all those connected with
4 tAF-c roads
In the first place lie engineers in laying
uut The track for the construction Tu less 9th
er@se ordered had no business, 1a dead iahc
level OF fifty odd miles between here and &ichi-
gan Cay, with tie Whole country before them.
TO make Tire suCh dangerous crossings IN the
same Grade IN running parallel liaes-anI ii
they old 50 al the instance OF the cupiduy vi
Z fieir employers, in searching olt Mc rheapcsi
: night ~ ~dg-thc responsibility is shifted from
their shoulders, and thus far rests up1n these
v,ho accepted their surveys aud adopted the
lines, well knowing what tic consequences oil
rivalry would lead 80 as latuEal CONSEQUENCE,
almost as Inevitable ms fate
IF these seygIs and CROSSINGS ora ,srssat.I a.,