Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1853-11-18
Great Collislon-M.racuIous Escape.

About six o'clock, on Wednesday even-
ing, the express train from Buffalo came
in collision with tree blown across the
track, three quarters Of a mile east of
Springfield, station % miles west Of
Erie. The severe gale from the Lake had
torn up a hemlock two feet in diameter,
and cast it angularly over the track. The
tree struck the rails about 90 feet from its
roots. The evening was dark and stormy.
The accident occurred in the woods, which
rendered objects less distinct. The train
had been delayed serne hour and half at
Erie, waiting for the arrival Of the Buffalo
train. When the collision happened, it
was moving at the velocity of forty miles
per hour.
The crash va, awful. The tree two feet
In diameter, WAS broken in three places
and ehivered as if struck by thunderbolt.
The locomotive WAS smashed to pieces aud
destroyed. It turned over and over three
times. The boiler was broken, letting the
sseam and scalding water out, to add to
the alarm and danger The tender and
two baggage cars were hurled upon the
locomotive, and smashed into one common
wreck.
The first three passenger cars, filled
with penple, were dashed upon the ruins
Of the baggage cars and engine. They
were badly broken and turned bottom side
up. The last three car. of the train were
not thrown from the track, nor very badly
disabled.
The horror and confusion of the scene
were indiscribable. Tho train had over
400 passengers. The shock hurled them
from their seats, and piled them up among
seats in terrible confusion. The collision
occurred before the engineer had time to
whistle down breaks, let off steam, reverse
the motion, or even jump for his own life
He Was pitched out head foremost into
the ditch among the limbs. The fireman
followed suit, and the baggage masters
piled after them, all of whom received Sc
we're flesh bruises, but strange to say, es-
capped Instant death, and managed to crawl
from under the ruins of broken cars and
fragments of smashed baggage. But,
more miraculous still, none of the passen-
gers were killed, or even had broken
bones. Many received slight injuries, and
all were more or less shocked and scared.
The train made three or four rebounds
and advances, after striking the tree, be-
fore it came to Il halt, each of which ad-
dci confusion worse confounded' to the
general crash. and panic among the pas
eengers.
The screams, yclls, and shouts that fill
cd the night air, after the accident, were
horrible. The men behaved with less cool
ness and presence Of mind, in many cases,
than the women.
Immediately after the smash, the con-
ductcr and a brcaknan started for the
Springfield Station to stop the Express
train going east, which would he due in a
few minutes, and no stop at that point.
They barely succeeded in reaching the
station, aud, holding up red light before
the train came laundering along. Had it
not been stopped, in a minute more another
aud more terrible collision would have
happened. This train left its passengers
at Springfield, and took on those Of the
wrecked train aud proceeded back to this
city ycster' sy norning-Free City Dem.
Counterfeit twenty-five cent pieces, of
L.