Monongalia mirror. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1855, 1853-05-14

all the hodics were greatly disfgured
with bruises aud cuts, aud probably
in a majority of instances, injuries OF
this kind were sufficient cause al
death. A few evidently died of S'ra'''
gula,ion by water. Bc!'rc dark, near,
IS all the bodies were Invested "i
their cl"thiug. put in neat c"'iI"s "'
llack walnut, aud forwarded t" Their
friends. Every arriving TAIN brought
many in search of those that were
supposed to bc lost, hut il was sup
pnsrJ last evening that al had bee"
found, aud Of these very few rrmalIi'
cd to he recognized.
The cause Of the accident is ai'rlh-
ted solcly to the rnyinccl, in failing
to observe that the signal was give"
that the bridge was open, unllI loo
late to save the train. y led ball is
erected on n tall pole On The draw.
When this is displayed from HE top
of tho pole, i, signifies that all is
right; bat If the engineer cant see ii
from a poin, about quarter OF mile
distant, where there's Il sign on which
is written "Look out Tor tho Draw"
with hand pointing in the direc'io"
Of that ball, he must stop. 1t is shown
in evidence before the Coroner that
tho ball was down from ten to fifteen
minutes preceding the arrival ct the
train. The engineer is named Edward
Tucker. and has had long experience
Ilo was injured about is months ago
by railroad collision, for which he
wa. not blamcworlhy and was Hnnblcd
10 resume his occupation only about
Il month since.
The train consisted Of five cars and
contained ll9 passengers. II Is
thought 10y tho conductor that had the
rails not been wet by the falling "t
rain, thereby prcrca,ipg an eifeieu'
action upon tho breaks, the disaster
might have been avered. Upon
nearing tho bridge, the fireman aud
engineer leapcd from the cnginc-ihc
latter twenty feet down un cmIauk'
ment, in.juring himself severely. a
hystander describes the scenc when
the locomotive plunged into the abyss
as terrific. For an instant it was in
mid.air. Then, with crash, i, disap.
pcarcd, with the tender, from sight.
The Boston baggage car piled IN to
this, in an upright position. the tap
nearly even with the track Of thu
bridge. The smoking and mail car,
containing the post office, fell near.
The first passenger car sunk and fill.
ed with water. In this tho principal
loss Of lifo occurred. But few were
in the smoking car, aud not ono of
them were killed. The second pas
scnger car ,urucl over, but most of
its inmates escaped. The third car
broke in the centre. but hung by the
connecting rods on tho edge Of the
bridge till the rods were cut.
This is the present position Of the
wreck. The locomotive is probably
not much broken. One cur, aud a
half Of second, were dashed nearly
to atoms. The conductor. Mr.. Com
stock, was in tho second passenger
car, and was at once immersed i'll the
water. His foot, too, was so caugl,
fae.-;n -.',~ -..bhisir-eii euei'-s"rSfHs
of the waves went over his head.
Three times lic went under, and was
about to give himself up as lost, when
the foot was cxtricuted. a window
was at tho same time broken over his
head, by some means, and he was c'l'
abled 10 crawl 'hrough,-thoash so
chilled as to he almost unable to move.
Mr.. Comstock is hot so badly inju-
rcd as was at first reported, but has
only sustained a dislocalion Of the
wrist, besides u few flesh wounds.
The water .vcr which the lriyc is
constructed, forms part of Norwalk
harbor aud from 10 to Is feet deer
when the accident occurred. which
Vas about five minutes before IL
o'clock, at yearly high water. Nh
mcrous boats Immediately SURROUNDED
the wreck and the survivors were Ia
ken ashore and removed to adjaccn
houses, where they were visited b.
the Vice President and Supcrintcnd
cnt OF the road, and all possible nit
rendered. Scarcely one was able, VII
aided, to reach the share. Those wht
were not muimcd, were so chilled Il:
to have lost the power Of sclfcontrol
! Portions Of the wreck were draw
gu, by means Of ropes.