Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-08-13
TIE RAILROAD cArAsrRorHE OF TUESDAY.

The New York papers filed with the particulars Of
the frighful collision on the Camden and Amboy Rail
road which took place on Tuesday.
The collision appears TO have been the result Of reck-
essness The passengers who left New York for Amboy
at three o'clock were little behind time and 10 ga in
some twenty minutes the engineer crowded the loco no
tive to its utmost capacity On reaching 0ldbr dge
seven miles from Amboy the conductor esped the train
from Camden with FIVE cars, full Of passengers coming
towards him and before the Amboy train coulG check
its speed they in full collision crushing an break
ing the engines, and making perfect wrec'k Of two
cars on each train, killing four and manning large num-
Der of passengers.
The locomotive Of the New York train VIZ badly bro
ken One Of the OF this train into another like
sliding telescope. All the dead in this crushed
car The passengers in the which he'd thus slid into
the other could be taken out but by removing the
side Of the car The Of the Canen train had their
floors out and the seats entirely rackcd pieces by
the hnd wheels and trucks becoming loose and flying
against the floors.
The following is a Est Of the killed ard wounded:
John H. Rowland and family II Norfolk, Va, slightly hur.
face JOS Davis Of Morrsown, New Jersey seriously in
jured P. c. Martin, wife, and harthe latter it is be-
lieved fatays Rev. james purvanoo, wife and child of
Mississippi nared the latter had his thigh broken
Derby woman apparently Irsh instantly killed; Albert Ell
Paadephs seriously haT. in The eg German
Of Philadelphia, seriously bruised James Mccormick, wife
and daughter, of Harrisburg slightly injured Misses Bert
FORTH Of Louisville slightly hurt; D. II. Dustin, Of New
York. had his child (hree years old and nurse killed. his
wife badly injured and two other children seriously hurt
Mr. CHARLES c. FULTON, one Of the Editors Of the Bal
timopc American, who was passenger in the Camden
| train, furnishes the following account:
I New York, AUGUST TO- 1858.
1t is scarcely possible for eyewitness of the
collision the Camden and Amboy Railroad on Tuesday
| nr;ya hipU aHp afs
description Of its sudden and appalling horrors sud-
den as to resemble the devastating effects OF stroke
lightning rather than the result of any act of human
4 agency.
The writer Of this account in the Philadelphia
train which left Camden some minutes after time and
with great speed and regularity and apparently
der excellent management until reached the station
few miles from Odbrdge Here the train stopped the
time required by the schedule for the passage of the
} train due from Amboy. That train not arriving,
finally moved slowly and cautiously, repeatedly whist
ling until within few hundred yards of Oldbridge where
there sharp curve the road On reaching the point
the whistle Of the approaching train from Amboy
heard when the engine reversed and the train from
Camden brought almost to q stand. number Of the
passengers whose attention had been attracted by the
signals observed the Amboy train approaching at the
Of twenty miles hour and the brakemen and
gineers ampng from both trains Those of the passen
gers who the doors also jumped and the pas
sensers generally braced themselves up the col
! lision in the best possible manner.
The train from Camden consisted Of FIVE passenger
carF in front of which heavily loaded with
baggage, which, together with the former the speed Of
the train had been checked doubtless prevented more
serious result was in the first Of the Camden train
and Immediately jumped from my towards the centre
Of the car holding the Of the seat to steady
myself and watch the result expecting the first effect of
the collision the front part of the had scarcely
three feet along the between the seats
until heard the crash Of the part the car stimuli
taneously with which the flooring of the commenced
to fly from under my feet and the of the seats on
which my hands resting began fall to pieces and
in cne-hird of the time that am describing the whole
car, Of the most beautiful travelled in one
mass Of ruins with portion of the fragments Of which
fell on to the track before the train had ceased its motion
Ny first feeling after the ruins ceased to
that ofastonishmen and thankfuness at my miraculous
escape, with only few trfng bruises, which in the
element Of assisting exrcae my from
the wreck did not feel know that had sustained for
some hours after The only person involved in the wreck
in this car was Mr.. H. c. Carey of Philadelphia and
lady who succeeded in rescuing from pelilous posi-
ton, almost damned to the roof the front part the
car, but with slight contusions.
The Of the damage to the two first Of the
train from Camden was the breaking away of the hind
hndpart of the car stripping il the front trucks
and then driving the floor up towards the ceiling Of
the
All of those severely injured in this train we're in the
second passenger among whom the Rev. James
Runame and family, Of Mississippi, and p. c. Martin and
family of Baltimore They were all, however rescued
and carried to shady grove the side Of the road
men promptly in attendance
On going forward to the Amboy train most appalling
spectacle presented the two first passenger be-
ing driven together the Of the first passing in
and through the second up within six feet Of the back
door, which occupied ladies' saloon On the first
scat beyond the ladies' saloon Of the second
seated Mr. Dustns servant and child, and an Irish wo-
man. all three Of whom were crushed down the seat,
the mbers of the first having apparently struck
them al on the head causing instant death They
ed to have crouched down to avoid the approaching
bers but were unable to get below their reach On the
seat directly in front Of them the unknown man who
was killed. and Mr. Dustin and the rest of his family
were in close proximity How they escaped the fate Of
their youngest child and nurse seemed nexplicabe Mr.
Dustin, however exhibited the remarkable presence
Of mind and forethought and few minutes succeeded
IN rescung his wife and two youngest children all escap
ing with few cuts and bruises After conveying them
to place OF safety the sad intelligence of the fate of
their youngest child brought to them When taken
from the wreck its forehead black with confused
blood, its death having been instantaneous 1t was
beautiful hearty child, about years Of age and the
grief OF the parents was deeply shared by oil present.
The rear portion Of the first having shot over the
floor of the second the passengers in the first CIR were
nxed 10 their seats IN Of the of two
and oil were more or lees bruised 1t required abe hir
~ minutes OF very aborious work. including the cutting
away with axes of portion Of the car to rescue them in
which the passengers worked with unremtting exertons
regret that did not secure the of two noble fe
lows who used almost superhuman efforts at the same
time quietng the anxiety Of friends outside and soothing
the excitement Of the sufferers until they could be
rescued
The residents Of 0ldbridge threw open their houses
and rushed to the assistance of the injured leaving no.
thing undone that could alleviate their suernrs mes
enger having been sent to Amboy, train soon arrived
with number of physicians and supply Of laborers 10
assist in clearing the road and starting the relief train