The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1853-1861, 1853-05-17
- }Saan tie Journal ef Commerce. ~
The Rail R Os,a Accident at Nor1vaIk.

- sf,ftft uesdvHJ1IG Of SO1HHteTCe
The Rail- R os,a at Nor,salk.
The Scene at tleara;l road station house in
Norwalk yesterday afternoon, was appalling -
In one small apartment were twenty eight ghast-
( ly corpses rigid insdeath; and in another seven
teen-thickly covering the floor. Among them
numerous surviving friends were eagerly scrutin-
izmg each countenance, with mingled hope and
fear, searching Tor the lost. As one after anoth
: er was identified, the scene was often painful
" affecting Infancy, youth and old age were
all represented among the dead. Tile body OF
a beautiful female child, seeming to be almost
animated with life, elected exclamations from
many AlmoSta all the bodies were greatly dis
fgured with bruises and cuts, and probably in
majority of instances, injuries of this kind
were sufficient cause of death. A few evident
ly died fstrangulation by water Before dark
nearly all the bodies were divested of their
s clothing, put in, neat cuffins of black walnut,
4 and forwarded to their friends Every arri-
8 wing train brought many in search of those
that were supposed to be lost, but it was sup
. posed last evening that all had been found,
and of these very few remain unrecognized
The cause of the accident is attributed sole.
. ~ TO the engineer, in failing to observe that
s the signal was given that the bridge was open
! until too late to save the train. A red ball is
sserected on a tall pole to draw When this is
displayed from the top of the pole, it signifies
that all is right; but if the engineer can't see
il from point about quarter of a mile dis
tapt, where there is a sign on which is written,
aLoot out for the Draw" with a hand pointing
sin thesdirectien Of the ball. heFmust stop. 1t
7 is shown in evidence before the Coroner that
the ball was down from ten to fifteen minutes
preceding the arrival train. The engineer IS
named Edward Tucker and has had long eE-
]. perience. Bewasinjured about eighteen months
| ago BY, a railroad collision, for which he was
no: blame-worthy, and was not enabled to re-
: sume his occupation till about month since.
The train consisted of five cars, and contain
ed lis passengers Itsis thought by the con-
ductor, that had not the rails been wet by the
falling rain, thereby preventing an efficient ac-
ton of. the breaks the diaster might have been
,ayerted: Upon nearing the bridge, ,the fireman
: and engineer leaped. from the engine-the lat.
Ter tWenty feet down an embarkment injuring
himself severely. A by-stander decribed the
scene when the locomotive plunged into the
ABYSS as terrific. For an instant, it was in
midi d:aiE-then with crash. it disappeared with
fhe lender, from sight. The Boston baggage
car piled on to this, in an upright position, the
! stsp nearly even with the track on the bridge.
The smoking and mail car, containing the post.
office agent, fell near. The first stpassengea car
sunk and filed with water In thissthe princi-
pal Eloss of life occurred. But few were in the
smoking car, and not one of them were killed.
The second passenger car turned over, but its
inmates escaped. Fhe thirdscar broke in the
centre,n hung by the connecting rods on the
edge Of che bridge tillthe rods were cut.
This is the present position of the wreck
Z The locomotive is probably not much broken
One car, and a half of second, were dashed
nearly toatoms. The conductor Mr.. Comstock
was in. the second car, and was at once INNER
sed in the water His foot, too, was SO caught
z-a.rv- III tue TuUDIsH rnat each sursI.-y 10 thA
waves went over his head Three times he
went under, and ives about to give himself up
as lost when his foot was extricated. win
! dow was at the same time broken over his head
BY some means, and he was enabled to crawl
ftlrough, though so chilled as to be almost un,
d able to move.
Mr.. Comstock is not so badly injured as was.
at first reported, but has only sustained dis
location of the wrist, besides few flesh wounds.