Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1853-05-04
Gbe Dailp birsiuiau.
OF THE COLLISION
ON THE CENTRAL AND MICHIGAN
RAILWAYS.
TUESDAY MORNING. 5 O'Clock

The express train which left this city at nine
r o'clock last night, on the Southern Michigan
Road came in collision at the crossing, about
eight miles out, with an emigrant and freight
train coming into Chicago on the Michigan Cen
tral RAILROAD.
The locomotive OF the express train struck
the sixth car filled with passengers and IN
moment the locomotive, tender, baggage car,
and one second class car Of the express train,
together with three emigrant cars of the Michi.
gan Central train. were heap of rulns.
On the northerly side of the Central trac'',
one first class passenger car was thrown upon
its side. and groans ard cries assailed the ears
of those who fastened from the rest OF the first
class cars which retained their position. Those
in the cars We're aided to escape from the con-
fusion, and from the danger of suffocation, and
it was found that none were dangerously inJur-
ed, though several received severe bruises
The scene which presented itself on the other
side Oft the Central track cannot not be fully de
scibed, and time will not efface the memory oil
that terrible and heart-rending spectacle from
the mind of the unwilling beholder
We saw a heap ofruins, from beneath which
shrieked out upon the midnight air cries oil
help, mingled in strange dlscords with the
dee per toned groans of the dying. One by
one those who were able. crawled out from
the rubbish. while the unnured were fuly EN-
ployed in rendering assistance TO those unable
10 extricate themselves.
Each moment tie scene became IT possible
more heart rending. Here sat poor wo
man with broken limb, and her little daughter
sat by her side weeping and begging Tor assis
tance. There lay young German, dead, his
sister by his side, wringlng her hands, and cry
ing "mein Bruder mein Brudcr!' Here a
child crying 20 my father" there woman
waling for the loss OF her infant. woman
dead, her mangled features but partially con
cealed by cloak, and at her side only faith
full dog.
Three children, from three TO ten years Of
age. were taken from the water: and placed
side by side. AT the head of one sat the be-
reaved father No one came TO claim the other
two.
An in ant was picked out Of the ruins un
harmed, but no mother could be found for IT,
Those most dangerously injured were con-
veyed into the unharmed cars,and rendered az
comfortable as possible. With some the
strug. e between life and death seemed uncer
tain.
In this place was exhibited the kindness OF
woman's nature, and the sympathy of many
true heart found expression in timely action
1t was the general opinion that from l2 TO ID
bodies lay beneath the ruins, though 1t was
impossible to ascertain with any accuracy
Four bodies had been taken out. From SO to
60 were seriously injured, and some OF these
cannot recover.
The emigrants on the Central Road suffered
the most.
The cause of this collision, rarely if ever e
qusled in It's fatal and terrible resullss beyond
conjecture. The night was bright as a near
ly full moon and the clearest atmosphere could
make it. The two roads cross each other at
nearly right angles,and run for a long distance
on straight line. 1t seems as if it was impos-
sible for both engineers not to have seen each
others trains for the distance of at least halt
mile, if not a mile, before reaching the cross
ing.
The physicians, with admirable selfposses
sion, proceeded Immediately to do all in their
power for the groaning sufferers. In the
course ottwo hours they had administered
more or less of relief to all. At hafpast two
the first class passengers from Chicago were
transferred to the Central passenger car and
brought up to the city. Up TO that time no loco
motive had come from the city to bear away
the wounded and dying who had been crushed
in the cars of that road, and yet four hours and
a Aalfhad elapsed since the collision! and those
poor creatures in all the agonies ofbroken limbs
and smashed bodies could not be conveyed TO
any house or bed except Oh that road.
1t must be borne in mind that each OF the
tracks which concentrate at this crossing are
fanked with water on both sides, so that the
getting from one place to another IS at all points
difficult and at some impossible.
/ The ruin of the cars was in itself a terrible
Isight. Piled up in the water lay an immense
heap OF wheels, iron ratings, splinters. doors,
&c. &. On one side lay the crushed locomotive,
still emitting steam as late as 2 O'Clock Perch
ed on the top Of all, at the height Of l2 feet a
bove the waters edge, was the baggage car OF
the express train, with one half perfectly sound,
: not even the glass broken. The other end
had burst open and portion of the trunks had
rolled down the heap into the water below.
Beneath one edge of the car appeared the
bald head and one hand Of an old man. The
Al.x..a n lar