Spirit of the age., 1853-05-18
The Awful Calamity.
TO BE coNTfNUEb.


Of two baggage cars, and three first class pas
Isenger cars.-The baggage cars preceded the
passenger cars, and in the rearmost baggage
car was the smoking apartment The num-
Der Of passengers iu the train was about 2l6,
as near as can &c ascertained. The Courier
and Enquirer says:
The train proceeded as usual, until it reach
| ed Norwalk, As miles distant at half past
/ 10 clock. Half mile east of the Norwalk
station is a bridge across the creek, and over
the channel there is a draw in the bridge
sixty feet in width. The rules of the road
require that the speed of the traiu should be
checked at the Norwalk station, and be held
we'll in hand until the engineer obtains sight
of signal-a red ball upon pole some tht-
ty feet high, which IS visible nearly halfa
i, track f cTear.e Both these pfecausons weFd'
neglected upon this OCCASION; the speed was
not Stacked at the station, the signa for safe
f ty had been withdrawn[ull ten minutes be-
fore the train approached, butheedless OF the
warning. the engineer dashed on at rate
Of rearLy thirty miles an hour until he reaci-
/, ed the open draw, when such was the mo-
| mentum that the engine sprang across tho
chasm ofsxty feet, dashing against the abut-
r ment on the opposite side but little below
q the level of the line of the rails.
The fri rhtful scene that ensued may b5
9 conceived, but neither those who witnessed
:, the occurrence, nor those who escaped with
d their lives, can giveany adequate description.
! The cars were so broken that those who had
r. not sustained any injury from the collision.
le instantly stroye to escape through the WIN
to dows and broken roofs, and it is wonderful,
- that under the circumstances, SO many sue
10 ceeded in their efforts.
cv STATEMENT OF PASSENGER.
sh The conclusion il the last car was very
IT. violent and it was not until | leaped off 1t
ng that knew the extent of the awful catas-
IL trophe which bafled description. Without
&C. any delay, hurried to the edge ofthe bridge,
tas o and there to my horror, beheld scene that
nd | shall not forget until the day Idie.-Bdtli
his of the passenger cars were wholly submer-
ny oed in the water, the tide being full high at
ate the time, and the loss Of life was Of course
e very great There were, il fact, only about
ant e six or seven persons WHO escaped with their
ID lives; all the rest, amounting to nearly fifty
law persons, were drowned. These two cars were
,os- the only ones in which any lives were lost:
in The baggage car and smoking car eresmash-
the ed to pieces, and, curious to say; not sim
as gle life was lost:
cen On Saturday morning hundreds of mourri-
lto ~ ing friends reached Norwalk iE search of
nh. missing relatives and others. The bodies Of
nv many of the killed were, however, SO dis
Ign, a male and fenlaIe--iTIdnIuS o. rrI ca
now we're recovered but not all Identhed.
The scene at the railroad station house IN
i nan Norwalk. in the afternoon, was appalhng'--
6Sb- In one small apartment were twenty -elgnt
! to cornses rigid in death; and in another seven
e to teen-thickly covering the floor Among
ian then. numerous surviving friends were eager
des- u scrutinizing each eountenance, with MN
tena- gled hone and fear, searching for the lost
very Rs one after another was identified, the seem
oroo- was often painfully affecting. Infancy, yout
slant and old are were all represented among I'd
and dead. The body Of beautiful child, seen
tinted inc to be almost animated with life, eliclte
wered excamations from many. Almost all IN
bodies were greatly dis6gured with brulsf
tn as and cuts. and probably in a majority OF i
erbert t6ces sT INJURIES of this Kind were suncIe
III nite ~ causp Of death. A few evidently died
oh re- stranoulation by water. Before dark near
larged III the bodies were divested.of their clot
Of it, ;nc mt in neat coffIns Of black walnut a
ltlngly forwarded to their friends 49,.
appear Mr.. Thomas Hicks, the artist, was IN I
% once first car with Miss King Of n. !. city.
They occupied seat within touret the 7.
ond of the car, on the right hand side tacl
oe sum tho engine. Mr.. Hicks describes the SCI
nosHe; as follows: The cars were seemingly go
ot tho usnal rate when. without warning
charge animation Of any kind, he beheld the tr
our bro mart Of the car rushing toward him IN Il
and am ments, the passengers being tossed IN the
and also Ike cbaff dashed up against the top OF
oor and thrown about in hurricane Of
1e your etr,,ct;on. In an instant he found Miss
WIN A. rono from his side and himself crushed
Won nos- Dor The nartial7 fallen roof, and surrouT
still safe, hv = choking atmosphere, in the mlds
ant Shameless mass Of ruins, dead bodies on e
hand and the darkened car rapidly II
4EIGH. With water. He began feeling anon;
frail girl wreck and under the water for his con
IF fprovid- ion but she was nowhere TO be foun
Sc, se!nsn He continued the search TIL the Watel
~ 9nliu risen to his chin, time winch he Jndg
ateu "i"' hovo been Ten minutes, when despair
tbo otbor bor recovery. he looked about for mC
II not re- oscone. Just behind him, at the corr
9man who oe the car. he beheld an aperture III
which he crawled to the Top. Here
eproach.' norod searching, when he was ask
uNs' y =, 9ho ot.o whom he was looking
It until u sne H.. described the ladv's dress when
a uiheieA' ter,outor Informed him TO his Inexp
>, astonishmelt and qualification that $
c., in lust gone out upon the track lie asce
to bear me amer" al 70 '''ts o,ss;on and that til
for fame or 10 atoms ~ 'l'e t;toralIy On the side
ense gloom was sPnt that side of th
!, can se fall. II a'so appeared that during the
luc os toneous process of splitting open iht
IN the tI; tho car and the fall of the ceiling NJ
oTos, i-tl L without any knowledge or agency OF
ly Shake had Oeen P'gSr' ~, Snd here. witho
about you the top o. . u'e CO. 1t 9Th severe '
lily, then go having oeeh w. go J"i Lorsclf with ano
he fntnre nrecipitated upon it, which passed
.',o ,aans tunbied over into the river beside
% ~ of the first Her escape, and manne
myself dol pecialy was m,[aI'T The means Of
English rela- those III tue car % ~. % -. of ost