The Kalida venture. [volume] (Kalida, Ohio) 1841-1865, 1853-02-25
DEATH OF YOUNG PIERCE.

WIbuto We nave seen ~ th0 sac hCCtoen
by which the Presi6en, elect, and hi,
wife, were .. one blow deprived Of lhsi
only remaining son,
''The train coRsislOd only Of one sew
enty-iwo passenger car, q baggage car,
end The engine. II left this city at q
quarter past',l2 o'clock, for Concord,
N H., and resched Anduyer sooR after
one. The catastrophe happened about
TWO miles beyond tho depot, and vas
occasonod by the breaking Of the Aange
Of one Of the rear wheels and also the
axei,rae. The passenger car q, once
became deiAcbsd, and after proceeding
some ton rods, ran of the track, and then
went over the embankmeni. The pSe.
cipice was some twelve or fifteen feet in
depth and q, The bottom was . pile Of
s,oncs, The car turned completely over,
and the passengers, some sixty in number
were thrown into state Of the greatest
confusion.
Gen. Pierce occupied forward seat.
His wife sat beside him. and his son sat
in front, IN the side seat behind the door.
As the car approached The pfecipice, he
put his arm around his wife, aud bent
forward to cs,ch his son. At this mo.
men, the car wen. over, and glidsd down
tho bank on iis side. II 10 belisved that
rock penetrated the window behind
young Pierce aud eauseda terrible frac.
iure Of his skull, which produced almost
instantaneous death. Nothing could be
moro beart.rcnding than the spectacle
presented BY the manglad features Of,he
child" Ga .
A minister frop, N. Hampshire, who
was himself aboard tho train, commuui.
Gates to the public a narrative of the
occurrence, in the following touching
strain;
IL was looking out q the window,
when we felt severe shock, and the car
dragged for few seconds, the axle of
che fion, wheel being broken. Perfectly
conscious Of our situation, ! remember
what was ,he ma,isv. 10 ano.
ther cond,,he coupling which joined our
car with The other broke, and our car was
whirled violently arnund. so as to reverse
the ends, and were SWING down the
rocky ledge. For once had no hope
Of escaping death, l shall never forge,
the brea,hless horrer which came over
Us during our fall. There was not
shrek, nor an exclamation, ill The pro-
gress Of the car, after having turned owe
twice ON the rock, was arrested, and
with violen, conclusion, having parted
10 Me middle, and being broken into
many thousand fragments.
II received personally few bruises
md flesh cuts, Of no particular moment,
md found mys.lf amid moss Of broken
glass and spln'sred wood, and groaning
men and women, with NO limbs broken.
md with heart TO praise God for His
,paring mercies. ! had no need to get
,ul al any door or window, for the car
vas fragmentary ruin. The next mn-
neni, q man covered with blood himself.
noble fellow--said, tive are alive, lie,
Is help Others" passed from one
righiful part of tho scene 10 another,
md the whole is before mo now as fear.
III vision. Men came up on every side
tripping with blood, and few escaped
ome cuts and bruises. Before all were
escued, the top covered with oil.clo,h,
ook fire from the stove and added TO the
,eneral horror and suffering.
Two incidents. among the many Ter
ible ones, are especially present 10 my
memory. On the bank ga, mother.
Mrs. Stokes, Of this ci,y,) ciasping her
lille boy of some three or four years old !
/" had been rescued from the ruin which
ad sirewn the rock with splinlersd frag- '
rents, and her own person va, consid- h
rabiy buined by the fire, but she was '
bedding tears of gratitude over her b
.scued child, and rejoicing in his safety h
mindful Of her own pain. But a few r
aces from her saw tho most appalling
;ena OF all.
There waa another mother whose agony ;,
asues beyond all description. She :,
ruld shed no tears, but, overwhelmed ;,
ilh grief, uttered such aff citing words !,
, never can forget. ]. wss Mrs. Pierce, =
10 lady Of the Presiden, elect; and near &
Dr, in tina, ruin Of shivetsd wood and iron, :,
y a mora terrible ruin, her only son,
10 momen, before so beautiful, so full :,
life and hope. She was supported by Il
~ husband aud Ptof. Packard. 4
Gen. Pierce was himself voanded in =,
q back, bu, not severely, and the ;,
ounds Of the spiri, far exceeded any .
IDLY suffering; yet, while deeply atfec- q
a, hs showed all the self-possession > !
ID perve which enly eharae.orizes i
eat hearted aad noble men, and which 4
W would manifest under similar circum. 3
ances. H. gave oil needful directions
'au, the recovery Of his little boy, sill
in the wreck about him, and
en- affnded oil the comfor, and sympa- Z
ey to bis partner in sorrow, which was !
10 the time. She was coa- !
yed 10 house near, and there ahe .
We vent 10 The grief which rem, her I
art, while he consoled and comfor,ed.
Il Il =.