Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1853-05-11
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From the New York Express
Additional Facts and Hnctdesass Of
alae Calamity at NOrwaak

Norwalk, yesterday afternoon, was appal lg
In one small apartment were t,Uenty eight
ghastly corpses, rigid in death; and in another
sepeateea. ea.--thickly covered the floor. Among
them. numerous surviving friends were eager
ly scrutnizing each countenance with mingled
hope and fear, searching for the lost. As one
after anasher was identified. the scene was of
ten painfully affecting. Infancy, youth and
old age were all represented among the dead
The body OF beautiful female child, seeming
to be animated with life. elected EXPLANATIONS
from many. Almost althe bodies were great
| Iy dsfgured with bruises and cuts, anj pro
badly in a majority of instances, injuries ofthis
kind were sufficient cause of death. A lew
evidently died of strangulaion by water. Be.
fore dark nearly all the bodies were divesred
oftheir clothing. put in neat collins OF black.
walnut. and forwarded to their friends.
How SOME ESCAPED.
The cars were so broken that those who had
not sustained any injury from the collision in
siantly strove to escape through the windows
aud broken roofs, and it is wonderful, that un-
der the circumstances so many succeeded In
their efforts It is supposed that all in the
last car escaped-those who were dragged for
ward on the broken floor being thrown on top
of the wreck. escaped with few bruises
Those who were in the two cars preceding
the last, ere all immersed in the water, but
as far as Can be ascer aimed. most OF them were
rescued. The moment the accident occurred
there were strong and willing hands which
manned small boats, fortunately lying near.
and by their efforts, the rescue of the saved
was affected Many Of those in these cars sus
tanned contusons of greater or less severity.
ENGINEER RENARD'S STATEMENT.
Capt. Renald, ofthe steamboat Pacific, to
pass which the fatal draw bridge was raised.
says:-We had got about thirty or forty wards
from the draw when we heard the CARS com
ing at full speed The draw was wide open
and the ball vas down. This ball is used for
signal When it is up signifies that all is
right. The locomotive was under such head
way when it ran off that before it reached the
water IL struck the abutment on the opposite side
a distance ofaJout Sirty feet. The tender,
baggage car. and two mail cars came next
Two passenger cars went into the opening on
the top of what had preceded them; the third
broke in the middle, and half of ii went down.
In this third car two were killed outright, and
many more were hurt One beautiful young
girl. about sixteen years old. had the back OF
her head knocked in. There was one child
about four months old. and many other chill
drenk killed The engineer and fireman OF the
train, when they saw the ball down. jumped
off before the cars reached the bridge.
REMARKABLE ESCAPE.
Jonathan Trotter, Esq, President of the
Board OF Assistant Aldermen. in company with
G. F. Spear and James Bishop, cf N. Jersey.
and Dr.. Person of Salem Mass, together with
several other gentlemen, left the Union Place
Hotel. after break fasting together, and were
all in the first passenger car that went down
Mr.. Smear, Mr.. Trotter,and Mr.. Bishop escap
ed by crawling through one of the windows.
" hile the car was full water, and have re-
turned tothe Union Place Hotel badly injured /.
Dr. Person of Salem, was killed. George
w. Pomeroy. Esq, ofths city,placed his wife
and little boy in charge of Mr.. Spear,at Twen-
ty seventh street. just as the cars started-Mr.
Spear succeeded by almost superhuman eXer-
tons, in saving the boy but Mrs Pomeroy was
killed. Mr.. Spear returned several times un.
der the water TO the cars but was unable to
save her; he however succeeded in saving two
other boys.
| EXTRACTS OF LETTERS FROM PASSENGERS.
The dead lay in ranks, their
faces cleaning horribly, as lamps. were Car
ried along to enable the newly arrived s;ran-
gers TO discover whether their wives and chill
dren, or parents. or brothers, or sisters, were
among them. have very frequently seen
dead men and women, but never before 80
frightful an exhibition. The males were IN
one large and rude apartment and the females
in another; and both were dark, except as
lighted 6lfully and imperfecly by candles and
lamps, Of which the rays could scarcely Pene
trate more than an arms length from the hold
er. Every house in the vilageis hospital.
Every family is devoted to the care OF the SUI
fering and the dying.
Il learn that there was no crying-no aPpa'
rent cxcitement-at the time ofthe catastrophe.
Every one seemed frigh,fuy calm; and the
utmost presence ofnind and energy were ex,
hibhed by the citizens of the village and ,as others
in rescuing the unfortunate living and dead
SCENE IN THE BAGGAGE ROOM.
The scene at the car-house and baggage
room was most solemn and impressive, Ne
yer shall we forget it. Forty.slx, bodies o'
men and women, and two little children were
living around The agonzed features some some
QGeD