The Belmont chronicle, and farmers, mechanics and manufacturers advocate. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1848-1855, 1853-05-20

Cashier Of the Fairfield County Bank, Con- Q
necticut. q
All the watches, jewelry, and other valu- I
ables taken from the bodies Of the deceased
are In possession Of Justice WEED, acting Q
coroner. II
SCENE AT TIE STATION HOUSE. |,
The scene at the railroad station house in
Norwalk on Friday afternoon was appalling.
In one small apartment were foenty-eight
ghastly corpses, rigid in death; and in anoth-
them numerous surviving friends were eager
ly scrutinizing each countenance, with mingl-
ed hope and fear, searching for the lost. As
one after another was identified, the scene
was often painfully affecting. Infancy, youth.
and old age were.sM represented among the
dead. The body Of beautiful female child,
seeming to be almost animated with life,
elected exclamations from many. Almost
all the bodies were greatly disfgured with
bruises and cuts, and probably in majority
of instances injuries of this kind were suf-
fcient cause of death. A few evidently died
of strangulat:on by water. Before dark nearly
all the bodies were dvested of their clothing,
put in neat coffins of black walnut, and for
warded to their friends. Every arriving train
brought many in search Of those that were
supposed to be lost.
The following letter from an eyewitness
, gives minute account of this sad catastrophe,
and corrects some errors which have appeared
, in other reports. The editor OF the N. York
Times, to whom it is addressed, says that the
, writer can be implicitly relied upon:
3 t NoRwALK, SATURDAY, May 7.
3 have no hesitation in saying that if ordi-
nary caution had been used in approaching
o the bridge this frightful tragedy would never
y have occurred Immediately before reaching
d the bridge the track forms q curve, so that
It the bridge itself is not within sight till you
@ are almost upon it. This certainly is highly
o faulty arrangement, but as it exists, and can.
Is not now well be remedied, surely the express
II trains, which do not stop at South Norwalk
IS the spot where the accident occurred, (ant
not Norwalk, which is nearly two miles from
" the depot,) should be compelled to slacke'
le speed on approaching the curre. or course
te with the other trains which do stop at tn
lie depot no such rule is necessary, as, the bridg
he being close at hand, they will not have re
ne sumed any great rate Of speed before reach
n; ing it.
il now wish to say that was present at tn
ed time of the cutastr ophe. was not on boar
wv the curs, and l was very near the draw bridge
ut The draw was raised when approached tn
en- bridge, and the steamer Pacific had just pal
ID. sed through 1t was then first heard tn
i'd. noise of the approaching tran. l thought
ars myself, "Good God! that is the express train.
in. | ran towards the bridge, feeling that n
l& earthly power could prevent an accident.
ser looked up at the signal pole, and the ball ,c'
he do,on. The train dashed past me like light
led ing. am tolerable Judge Of railroad spec
and should say the train was going at ov
ear thirty.fve miles an hour. 1t might have bee
lex more--t certainly was not less. The repo
60. in some of Saturdays papers that it vi
md going at the rate Of fifty miles an hour is i
Ten correct. The road, in most parts, is +
ex- heavily graded for such a rate of speed to
ing attained. What felt at that moment ca
ers not describe; cannot even realize my ov
oor feelings, or recall the horror that seized me
the train fed Bly,
Iwns only one hundred yards from {
.ho bridge, and in moment the locomotive h
,on @ almost leaped the gulf--that fact alone
I'd convincing that the rate of speed was not
ho. ordinary one, as the draw is sixty feet vic
.on The engine and tender seemed to disappe
no together, and, rapid almost as thought first t
-, baggage car, then the smoking car, then t
,t" ,t,r first passenger car, then the second, we
md over the wall of the draw, plunge of abe
49, twenty feet, into the water, which was
high tide. | heard the crash of breaki
timbers, and one scream uttered simultaneol
ly by many voices. Then, for a second
two, oil was still as death; then heard t
INK gurging of the waters, as they rushed in
ing the cars, forming eddies or little whirlpool
vas on the surface. In another moment shrie
from those in the rear cars, and in the hi
Of part of the third passenger car, filled the a
irt. and in the next instant there was but o
J. scene of indescribable confusion.
Of should have stated, what indeed is area
hat we'll known to the public, that the third pa
rc- senger car was nearly pulled into the wate
the There was, however, the restraining force
son the rear cars, while the weight of those wh
had gone over operated in front to drag
,ad over the wall. The consequence was, that
of snapped like match; the flooring, the side
Dus and the foremost end flying forward, with
Ugh jerk, half across the draw. Many of 4
der seats and the disodged window sashes, wi
Irs. a crowd Of timber fragments, were impelle
ful. some of them, fully across the gulf, and tv
of the passengers, who were seated just
ost the spot where the car snapped asunder, we
RS. thrown full twenty feet forward, and pitch
ing with frightful force upon the ruins of I
ans second and first cars.
en- The first passenger car was wholly su
merged. Only portion Of one end of Il
of second was visible, and the water soon cove
lay ed that; suppose by the sinking of Il
ur. FIRST car, upon which il had fallen, deeper in
me the mud. The baggage car was submerge
"a uIso ,yara tho lncnu ntiva and fandor TNl