Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1853-05-07
The dreadful Rail Road Calamity.

The following is the description given by
one of the editors of the Chicago Tribune.
who visited the scene of the Collision soon
after its occurrence.
On the northernly side ofthe Central track,
one first class passenger car was thrown up
on its side, and groans and cries assaied the
ears of those who fastened from the rest of
the first class cars which retained their posi-
ton. Those in this car were aided to escape
from the confusion, and from the danger of
suffocation, and it was found that none were
dangerously injured though several received
severe bruises.
The scene which presented itself upon the
other side of the Central track cannot be full
ly described, and time will not etface the
memory Of that terrible and heart rending
spectacle, from the mind of the unwilling be.
holder.
We saw a heap of ruins, from beneath
which shrieked out upon the midnight air,
cries for help mingled in strong discord with
the deeper toned groans of the dying. One
by one, those who we're able, crawled out
from the rubbish, while the uninjured were
fully employed in rendering assistance to
those unable to extricate themselves.
Each moment the scene became, if pos
sible, more heart rendng. Here sat a poor
woman with broken limb, and her little
daughter stood by her side, weeping and
begging for assistance There lay young
German, dead, his sister by his side, wiring
ing her hands, and crying "mein Bruder,
mein Bruder p Here child crying 30 my
father" There woman waiIing for the
loss of her infant A woman dead, her man.
gled features but partly concealed by cloak,
and at her side only faithful 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 near to claim
the other two.
An infant was picked out the ruins unhar-
med, but no mother could be found for it.
Those most dangerously injured were con-
veyed into the unharmed cars, and rendered
as comfortable as possible. With some She
struggle between life and death seemed un-
certain.
In this place was exhibited the kindness of
woman's nature, and the sympathy of many a
true heart found expression in timely action.
1t was the general opinion that from II to
15 bodies lay beneath the ruins, though it
was impossible to ascertain with any accura-
cy -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
4 K x
| The ruin of the cars was in itself terrible
sight. Piled up in the water lay an immense
heap of wheels, iron railings, splinters, doors,
&c. On one side lay the crushed locomotive,
still emitting steam as late as Q o'clock. Per
ched on the top of all at the height of twelve
feet above the waters edge, was the baggage
car sound, not even the end glass broken
The other end had burst open and a 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
leg of one and the body of another were also
visible beneath the car.
To the east Of the ruins burned bright
fire kinded from the splinters whose light
! hickered across the quiet form of three chill
dren, and shone brightly upon the passengers
who gatheled around it. Another fire was al
50 burning west of the express train.
i = Il II x l.
Tha engineer on the Southern road was sa-
we'd by jumping from the locomotive into the
water, before the collision took place. The
locomotive is perfect wreck among the mass
of other ruins, and had he not jumped, would
of course have been smashed in the wreck.