The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1853-05-17


York and New Haven r. r. itl .a h.
: The train on the New Haven Railroad which
left this city at s O'clock yesterday morning,
RAJ into the river off the drawbTidge at Norwalk
abolt 10 o'clock, submerging in fifteen feet
depth of water the locomotive. two of the pas
scnyer cars and portion Of the third The
draw was open TO admit tho passage OF the
steamer Pacific. which had just gonc through.
The speed Of the troin at the time Of the catas-
trophe, was about fifty miles an hour ihc
width of the draw bridge is sixty feet and SO
great was the rate of the speed and the ,o'co
that impeled the train. that the engine nearly
leaped the draw, striking with tremendous vio-
-lence against the wall on the opposite side.
/ AT IOA O'Clock last night, 4S bodies had been Z
recovered, and many moro must be beneath
the waters. The train consisted OF three pas
senccr cars, smoking car and baggage carr
The smoking car is still submerged. large
portion Of the passengers were physicians, re-
turning from the Medical Convention just held
in this City Nearly all the passengers IN the
submerged cars were drowned, and none es-
scaped without severe and probably fatal inju-
RES Three or four persons while in the cars
under the water, forced their way ont by brea-
king through the cars, rose to the surface and
swan to land eeiU N1l eno8 ngel rfr-g e
The entire blame of the catastrophe is due
to tho Engineer, as the signal for the draw was
promptly given by the bridgetender. The
Engineer is severely injured, and will probably
die. He is held in custody to take his trial. in
the event of his recovery. The froman has
also been arrested. ut .u
The following is the account of the calan-
ty, as sent TO us in dispatches by our regular
correspondent: 81 r. sf
Twelve women, and two or more children
are reported among the lost. 1Ds fegL
DR.. Ives and l.. d. Wilcoxen went down un-
der water in the baggage car, but broke out and
escaped. t 0th 70 N agr sf
All the employees of tho Company escaped
with bruises.
Every person ON the first two cars and fore
part of the third, was either killed. or serious.
ly injured. sa..
Thus far, forty eight dead bodies have been
recovered, and twenty wounded; two OF the
latter have since died, and threo others are in
very dangerous condi;ion-among them,
daughter of Rev. DR.. Grswod
There are probably still ten or more dead
bodies in the wreck.
The Conductor Mr.. Comstock, was in the
second car, but escaped with many though not
very dangerous wounds.
| The Express Agent, was sitting on trunk
in the baggage car and escaped by forcing his
way through tho roof, but is badly wounded.
The newsboy in the smoking car escaped un-
hurt. An infant, in the care Of an aunt. ana
OH its way to its parents in springfield, was sa-
we'd. but the aunt was killed.
| The bodies much disfgured and recog-
milton in many cases, difficult.
| The scenc is rwfu and heart rending to wit
| ness.
Tho wounded have had ample medical at
| tendance. and all possible assistance has been
rendered by the ladies Of Norwalk and the
citizens generally.
The mails and most of the baggage are saw
cd but in damaged state.
Immediately tho rumor Of the catastrophe
reached this cta, we dispatched report TO the
spot. At a very late hour wo received his ac-
count of the tragedy, Obtained from tho survi-
vors, the proceedings on the hasty inquest hold
Yesterday, and the lists Of the dead, injured
and saved
| The engineer and fireman leaped from the
locomotive the instant it reached the edge Of
tho bridge were precipitated into the wster.--
Tho latter escaped with slight injury.
| The news of this catastrophe was dispatch
ed to all parts of the country, with lightning
speed, and every train that arrived from the
east and west was crowded with persons in Sc
arch of friends. The scenes which ensued
werc of the most heart rending description
| Numbers could be observed bending over the
dead. weeping in frantic grief; others werO
hunting from house 10 house in search of q
wounded mother, father. brother sisrer, hush
and or wife: and up to the arrival Of the latest
train from Norwslk, last night, it was estima-
ted that over 1000 persons had arrived there
for this one sad purpose.
| But few Of the bodies taken out dead wero
bruised or disfgured They presented eha-
s,lv appearance, and in some instances. their
clothes were literally torn to pieces. The re-
mains wero deposited in the railroad station
| house as fast as they were taken fIom the wa
| ter. Most of them had been placed in cofiins
| when our reporter left. They will all be kept
there until to-day Several men were placed
on guard to watch them during the night
The property found on their persons was taken
in charge by Mr.. Warner. the Bank Cashier,
to await Identification by the relatives.
The search for others supposed to bc dead
under the water, was continued with vigor un-
| til dark. During the day the ruins Of the three
passenger cars werc removed, and thrown up
! on the beach. The locomotive tender, smo-
| king car. are yet under the water and arc pro-
baby driven into tho mud some distance, as
they could not be seen, even when the tide
had ebbed. Tho search will be resumed atnn
early hour this morning. and it is hoped the
residue of the cars will be extricated. and .
| thorough effort made to ascertain whether any
| more human beings have been sacrificed
| The trains to and from Boston were all de-
tanned. in consequence of the catastrophe, and
the mail train, due in this city at one o'clock
p. NJ did not arrive until near evening.
In the afternoon message was dispatched
to the interior Of the country to procure Cor
oner: bu, he was unsuccessful and Justice John
A. Weed was called upon to officiate in that
capacity
The preliminary proceedings were held at
the Railroad depot, and the annexed brief tes-
timony was taken. lga
O.. s. Fcry--Rcsiding at Norwalk, deposcd
II was standing within twenty rods Of the
,lrawbridge. when the train came along; had
full view of both tho train and bridge; the