The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1853-05-02
THE LATEST NEWS
PARTICULARS OF THE COLLISION
ON THE CENTRAL AND MICHIGAN
RAILWAYS.
Tuesday Morning, ) o'clock.


o'clock last night, ON the Southern Michigan
Road. came in collision at the crossing, about
ete hi miles out, with emlgfani aud freight
train coming into Chicago on the Michigan
Central Railroad.
The locomotive Of the express train struck
the sixth car filled with passengers and 10
moment the locomotive, tender, baggage car,
and enc second class car of the express train,
,orether with three emigrant cars of the Mich.
en- Central train, were q heap OF ruins.
On the uortherIv side of the Central track,
one first class passenger car was thrown upon
~ si,le. and eroans aud cries assailed the ears
nj thase who FASTENED from the rest of the FIRST
class cats winch retained their position. Those
m the cars we're aided 10 escape from the con-
fnsI,n. and from the danger of suffocation, and
il was found that none were dangerously in.
iured, though several received severe bruises.
The scene which presented itself on the other
side Of the Central track cannot be fully de
scrIbed aud time will not efface the memory
of that terrible aud hear..rending spectacle
from the mind of the unwilling beholder.
We saw hean OF ruins, from beneath which
shrieked out upon the midnight air, cries Of
help. mingled in strange discord with the
deeper toned groans of the dy ing One by one
those who were able, crawled out from the rub
bish, while the uninj ured were fully EMPLOYED
10 rendering assistance TO those unable 10 ex-
tricate themselves.
Each moment the scene became, il possible,
more heart rending. Here sat poor woman
with a broken limb, and her little daughter sat
by her side, weeping and begging for assist.
auce. There lay young German. dead, his
sister by his side, wringing her hands, and cry.
ing "mein Bruder, mein Bruder!r Here a
child crying 20 my father" there woman
wsiling Tor the loss OF her infant. A woman
dead, her mangledI features but partially con-
cealed by cloak, and at her side only faith
full dog.
Three children, from three to ten wears of
age, were taken from the WATER and placed
side bv side. At the head of one sat the be-
reayed father. No one came to claim the 9TH
er two.
Az infant was picked out of the ruins un-
harmed, but no mother could be found for il.
Those most dangerously injured were con-
veyed into the unharmed cars, and rendered as
comfortable as possible. With some the
struggle between life and death seemed uncer-
ain.
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 IL to
II bodies lay beneath the ruins though it was
impossible 10 ascertain with any accuracv.-
-Four bodies had been taken out. From so to
% were seriously injured, and some OF these
cannot recover.
The emigrants on the Central Road suffered
the most.
The cause of this collision, rarely if ever
equaled in its fatal and terrible results, is be-
yond conjecture. The night was as bright as
q nearly full moon and the clearest atmosphere
could make il, The two roads cross each 9th.
er at nearly right angles, and run for long
distance on a straight line. 1t seems as if IL
was impossible for both engineers not to have
seen each others trains for the distance Of at
least halt a mile, if not mile, before reach
ng the crossing.
The physicians, with admirable sefposses-
sion, proceed I'd Immediately 10 do all in their
power for the grooming sufferers. In the
course of two hours they had administered
more or less Of relief TO all. AT half past two
the first class passengers from Chicago were
transferred TO the Central passenger car and
brought up to the city. Up TO that time no
locomotive had come from the city to bear
away the wounded and dying who had been
crushed in the cars of that road, and yet four
hours and a half had elapsed since the COLI.
sion! and those poor creatures in all the ago
MES Of broken limbs and smashed bodies could
notbe conveyed TO any house OF bed except on
that road.
1t must be borne in mind that each of the
tracks which concentrate at this crossing are
getting from one place to another, is at all
points difficult aud at some impossible.
The ruin of the cars was in itselfa terrible
sight Piled up in The water lay an immense
heap of wheels, iron ratings, splinters, doors,
&c. &c. On one side lay the crushed loco.
motive, still emitting steam as late as O'Clock.
Perched on the top of all, at the height of II
feet above tie waters edge, was the baggage
car ofthe express train, with one half perfectly
sound, not even the glass broken. The other
end had burst open and portion Of the trunks
had rolled down the heap into the water be-
low.
Beneath one edge of the car appeared the
bold head and one hand of an old man. The
leg of one and the body of another were also
visible beneath the car.
10 the east of the ruins burned bright fire
kIndled from the splinters, whose light flick
cred across the quiet forms of three children,
and shone brightly upon the passengers who
gathered around it. Another fire was also
burning west of the express train.
No one in the first class passenger car was
seriously injured. The engineer, fireman and
conductor escape as usual.