The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1854-11-01
AWFUL CATASTROPHE.

We give below the particulars OF terrible disa.
tsr on the Great Western R1ilroad, Of which y,
have heretofore had telegrsphic accounts. The
latest intelligence from the scene attributes Ii.
cause of this fatal and destructive accident to ID.
negligence offs watchman, who fell ssleep willis
on duty. THOMAS F. MEAcHEn, the Irish patriot
was passenger on the express train at the time
aud very narrowly escaped death, though he only
sustained slight injury. The wife and child Of
the Rev E. CASE, Jr., recently pastor of the Uni
versaiist Church, in Richmond, were also ON board
and we are happy to state that they escaped uniu.
jured. They were. on their WY to join Mr.. C. in
Wisconsin.
There are perhaps exsggerations In the annexed
account from the fact that was prepared 20 soon
after the accident But i, 10 probable in the main
correct.
From the Detroit Tribune. Oct. 27l
Through the kindness ofW. O. Ruggles, we are
ing and terrible railroad disaster that ever oc.
CURED In America He says few minutes after
2 p. yesterday we left Niagara Falls with the
first class and two second class passenger cars one
express and one baggage car. After leaving Hamil
ton we were detained about midnight between
Hamilton and London by freight engine being on
the track Alter delay of an hour we started and
reached London about six hours behind time
About three miles west of London the cylinder
head OF our engine burst, which DELAYED us two
hours. We backed down to Loudon took new
engine and started again for Windsor About one
O'Clock aud about thirteen miles west of Chatham
on The Baptist Creek Flats, going about twenty
miles an hour. we came in collision with a gravel
train of fifteen cars backing east The collision
was rightful In the extreme
Our locomotive was completely thrown over to
The right, the express car thrown over and crush
ing the first and second class cars into mere snIin
n q v md
the third car and driving In the end OF the fourth
The passengers in the last cars escaped unhurt or
with slight bruises. Almost the entire load of the
second class cars were killed or wounded, some
cut completely In two, others with manaled heads
and bodies and without limbs The screams and
groans OF the mangled were awful in the extreme
Every effort was made by the conductor and
passengers to relieve the suffering; but notwith
standing the almost superhuman efforts to relieve
them, all were not extricated until more than
four hours after the collision. Among those whose
exertlons were conspicuous in saving the victims
are Thomas F. Meagher and Junk, the baggage
man, Mr. y A. Brownson, and others of the pas
sengers. Heaps of the dead and wounded were
found In the ruins, piled together in all mansled
shapes.
One poor fellow was cut out of the express car,
bis limbs hanging out of the side fifteen feet from
the ground. One of the strangest features Of the
accident is, that all the gravel ears were demo-
ished and piled upon each other, with the tender
OF the engine stove in. The conductor of the
sio'Ci OH was Ou tuc rear car, Win his S1gnal
light, and negro boy at his SIDE The conductor
saved himself by jumping, the negro was killed.
AT the time OF the collision there was dense fog
1t being almost impossible to see lights Where the
blame belongs In this awful catastrophe, we know
not but there is gross and culpable negligence In
the affairs of the road. The conductor OF the gra
vel train says he was ordered out by the superinten
dent ofthe gravel pit.
We ought to mention that on the third car from
the rear we had no light at the time of the collision
and were in total darkness, nor had we anything
but pieces Of candles stuck in tubes at any time
Those had gone out at the time of the collision.
The dead are lying around, aud being mostly emf
grants their names cannot be readily got but about
fifty are killed outright and many of the wounded
must die, of which there are about forty alive.
There was one woman buried under a mass of ruins
and ley there over four hours before she was extr.
Gated She must die. We were thrty-two miles
from Detroit and thirteen from Chatham, the sur
rounding country for miles vast swamp and no
aid or physician at hand, which with the denseness
OF the fog and frghtu screams of the wound ed for
help and water, rendered it the most appalling scene
imaginable. 1t was heart sckening Yet all was
done that could be during the long five hours that
the miserable unfortunates lay waiting their turn
for assistance. One man had six friends with him,
all killed. There are whole families killed. and we
cannot ascertain their names.
The Detroit Free Press of Oct %, reports the
number of killed at Al.