Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1854-07-08
From the Baltimore Clipper
TERRIBLE CATASTROPHE /!


road-Itcenfy;fue 10 Thirty KiIsd-H
Great Number Of Persons Sererstg
Uomded-NoSt Horrible Scenes.
One Of the most terrible railroad acct
dents that ever transpired in our country,
took place on Tuesday afternoon. on the
Baltimore and Susquehanna Rali<oad, by
which about thirty persons were killed
and much larger number more or less
wounded, some of them hu! slightly, I
while the extent and the nature OF the m
iuries of others are Of character Ia render /
il likely that they also will be called npon
TO swell the fearful catalogue OF mor!aIi (
~.
The scene OF the accident was a curve I
Of the road about midway between the
Relay House and Riders Grove at which
latter spot the Grand American Celebra- |
zion took place,
Three trains, full Of ladies and gentle |.
men, with children, left our city during the
day, to participate in the celebration
Returning one Of the trains LETT Tor ba!Ii'
more al two O'Clock, another started al,
FIVE. and the third, to which the accident
occurred, at about fifteen minutes later
1t seems thlt the accommodation tram
for York, with four passenger cars attach
ed, under the direction Of VIM. Scott, con
duclor, started on is way up shortly be-
fore 5 O'Clock, instructed to lay of at
Green Spring switch until one OF the eX-
cursion trains should pass. This he dld,
and the second return train passed as Ill
rected. The accommodation train then
started, and dreadful to relate, an excur-
sion train from the Grove had also started.
They me! about three-quarters OF a mile
above the Relay House, at the turn Oh an
abrupt switch, and came together with a
fearful crash.
There were two excursion trains (the
first OF which came in coliision) about to
start at the same time ; the engine was IN
front of the cars, the tender in front of the
engine. The second excursion tram
would most certainly have run into the
damaged train, as it was coming around
the curve at great speed, had 1t not been
for passenger from the damaged tram
threw up his hands warning them to stop,
About half dozen cars were crushed
and shivered to atoms, and large nNmoer
of their unhappy inmates either Killed up
on the spot or dreadInlly injured. ne
scene is described as narrowing 10 the last
degree. Several of those killed and woun-
ded were so caught in the wreck Of the
broken cars, that they could not De released
for considerable time.
Axes and crow. bars were brought INTO
Teouisition, and those alive aud unhuf,
made superhumau efforts for their relief
The CRY for water from tue sufferers was
continual, and several persons were enga'
ged constantly in supplying them L
was not. however, until the locomotive at
tached to the excursion train had neen al,
tachpd TO the crippled mass, that 'he oeao
and wounded were got out. A large mum
her Of those who escaped. walked to town
while others came in whatever vehlcieS
could be obtained.
Immediately upon the authorities o
Calvert Station being informed oil me us
aster. they dispatched q locomotive ant
cars to the spot, taking the prerauuon1 Y
send number Of physicians along o.
train. with the survivors, and the kiHe
and wounded. came in at haIf-past II o
clock. The scene at the depot was mar
rowing in the extreme. An imneHS
crowd of those who had friends ana Fe,a
tiyes at the Grove was assembled anu III
state of terrible suspense was painful
behold. Wives and mothers. brother
and sisters, ran up and down the PIatiorl
EAGERLY questioning as to the kl"ed an
wounded, anxious yet dreadiag the reply
which might inform them of the meIaI
choly fate of some one near and dear.
The bodies were taken out OF the car
10 the number of twenty-Sevcn' and la
upon the platform, where inq"ests WEI
held over them by Coroners Stevens al
Goldsmith.
The principal portion of the sailere
were in the excursion train, although sc
eral of those IN the accommodation IRA
were also killed and wounded. Sever
persons, among them Mr.. Emanuel $40
kett, saved themselves, on hearing "
whistle blow, bv leaping from the cars
the ground, while going at full spec
Those who escaped in this way Fece''
so far as we could learn, but little damag
The bodies OF the dead were all p'ac
in one car, and piled up one nPon ano'h'
presenting CHASTITY spectacle. Most
them was instantly killed by the cra'
some'cf them being horribly crushed a
mutilaled in q manner TO sicNeh u'e
holder of the spectacle. The wound
were made as easy as possible ana