Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1854-07-14
The Railroad Accident.

The Philadelphia papers give full details Of
the horrible accident ON the Susquehanna
Railroad near Baltimore, on the 18th.
Yesterday afternoon the regular train for
! urk lett Calvert station consisting of four
passenger cars and baggage car, all with
the exception Of the last well filled with PAS
sengers. On arriving at the Relay House the
York train according to orders. proceeded to
lay oft ON the Green Spring switch. where the
instructions Were, that it should wait until
the excursion train or trains passed. The cx-
press tram from lork had been thrown out
OF time and was waiting at the relay, and af-
ter 1t had passed down. the excursion train
"t about sixteen cars. crowded to excess,
passed down without giving any information
to the conductor that two other trains were
coming, which unfortunately proved to be the
case. The road being now supposed to be
clear, III" York train now took the main
track and proceeded ON. and had scarcely rot
fully undcrwcigh, whcnabout three quarter,
ot II mile from tn" relay, Il terrible crash ac-
companicd by rush Of steam brought all who
were uniniured to their feet. and on escaping
from the wrecked cars Il most heart-rcndiug
scene presented itself, but it were impossible
to describe 1t IN all its forms. Immediately
i'll advance Il train consisting of two pa >srn-
g"r cars and their ten burthen cars which
had been htted ur to carry passengers, all of
which were filled to oyerilowing This train
was backing down towards Baltimore, the
| locomotive being ut the rear and the two pas
senger cars being at the head Of the train
/ The locomotive ON the York train was gong
ahead IN its usual position, and although
neither train was moving at extra speed the
| two passenger cars at the head of the excur-
| sion train offered little resistance, and were
! cd
passing entirely through the foremost one
and both being filled with passengers the de-
struction of life and limb was almost unpre-
ccdented. The centre tormost car was filled
with the dead and dying and wounded, all
weigcd together III one mass with the trag-
ments of the car and the seats so compact
that it required a half hour. time, and the
use of axes to rescue the wounded. A mum
Der of females and children were taken out
from AMONG the dead scarcely injured, whilst
through the floor of the car could be seen the
prOtruding limbs of some who had been in
stantly struck dead. Among the dead was
Mrs Robertson, Il young and beautiful woman
and Henry Clay Jeflcrs, "a bright and hcauti.
lul boy. The bodies of whom were so wcdgcC
among the fragments of the two cars whicl
had been run through each other like tclc
scope, that it was impossible to cXtricat,
them without hauling off the fragments OF tn,
upper ear by the locomotive which was als'
necessary to release the large number of un
fortunate creatures who still remained we'd
Ecd between the forward cars, some still aliV,
and Others dead. In removing the cars Mrs
Robcrtson's body was literally torn to pciccs
but in the effort to recover those in whom
lie still remained, it became necessary T.
disregard the dead, On the platform at the
head OF the excursion train, four men wer
caught by the fore part of the engine, two o
whom were instantly killed, and the other tw,
were held fast by their limbs, suffering thu
most cNcrncatinS agony, and almost roasted
by the smoke pipe of the locomotive; b"tl
tainted from exhaustion one of them subsr
qucutly died, The trains from the city di,
not reach the scene of the accident until aite
eight o'clork, at which time their was abou
three thousand persons awaiting Conveyance
hume-all the cAcurSiunsts having arriV c
from thc scene of their festivities to the seen
of death. The first train carried on the wa
men and children, and the second the wound
ded, who were all taken to the intrmary fO
medical assistance, and reached the city ahou
twelve % clock mt nght-spmr of them suffer
- ing intensely. Not les, than thousand q
those that escaped injury walked home b.
the Falls road, many carrying their childre
in their arms through the heat aud dust h
ninc miles. The drud bodies were brJugl
in about one o'clock at night and wlc
spread out On the platform at the depot lr,
soutrd sl ectuce Of the most horrible chal
> actor
The Coronor's Jury rendered ycrdiC
charging the cause ol the accident t. careless
ness on the part of the conductor, NIlliLl
; Scott, and to gross nesis sncc on the part
the o!hgcrs of the Conn any in failing To giN
: ; their rules in more rGulicit llnruapp