The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-11-01
Picture OF the Accident on the Western
Railroad.
PRrNCIPAL AND INTEREST.



From the Detroit Papers, Oct %
Tho express locomotive was completely capsized and
thrown off the track and the heavy gravel cars came
crashing through the baggage car, jamming the two
second class cara and the connecting first class into
bodies and badly damaging the second Of the first class
cars. The emgrant cars were filled with Germans and
Irish-chieay the former-and the suffering among
them, as may well be imagined was fearful. Almost
every individual instantly killed horribly mutt
lated. The engineer was knocked of the locomotive
but not seriously injured.
It was quite dark when this disaster occurred, and
there we're means of assistance in the vicinity An
axe procured after travelling distance, and
efforts were Immediately made to separate the wreck
Meanwhile, the shrieks and groans which filed the
dense and foggy air said TO have been terribly shock
ing AS progress made in the extrication Of the
passengers and of suffering were exposed the
horror frighfuly increased Mutilated fragments
# humanity piled up in heaps the side Of the
rack. Heads, arms, legs and shapeless trunks were
Unfortunately uncovered and laid together. The
Wer eAtremtes OF one man were iounu IN an uP,'sn.
oston the whole upper half Of his body having been
Mt of
During FIVE hours this horrible process OF cxhuming
be dead and wounded going on, amid the cries Of
be suffering and the agonies OF survivors.
Amid the confused pile Of fragments, scattered In
every direction lay the mangled remains OF than
fifty persons Here lay the corpse mother mangled
beyond description while few feet further was
mass Of aesh and blood which had once been her loving
to which they belonged lay buried In the Of rag
pnente now smoking with human gore.
Lay grooming under the broken cars, and wrhing in
pain than death Then the pleading, fearful en-
1reates mothers earnings, winch
y had rendered unsghty and unknown. Their shrieks
even chilled the hearts Of the bravest, and unnerved
many strong arm. He who has the sight, heard
Abe appalling cry will remember II to his dying hour
Before even could be obtained, to assist those
Nho were hurt by loosening the fragments, nearly the
distance OF half mile had TO be travelled and when
daylight broke the that met the eye battles des
crption.
One woman, for instance, had one leg broken in two
places the other IN one place above the knee and her
left arm broken in two places while her brother who sat
behind her escaped unhurt.
One little child, OF four Ave weeks old was picked
p unhur out OF the sand at the side Of the road while
close beside 1t was the body Of two individuals
quite dead.
Up to the hour at which received our latest nor
nation 6fy-seven persons had taken out Of the
wreck dead, had died Of the wounds received. Be-
sides these IL Is ascertaned that thirty nine were
wounded and II IL feared that many OF these will be
added to the fatal list OF the killed About thirty Ave
we're men and the remainder and children
The latest intelligence says the dead and wounded
have been taken TO Chatham where all proper attention
viii be bestowed upon them:
We learn from Mr. VIM. II Weed, Of the firm OF r.
r. Furman Co., New York, that Mr.. Randall Watson
OF Cortland county, was detained at the Suspension
Bridge to look after baggage and came with him the
Following train, and witnessed the heart-rcnding sight
or his wife With both legs broken and otherwise injured
bis daughter dly injured, his son with leg broken,
pnd one or two members Of his family lying dead and
bnangied 10 the ruins,