The Texas Republican. [volume] (Marshall, Tex.) 1849-1869, 1854-11-25

terra (Canada) Railroad. me dsta'h were
bsishsd BY W.. Thomas T. Nesgher, who
wss passenger OIL the train
The train !eft Chatham at thirty ininases
past 4 o'clock, a. H., and reached the fatal
epct Il len minutes past o'clock 4. n. lie
ksd heen ssleep sboat twenty minutes. when
he was startled by deep. rumbl'ng noise
l,ks tho sound Of heavy spcn, wave as II
ssbsides.
On ecn,inc 10 4 clearer consciousness,
he distinctly heard the crashing and rip,
ming OF t;nl,ers all around him, and ming
isd With the mos, fearful shrek, and groans
and the noise Of escaping steam. The iioor
under him was vibrating, while he was
crushed in the scat. the roof falling down
Immediately before him, striking him IN the
face with large, torn fragment. lie made
an instant edor, to r., clear from the ruin.
but found his right loot caught beneath the
seat and the broken floor. pom making
a second trial, he succeeded in drawing on,
his leg, leaving bis boot In the ruins, as II
in boo, jack. he succeeded in reaching
the rear door, where be stumbled over the
BODY OF JOHN siartin, the brakeman, y, the
cad OF the ear. lie had been evidently vt
H. brake 1t the moment OF the collision,
and was thrown back into the door.w way OF
the car.
On procuring lamp a little after, be
found that Martin had both thighs and both
arms brokea--the latter above the elbows-
lie head, too, appeared 10 have been
dreadfully bruised, though no wound could
be perceived. This noble fellow deserves
especial mention. Upon going to him when
the morning broke. and offering to remove
him to . comfortable situation, he answered,
"Never mind ms--help those who are liz
ing, for am done for" Somewhs, later,
upon bringing him a drink OF water, he
asked Meagher to turn him on his side n
little more, so that be might die quietly.
Fires we're Immediately kinded by the
passengers. which afforded light by which
u, glance the s.ful wreck and havoc
which had been made nigh, be seen.
The passenger engine and tender were
lying a, the Zoo, OF the embankmcnt--som
twenty feet high - bottom aide upward,
smashed into fragments, with tho smoke
stack and iron portions embedded in the
marsh, which at this point (Bapiis. Creek
stretches away on both sides OF the road,
The fire had been thrown completely out.
and the hot cinders were smoking in the
wet grass. The first baggage car was
perfectly unhur, but the second one was
dashed into tho first second class car and
with the latter formed an immense mass Of
aplinters, wood work. iron work, bones,
brains. mangled flesh. torn clothes, broken
riAcs, Ioavea of bread and other ea,ables.
iambled together ~ ia mine ofgunpowder
bad blown them into this enormous heap Of
rubbish. The las second class car had
been driven right upon the roof Of the fcr>
ward first clnss car more than half wsy in
length. Tho weight Of il had crushed in
the fore part Of the car beneath it, leaving
the rest Of i, uninjurcd. though considerably
shattered.
On both sides Of tho cmbankment, below
these cars, were the wounded and dying
soms Of them flung out violently from the
wreck. others having c'swlcd down with
broken legs. while yet Others had been car
risd to the fires by the passengers. II is
shocking even to think Of the scene, NJ 1t
would b. utterly sickeung 10 describe the
various wounds and hideoua mutla,ions ia
ficted upon the poor sufferers. Lying i'm
mcdiassiy under the rear platform OF the
forward first class car, he saw the first
eerpse--thst Of y child soout three years
Of ago. The head WAS frighfulIy swollen
and discolored lie lifted il up and found
that splinter about seven inches long, and
shaped and sharply pointed like an arrow,
head, had entered behind the righ, ear aud
passed through the right cheek and cone
out BY the side Of the nose. lle eudeavorcd
10 pull out the fragment, but was unable TO
do %. The child WAS stone dead
An old lady with grey hair, whom be
assisted TO place on cushions Mt the foot OF
tho smbsnkmeut, had both legs below the
knee torn open with gsshes seven or eight
inches In length. and an inch aud
half in breadth. The bone was completely
exposed, and the wounds had all the appear
ance Of being given by some heavy blunted
fragment. The pro,ruding tcsh WAS jagged
and torn. 4 colored man Of large and
powerfully built frame was lying a little
below tho first baggage car, with both legs
broken, the bones being thrust through his
pantsloons as though cut of with clcav.
sr. iiis mouth WAS filed. and his face GOV.
cred with large mass OF what appeared to
he the purcst white foam. Ito was one of
tho brskemcp on the gravel train. Anoth-
er Of the colored brnkemen on that train
WAS found lying on bis face upon gravel
heap on one OF The cars with his head as If
beaten with heavy msllet into the gravel
Ills left leg had been literally torn Off from
the middle OF the thigh. and was hanging
down. being caught between the two ears
10 falling. the sole Of the boot being upper.
most, and the sinews. arteries Of the limb
and shreds Of flesh dripping and dangling
about From the forward window of tho
hslf crushed car the neck and shoulders OF
. muscular man were thrust out, the head
having been cut off AS with Il guillotine
lie looked for the head bu, could not find
H.
One thing which attracted his notice, was
the discolora,ion of the bodies buried up in
the ruins, bearing the appearance Of btuis.
~ aud safocalIou.
Upon the conductor and Others cutting
their way through the foremost first class
car into the wreck. and clearing away the
fragments, they found some twenty bodies
Of men. women aud children, wedged in
together. with the fragments Of the cars.
The slain At the bottom Of the ditch in front
Of battery Of cannon, could not have pre-.
ssntsd = more horrible spectacle. There
were two Of three layers Of these bodies and
rsins. and they were packed and pressed