The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1854-11-08
Awful catastrophe.
ON THE GREAT WESTERN
RAILROAD.

SSAAlSkON SGN AhG ThGAx w 6O LINN
RAILROAD.
The Accident on'the Great Western Can.
ada) Railroad Forty Eight Killed
and Forty One Badly Wounded.
The Detroit papers bring US sickening
details of the terrible accident and loss OF
life on the Great Western (Canada) Rail-
road on the 25th instant, Of which we have
already had brief accounts by telegraph.
The following is from the Detroit Tribune
of the 9th instant:
"Through the kindness of w. o. Rug
gles, we are able to give the particulars Of
the most heart-rending and terrible rail-
road disasters that ever occurred in Ame-
'rica. He says few minutes after two P.
NJ. yesterday, we left Niagara Falls with
the first class and two second class passen
ger cars, one express and one baggage
car. After leaving Hamilton we were de-
tanned about midnight between Hamilton
and London by freight engine being on
the track. After 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 10 London, took a new
engine, and started again for Windsor
About one O'Clock, and about 13 miles
west of Chatham, on the Baptist Greek
Flats, going about 20 miles an hour, we
came in collision with gravel train Of
fifteen oars backing east. The collision
was frightful in the extreme.
Our locomotive was completely thrown
over 10 the right, the express car thrown
over and crashing the first and second
class oars into mere splinters, demolishing
the next and making a wreck Of the third
Gar, and driving in the end OF the fourth.
The passengers in the last oars 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 mangled 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, Notwithstanding the al.
most superhuma an efforts TO relieve them,
all were exiricated until more than four
hours after the collision. Among those
whose exerlions were conspicuous in saw
ing the victims were Thos. F. Meagher,
and Junk, the baggage man, Nj. O. A
Brownson, and others of the passengers
Heaps of the dead and wounded were
found in the ruins, piled together in all
mangled shapes.
| One poor fellow was cut out Of the ex.
press car his limbs hanging out of the side
fifteen feet from the ground. One Of the
strangest features Of the accident is, tha
all the gravel cars were demolished and
piled upon each other. with the tender o
the engine stove in. The conductor saveG
himself by jumping; the negro was killed
At the time OF the collision there was {
dense fog, it being almost impossible te
see lights. Where the blame belongs il
this awful catastrophe, we know not bu
there is gross and culpable negligence il
the affairs of the road. The conductor o
the gravel train says he was ordered ou
by the superintendent Of the gravel pit.
| We ought to mention that on the thirt
car from the resr, We had no light at tn,
time of the collision and were in total dark
ness, nor had we anything but pieces o
candles stuck in tubes at any time. Thos.
Fl had gone out at the time of the collision.
The dead are lying around, and bein,
mostly eni grants, their names cannot b,
readily got but about fifty are killed out
right. aud many of the wounded must die
OF which there are about forty alive
There was one woman buried under
mass OF ruins. and lay their four hours
before she was extrioated. She must die
We were 32 miles from Detroit an d 1:
from Chatham, the surrounding counir,
for miles a vast swamp and no aid or ply
sicians at hand, which. with the densenes
of the fog and irightful screams of tn
wounded for help and water, rendered
the most appalling scene imagin able.
was heart.siokening. Yet all was dom
that could be during the long five hour
tn at the miserable unfortunat ates lay wait
ing their turn for assistance. One mal
. had six Of his friends all killed. Their
are whole families killed, and we eanno
I ascertain their names.
We a,e informed by R. P. Toms, Esq
: Of this oity, who was also passenger o.
the train al the time OF the collision. ths
, no blame can be attached to the enginee
OF the train, as he had taken the precau
, ton by telegrsphing from one station t
another, by waiting for trains TO pass, an
by the strictest orders TO rua very slo
to avoid any accident. The censure, h
thinks. must rest solely with those in charg
, of the gravel train, and with the watchma
I left to give motive when the last train ha
t passed, who, instead of attending TO hi
, duty. seems to have fallen asleep-at an
, rate he gave false information to the eng
3 neer. Why the gravel train was on tn
, track at such time, is for those TO ex
! plain who have thus caused this fearft
3 loss OF life.
, The locomotive Of the express car we
], overturned. and crushed two cars (frs
and second CLASSY into splinters. Almos
/ every one in the second class car was e
f ther killed or wounded. and in ell % men
i. II women, and II children were killed
. and 81 men and 90 women and childre
injured, one half of them il is thought fa
tally. The deaths were mainly anon
: the emigrants. The horrors of the seen
: were beyond description.