The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1854-11-02
AWFUL RAILROAD COLLISION.
Fifty Persons Killed---A Great Number
Iniured---Dreadful Details.

FROM Ue bttIOtG LfcOttEo " l|tee'tJ eee"''
Through the kindness of W. o Ruggles
we are able to give the particulars of the
most heart-rending and terrible railroad
disaster that ever occurred in America
He SAYS: A few minutes after Z. NJ.
Yesterday we left Niagara Falls with the
frst-class and two second class passen-
one express and one baggage.
car. After leaving Hamilton we were
detained about midnight, between Ham
ilton and London, by freight-engine be-
ing off the track After delay of an
hour and we started, and reached Lon
don 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 to Lon
don, took a new engine and started again
for Windsor about o'clock, and about
13 miles west of Chantham, on the Bah
tist Greek Flats, going about ~ miles an
hour, we came in collision with gravel
train of Is cars backing cast, the col
lision was frightful in the extreme. Our
LOGON olive was completely thrown over
to the right, the express car thrown over
and crushing the first and second class
car into mere splinters, demolishing the
next, and making a wreck of the third
car, and driving in the end of the fourth,
the passengers in the last cars 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 ming
led was awful in the extreme. Every eff
fort was made by the Conductor and pas
sengers to relieve the suffering, but not
withstanding all superhuman efforts to re-
lieve them, all were not extricated until
more than four hours after the collision,
Among those whose exertions in saving
the victims, aare Thomas F. Mcagher and
Junk, the baggage man, Mr.. 0. \. Brown
son, and others of the passengers. Heaps
of the dead and mangled were found in
the ruins, piled together in all mangled
shapes.
One poor fellow was cut out Of the cx-
press car, his limbs hanging out of the
side, fifteen feet from the ground. One
of the strangest features of the accident
is, that all the gravel cars were demol-
ished and piled upon each other, with the
tender of the engine stove in. The con-
ductor of the gravel train was on the rear
car, with his signal light and negro boy
at his side. The conductor saved himself
by jumping; the negro was killed.
At the time of the collision thero was
dense fog, it being almost impossible to
see lights. Where the blame belongs in
this awful catastrophe, we know not; but
there is gross and culpable negligence in
the operation of the affairs of the road
The conductor of the gravel train says he
was ordered out by the superintendent of
the gravel pit.
We ought to mention that on the third
car from the rear we had no light at the
time of the collision and was in total dark
ness, nor had we anything but pieces OF
candles. stuck in tubes at any time. Those
had gone out at the time of the col
lision. The dead are lying around, and
being mostly emigrants their names can
not readily be got, but about fifty are
killed outright and many of the wounded
must die, of which there are about forty
alive. There was one women buried un
der mass of ruins, and lay there over
four hours before she was cxtricated.--
She must die.
We were 30 miles from Detroit and 13
from Chatham, the surrounding country
for miles vast swamp and no aid or
physician at hand, which, with the dense
ness of the fog and frightful screams of
the wounded for help and water, render
ed it the most appalling scene imaginable.
1t was heart -sickening. Yet all was done
that could be during the long five hours
that the miserable unfortunates lay wait
ing their turn for assistance. One man
had six friends with him, all killed.
There are whole families killed and We
cannot ascertain their names.
We are informed by Il. P Toms, ESQ
of this city, who was also passenger on
the train at the time Of the collision, that
iO Cdu UC w
of the train, as he had taken every pre-
caution by telegraphing from one station
to another, by waiting for trains to pass,
and by the strictest orders to run very
slow, to avoid any accident. The censure,
he thinks, must rest solely with those in
charge of the gravel train, and with the
watchman left to give notice when the
last train had passed, who, instead of at
tending to his duty, seems to have fallen
asleep-at any rate, he gave false infor-
nation to the engineer. Why the gravel
train was on the track at such time, is
for those to explain who have thus caused
this fearful loss of life.
Mr.. Toms informs us that when he left
the scene Of the disaster, it had been as
certained that 25 men, l women and ii
children had been killed, and 81 men
and 20 women and children badly injured
-onc-half probably fatally. 1t was
thought that as many as Is dead bodies
were still buried in the ruins when he
left. Our reporter is now on the spot,
and will furnish additional particulars,
which we shall publish in an extra, Our