Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1854-07-12
From the Baltimore Sun.
Dreadful RaiIroad Aocident.

miles from the city, and about midway
between Riders Grove and the Relay
House.
1t appears that on Tuesday afternoon
the regular accommodation train for York,
consisting of FIVE large eightwheeled pas
senger cars left the Calvert station at 25
minutes past o'clock containing about
two hundred persons, in charge Of Mr..
by Mr.. R. s. Hollins, the treasurer, and
other officers of the road. who proceeded
out for the purpose of assisting in the
management of the return train from Ri
der's Grove, where nearly three thousand
persons had been conveyed by the COM
pany for the purpose of celebrating the
day. This large party Of men, women
and children, had gone out during the
morning in three different trains.
The accommodation train, above refer
red to, carefully proceeded out at a mod
crate speed until it reached the Relay
House, where it was duly switched on the
Green Spring branch, in order 10 let the
down train pass.
The express train due in Baltimore at
twelve o'clock, noon. then passed along,
having been detained also an excursion
from Riders woods, consisting Of nineteen
largo cars, all crowded with excursionists,
on their return home.
The accommodation train then proceed
ed, but had not travelled more than a
mile before it came in collision with the
second excursion train from Riders Grove,
consisting of fourteen cars filed with
men, women and children, in charge of
Mr.. John Scott, one of the most expert
enced conductors on the road. When the
collision occurred the crash was Of
most terrific character, the locomotives of
the outward train, and the cars of the
others being smashed beyond repair,
whilst the groans of the dying, the heart
rending shrieks Of the wounded, as well
as the mangled bodies of the dead, pre-
scented scene which de6es faithful de-
scription.
Thecentre Of the foremost cars was fill
ed with the DECD e::3, dying and wounded,
all wedged together in one mass with the
fragments the car and the seats So COM
pact, that although the accident occurred
at go minutes past live, it was u O'Clock
before all the wounded could Be taken
from the wreck. a number of females
and children were taken out from the
dead, scarcely injured, whilst through the
floor Of the car could be seen the protru-
ding limbs of some who had been ms slant
ly struck dead.
On the platforms Of the wrecked cars
destruction Of life and limb was immense,
and the cars being so closely wedged to-
gether it was utterly impossible to relieve
any Of them for more than an hour, al.
though the screams of tho sufferers caused
tho most superhuman exertions for their
succour.
On the platform at the head of the OK
cursion train four men were caught by
the fore part of the engine, two of whom
were instantly killed, and the other two,
fast by their limbs, suffering the most ex-
circulating agony, and almost roasted by
the smoke pipe Of the locomotive. They
both tainted from exhaustation before
they could be rescued. requiring more
than an hour of incessant labor, and one
of them subsequently died.
Two or three were also killed on the
York train, one of whom was Benjamin
Merryman. the baggage master, who
met death standing manfully at the break,
endeavoring to check the destruction.
The dead, the dying and the wounded
were strewn about on the grass. some OF
the bodies were horribly mangled, whilst
the broken limbs and deep gashes in the
bodies of the wounded, rendered it GER
tain that many of them were beyond re-
recovery.
A powerfully built man, one of the men
connected with the engine, was drawn
out from the ruin at seven o'clock, with
severe bodily injury, but the moment he
was relieved from the pressure he became
insensible, and in his dying agonies his
body fairly bounced from the earth.
Immediately on the occurrence of the
accident, messengers were dispatched in
every direction for physicians, and sever
al from the surrounding country were
soon in attendance. About eight in The
morning train arrived with several 9th
er physicians from the city, who did every
thing medical skill could suggest to re-
lieve the horrible suffering Of the unfor
tunate wounded.
About 800 or 1000 walked all tn,
way to the city from the grove, a distance
of nine miles, including many children
and females, who suffered much from
heat and dust, but truly thankful tina
they had escaped with their lives ant
without broken limbs
AS matter of justice, we mention thu
names of Drs. A. v. Cherbonier, Jacol
H. Jones, Vincent Heaton, Secard ant
Grafton NJ. Bosiey, who reside in the vi
entity of the accident, the three former o
whom were first on the ground. The.
all remained attending with commenda
BILE fidelity until the cars arrived for tn
party.
Alarge number of physicians were sen
by an extra train TO the scene OF suffering
The news of the disaster, reaching the
city occasioned the most intense excite
ment, thousands of persons whose rela