The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1854-07-07
,ATEST MAIL NEWS.
TERRIBLE CALAMITY
EIGHT PERSONS KILLED /!
ruIRrY.THREE SERIOUSLY INJURED

4 -ood deal o! sensation was created IN our city
. crisv morning, by the intelligence that terri.
/ accident occurred on Tuesday, the Susque-
,ae Railroad near Baltimore TO two trains re
i my fron, pleasure excursion TO Riders Grove
4 E,,timore American furnishes the following
/. count Of the acs>nat, written by an eyC-wtness;
vas minutes , Il o'clock, Tuesday afternoon,
4 r,--,gsr train for York left Calvert station, con-
= o. four passenger cars aud baggage car
vt.b the exception oithe last car well hiIed with
xa.scngcrs. Mr.. William Scott was conductor, &C
< -npanied by Mr. Holhns. and other officers OF the
a who were repairing to Riders Grove 10 assist
q mo arrangements tor the sale return OF the ex
a ,sionisis On arriving At the Relay House the
IA < train according 70 orders, proceeded to lay
81 on tho Green Spring switch Tie instructions
: - that !, should there wait until the excursion
= "a ar trains passed. The express train from
* due carly IN the day, which had been thrown
Z I,fiue was waiting At the Relay, and after il
n passed dewn towards Baltimore, we waited Tor
.ursion train, Of about six'eeu cars, crowded
4 ...ess. which passed down without giving any
z -~s.,ou 10 the conductor that two other trans
Z 80 coming which unfortunately proved 20 be the
n , ros9 hciug now supposed to be clear, the
I'm a-ai1 took the main track and proceed
p and had scarcely got fully under weigh
-r shout threeGuartefs OF mile from the
-sy and about mile from Riders, terrible
:, sccompanied BY rush OF steam, brought ali
a a
4 -, me wrecked cars. a most heart-rending scene
..pgcd rselt that it is impossible 10 describe IN
< - soCr0rs.
4 Immediately in advance Of US was train con-
3 .-l- az two passenger cars and The ten burthen
"a which had oeen 'i;tei VI t. carry passengers,
- which were ni!ed 20 overflow. The locOmo-
20 Vas hacking down towards Baltimore, with the
rier in front, and the I.To passenger cars AZ tue
81 sed # the tain. J ne locomotive on the ioT"
=. m WAS "a. ing ahead in lis usua! position and a.
.gi, neither train was moving u; an extra speed,
M--,,. passenger cars at the head Of the EXcUr
s.. g rain offered bat little resistance, and were com
81 o.c'v crushed together, the rear car passed en-
81 ry through the foremost one. Both being filled
s5aT,a passcugers, the destruction OF lie ana NEb
IS r,s almost unprecedented.
IS The centre of the foremost car was hued with
s. r. dead, dying and wounded, all wedged together
e enc MACS with the fragments OF the car and the
IS .,,s so compactly tina. it required halt hours
Is e aud the use OF axes to rescue the wounded.
B .g1bcr Oh females and children taken ont
b II among the dead, scarcely Injured. whilst
rgnah the floor OF the car could be seen the pro.
r. ting limbs OF some who had been instantly struck
is lad.
Among the dead in the centre of this was Mrs.
E ya9fysJp. named in the list below, young and
rauti.ul woman; aud Henry Clay LETTERS, the sor
Madison Jetlers bright and beautiful boy, the
.y!ics Of whom were so wedged among the trag
-aDfs Of the two cars which had been run through
.aoh other like a telescope, that it was impossible
L - cxtrIcste them without hauling of the fragments
the upper ca by the locomotive, which was also
.rpssarg to release the large number OF uniortu-
| ale creatures who still remained wedged between
r forward cars some still alive and others dead
ia removing the cars Mrs. Robinsons body was lit
orally torn to pieces, but in the effort to recover
those in whom lie still remained It became neces
sary TO disregard the dead.
On all the platforms Of the wrecked cars the de
ssructi0n OF lie and limb was immense, and the
srs being closely wedged together 1t was utterly
impossible for more than al hour to relieve any OF
mem, although the screams OF the sufferers caused
E tie most guperhuman eXertlons for their succor.
On the platform at the head of the Excursion
ain four men were caught by the fore part of the
1siae, two of whom were instantly killed and the
aer two were fast by their limbs, suffering the
most excruciatng agony, aud almost roasted by
&c smoke pipe of the locomotive. They both faint
ii from exhaustion before they could be rescued,
occurring more than an hour OF incessSnt labor
yne OF them subsequently died.
Two or three were instantly killed also on the
mt platform Of the York train, one of whom was
-euJa amin Merryman, the baggage master, who met
death standing at his post at the break, endcavor.
%. TO check the destruction.
The shrieks of the women aud children over the
9dies of their husbands and fathers, and over the
wounded, were enough to appa the stoutest heart.
'eyerHl OF those who were crushed on the platforms
lad their wives with them, whose appeals for their
rscue were incessant The wife Of Martin Boyd
Vas compelled to stand and see her husband die
rom heat and exhaustion and his body subsequently
a. Tor al hour on the rear OF the hrebOX Of the
locomotive.
8nother wife was wailing over the mutilated
3ody OF her husband and censuring herself for
( wing persuaded him. against his better judgment,
e. JON IN the excursion.
/ Messengers were sent to the city inme liately
titer the accident for relief and number of ply
sltIans whose names We did not ascertain, were
soon on the ground, as also were a number from
the vicinity, who labored unremittingy to relieve
ne sutierings OF the unfortunate creatures strewn
about.
The trains from the city did not however, reach
the scene OF the accident until after O'Clock in the
rVening, at which time there were about 5000
awaiting conveyance home, all the excursionists
having arrived from the scene OF their festivities at
tue scene OF death. The first train carried ia the
women and children, and the second the wounded
1 who were all taken TO the iDtirmary tor medical
assistance and reached the city about Il o'clock at
M.ht, some OF them suffering intensely
Not less than thousand of those that escaped
u'ug walked home by the Falls Road, many car.
fynG their children in their arms through heat and
dHst Tor nine miles
The dead bodies were brought in about l o'clock
'hht night, twentylour in number, and when spread
'at on the platform at the depot presented specta-
''f OF the most horrible character
The following is list of the dead and wounded
8 iaf as they can be obtained:
LIST OF KILLED.
The humber actually dead is twenty-eght, whilst
lie that the list OF dead will be considerably inc
a.
Henry Reynolds head crushed and limbs bro
zen.
Benjamin Merryman, baggage master, head
rushed
Mrs. Robinson, widow lady residing on Popple-
''h street. between Cove and Lexington. Her head
vas crushed at the moment OF the shock
iehry Clay letters, son of Madison letters, about
years of age-head crushed
MADISON Jetiers died Yesterday rnornipu
lock
samuel Somers, boy y years of age, head and
'east mutilated.
John Weys, colored man lived with Mrs. Dickip.
~ Gorsrch, about miles from the city, on the
FORK road
Martin Boyd, cabinet maker caught between the
- r.stne aud trSt car, instantly killed.
''e"hel mcCornck, live on the corner of How.
'l aud Richmond streets
ilomSs Dorsey son OF Mrs Dorsey, Fayette st.,
near tie Mon Bank '
C marie Bnngle, residing on York avenue
uatfs boyd, residence in Forest street.
.I10Sp' hreseI, contectoner on Gay street
-. Io''owlDg are those who were killed at the
, oiiieht Of the collision.
Hv BUY Julius Council
-redk Gene. W. :, '"pu,
Ps,IicG ,rpioohs, !no. Munnimaa
aGhael McGraw, Lewis CncIrsn ,u.nL;
iaiaes Rsev . Mcdonnell, lCity, |