Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1854-11-04
APPALLING PARTICULARS OF THE COLLISION
ON THE WESTERN RAILWAY.

. PROM THE DETROIT FREE PRESS OF ocToBER 49,
Of the most dreadful railroad accidents that ever
took place yesterday morning. about thirty miles
from this city The passenger train the Great West
en Railroad due here at 1l20 r. M. on Thursday came
IN collision, at Eve minutes past A. NJ on Friday with
gravel train, short distance east Of Baptist Creek
The loss of life that ensued was very great.
The passenger train left the Suspension Bridge at the
usual time on Thursday afternoon The train consisted
of four rstcass two second class, and two baggage
cars and had on board large number of At
ST. George it came up with gravel train which was off
track and delayed consequence about an hour
and half When the train had got under way again a
freight train in advance which it obliged to fol-
low as far as Princeton, thereby losing considerable
time.
| Att A. NJ the train left London After having run
some three four miles from that place the cylinder
head of the locomotive burst which Of course brought
the train to stand STILL An engine was sent from Lon
don, which drew the train back to that place. where
other engine was attached and the train again started
Windsor, going quite slow, the conductor having given
orders to the engineer not to rapid rate as the
night was dark and foggy When the train left London
the second time it was four hours behind time.
few minutes after O'clock when near Baptist Creek
the passenger train, which proceeding at the rate
of about twenty miles hour, came in collision with
gravel train which was backing towards the east the
rate Of ten or twelve miles an hour The gravel train
was composed of fifteen heavily loaded with wet
gravel The shock produced by the collision remen-
dous. The second-class cars smashed into atoms
and nearly every person in them killed dreadfuly
HISt-ClusS Car also Dauly SmaSneQ,
Of the passengers in the front part it met with
the same fate the passengers in the cars
The scene presented after the collision horrible
one lntermixed with the fragments of the broken
dead bodies lay in profusion many Of them manged
the most dreadful manner while from the heap of
ruins proceeded the groans and shreks the wounded
The passengers who fortunateas escape I'M
injured Immediately set to work to draw the wounded
and the dead from the heap Of ruins in which they lay
At IL o'clock A. H. the bodies Of twenty five men, eleven
women, and ten children had been brought to light and
supposed that from ten to twenty others yet re-
manned to be discovered Twenty one men and twenty
women and children were found to be badly injured
many Of them fatally Several Of the dead were crushed
out Of oil human shape presenting Notwithstanding
sight.
The two seconds class cars which bore the main brun
of the collision were filed with emigrants mostly Ger
mans The first frst-cass car, number of the inmates
of which killed and others wounded also contained
some emigrants.
The second third, and fourth frst-class cars were
somewhat injured and of the passengers received
some injuries but none, understand Of dangerous
character.
From all the facts have been able to ascertain the
fault of the accident rests upon the watchman who fell
asleep upon his post and waking informed the master
of the gravel train that the passenger train had passed
Surprising this to be the fact the gravel train started
and in short time came in collision with the passenger
train. Two men the gravel train were killed
LATER
Our reporter, who has just arrived (12 p NJ from the
of the casualty, reports tho number of persons
killed as fortyseven Twentyfour men, eleven women,
and sixteen children are badly wounded and taken
to Chatham Alarge number Of the passengers more
or less bruised