Monongalia mirror. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1855, 1854-11-11
General Menus.
From The Dstrot. Free Press, Oct. %.
DREADFUL ACCIDENT.
Collision on the Great Western Railway.
Great Loss of Life.

accidents that ever occurred, took place
yesterday morning, about thirty miles
from this city. The passenger train on
the Great Western Railroad, due here
at 1920 P. NJ, on Thursday, came in
collision at FIVE minutes past s 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-of which Mr.
G. L. Nuuer was Conductor, and Thorn
as Smith, Engineer-left the suspen-
sion Bridge at the usual time on Thurs.
sday afternoon. The train consisted OF
four frst.class, two baggage cars, and
had on board a large number of passen-
gers. AT St. George it came up with
a gravel train, which was off the track,
and was delayed in consequence about
an hour and half. When the train
had got under way again, freight train
was in advance, which it was obliged to
follow as far as Princeton, thereby 10.
sing considerable more time.
AT l A. NJ, the train left London
After having run some three or four
miles from that place, the cylinder end
Of the locomotive burst, which of course
brought the train to s,andstill, An
engine was sent from London, which
drew the train back TO that place, where
another engine was attached, and the
train started again for Windsor, going
quite slow, the Conductor having given
orders to the Engineer not to run at a
rapid rate, as the night was dark and
foggy. When the train left London the
second time, it was about four hours be-
hind time,
A few minutes after S o'clock, when
near Baptist Creek, the passenger train,
which was proceeding at the rate of a.
bout twenty miles an hour, came in col.
lision with a gravel train which was
backing towards the east at the rate of
10 or u miles an hour. The gravel
train was composed Of Is cars, heavily
loaded with wet gravel. Tho shock
produced by the collision was tremen-
deus. The second class cars were mash
ed into atoms, and nearly every person
in them killed or dreadfully injured
The first frst.class car was also badly
smashed, aud most of the passengers in
the front part of it met with the same
fate as the passengers in the second class
cars. ....,
The scene presented after the coils.
ion was horrible one. lntermixed
with the fragments Of the broken cars,
dead bodies lay in prorusion, many of
them mangled in the most dreadful man
uer; while from out the heap of ruins
proceeded the groans and shrieks of the
wounded.
The passengers who were so fortu.
nato as 10 escape uninjured, immediate:
| " set to work TO draw out the wounded
aud dead from the heap ofruins in which
they lay. At IL o'clock, A. NJ, the
bodies of twenty-five men, eleven wo-
men and ten children, had been brought
to light, aud it was supposed that from
len 10 twenty others yetremained 70 be
discovered. Twenty.one men aud 20
women aud children were found to be
badly injnred-many of them fatally
Several of the dead were crushed out
of all human shape, presenting heart
sickeniug sight.
The two second.class cars, which
bore The main brunt Of the collision,
were filled with emigrants, mostly Ger
mans. The first tirs,-class car, num-
Der of the inmates of which were killed
and others wounded, also contained
some emigrants. w
The second, third and fourth 6rst-class
cars were somewhat injured, aud some
of the passengers received some lnJu-
ries, but none, we understand, Of a dam
gerous character. "03
Mr.. r. P. Toms, of this city, who
was on board the ill-iated train, and
from whom we derived the greater por-
ton of the foregoing melancholy par.
,iculars, Informs US that, in the opinion
of the passengers, no blame attaches to
either the conductor or engineer OF the
passengertrain. The train was thrown
behind lime by series of unfortunate
circumstances over which its officers had
no control, and every measure was Ia
Ken by them to guard against the occur
renee Of accident. l, VI
From MI the facts we have been able
to ascertain, the fault of the accident
rests upon Waterman, who fell asleep.
upon lis post. and on waking, informed
the mas,erof the gravel train that the
passenger train had passed. Surprising
this to be the fact, the gravel train start
ed, and in short time came in coils
ion with the passenger train. Two
mon on the gravel train were killed.
The engineer aud fireman of the pas
senger train escaped almost miraculous
ly from serious injury.
Among the passengers on the eS
press train were Thomas +. Mcughel
and O. A. Brownson.