New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-10-30
THE AWFUL RAILROAD COLLISION.
Fifty Persons Killed!
A GREAT NUMBER INJURED
DREADFUL DETAILS.
NAMES OF DEAD, WOUNDED
AND SAVED.
F,,n n, p,,roii Trisuu. Of F,iss, E-e-zs

~
Fron The Detroit Trisuas Of Fritz, E-e-ss
through the kindness Of W o. Ruggles we are
able 10 give the particulars OF the most heart reninS
and terrible railroad disaster that ever occurred Ia
America he says: A few minutes after T. III.
Yesterday We left Niagara Falls with the hrst-clsss
and two secondeass passengercsrs, one express anu
one baggagecar. After leaving Hamilton we were de-
tanned about midnight, between Hamilton and Lon
don by freight engine being of the track. After
delay of an hour we started, and reached London
about sx hours behind time. About three miles west OF
London the cylinder he sd of engine burst. which
DELAYED US two hours. We backed down to Lsndon,
took new engine and started again for w lndsor
shout o'clock and about 10 miles west Of Chatham,
ON the Babtist Greek Flats, going about 20 miles an
bour we came in collision with gravel tram OF 10
cars backing east the collision was frghtiul IN the
extreme. Our locomotive was completely throWn
over to the right, the express car thrown over ana
crushing the first and second class car into mere spun
ters defnoshng the next, and making wreck OF the
third car and driving in the end OF the fourth. tne
passengers in the last cars escaped unnurt OF Win
slight brHses; almost the entire load oil tue seconu
class cars were killed or wounded, some Guy com
pe;ey in two others with mangled heads ana pouies'
and without limbs
The screams ard groans of the mingled was awful
in the extreme. Every effort was made by the Con.
ductor and passengers TO relieve tre sune'nsi uas
Notwithstanding all superhuman efforts 10 reiieNe
them al were not extricated until more thao Tour
hours after the collision. Among those whose exer-
tious in saving the victims. are Thomas r. meaguer
and Junk the baggage man, na ~ a. 81 tbs dea5
and naneled were found in the runs, Pied together
in all maDgled shapes.
One poor fellow was cut out of the express car, his
limbs hanging out of the side, fifteen feet from the
ground. ODe Of the OF Tue aceleu.
f. that all the gravel cars were demolished ana pued
upo each other with the tenaer OF the engine stove
in The conductor Of the gravel train was on the
rear car with his signal light ana negro boy az nus
side The conductor saved hlInseu Dy Jumping lne
negro was killed
At the time of the collision there was dense fog 1t
being almost impossible to see lights. Where the
blame belongs in this awful catastrophe, we know
not: but there is gross and eulpabe negligence Ia the
operation Of the affairs of the road The conductor
of the gravel train says he was ordered OUT o tue SUI
perintendent Of the gravel pit.
We ought to mention that on the third car IRON the
r. we had light at the time OF the COLLISION ana
was in total darkness nor had we snytnihg Ou pieces
of candles stuck in tubes at any time Those had gone
ont AT the time OF the collision. The deai are lying
around and being mostly emigrants their names can
not readily be got but about htty are kihea outright
and many of the wounfed must ule, ol Wnlen 1Iei9
are aho nj forty aliye. There one woman buried
under mass of ruins and lay there over four hours
before she was extricated. She must die.
We were 32mes from Detroit and 10 from Chaih-
am the surrounding country for miles vast swamp
ard no aid or physicians at hand, which, with the
depseness of the fog and tdshtful screams OF the
wounded for help aud water, rendered 1t the most
appsIlipg scene imaginable. 1t was heart siekening
Yet all was done that could be during the long hye
hours that the miserable untorunates lay wMIlDg the
turn for assistance. One man had SIX iriends win
him, all killed There are whole families Killed ana
we cannot ascertain their names.
we are informed BY X. p. Toms, Esq OF this city,
uho WAS also passenger the train at the time OF
tbe collision that no blame be attached to the en-
oineer of the train he had taken every precauon
by telegraphing from station to another, by wait
r for trains pass and by the strctest orders 70
mn very slow, to avoid any accident. The censure,
he thinks must rest solely with those 10 charge of the
gravel train, and with the Waterman LETT 10 give
notice when the last train had passed, who instead oil
attending bis duty seems 10 have fallen asieeP-at
any rate he gave false Information 20 1ne engineer
WHY the gravel train was on the track az such a
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 ii had been ascertained that % men,
women and II children had been killed, and 81 men
and 90 women and children badly injured-one'hali
probably fatally 1t was thought that as many as 10
dead bodies were still buried in the ruins when be
left Our reporter is the spot, and Will fur
nish additional particulars which we shall publish in
an extra Our citizens will rejoice to know that Dir
Ions and son of 5. NJ. Holmes, Esq, who were on
board have escaped uniDjure
LIST OF THOSE WHO ESCAPED uSIsJrRED.
Henry Gloss, St. Clair, CIV; Thomas F. Meagher,
| Newly York: O. A. Brownson, Boston, Mass W. U.
Ruggles, Vermont David Kelly, Lowell, Mass;
Marshal +. Foster and family, Connecticut Asa
Jobpott and two sisters Illinois; Mr.. Gale illinois,
| Ira A SkeeIe st. Louis, Mo- james Stevenson
and brother Toronto, C. W. Edward Ccru,
Lowell. Mass James Plummer, Ohio; l.. Z. Baker
! and sister Illinois Charles l.. Whitney Massa-
chusetts; j. A. Mcbride. Massachusetts; Henry
Russell Michigan; V. Freeman, Schenectady, n \ :
VIM. W. Whitney, New-York George w. Holmes,
Detroit; Chas Franklip, Batavia; John W. EDDY,
500 Sba; Rev. Mr. Taylor, Massachusetts, Sarah X.
Islev. do Maria 5. Short do; I. A. Randall, New
York; Elects Randall, do. Edw ard Allen Michigan
Alonzo Simons New. York; Alonzo Haight do;
p j. Dunn, Canada West; I. Lyon. Niagara Falls;
ID. c. Barker, Niagara Falls; +. Eccard Detroit
Jos Holmes, six friends dead. Iowa; Benz Zumoy
and lady New Hampshire; Henry W. Newhall, err
mont; John +. Lock and lady, New Hampshire;
John c. Depnison, Massachusetts; Chester Randall,
New.York; Edward Allen, Michigan, Mr. and Mrs.
Chamberlain Michigan; Mis- Whiting and sister,
New-York: Willard Gardiner and wife New-hamp-
sbire: Mrs j. G.. Wooster, Illinois Mrs. K. Z. Cros-
by LIMOS; Mrs. Dawson and daughter, New. I ork
Mrs Case and child. Richmond, Va Nathaniel Blng-
ham. New.York; Chafes NoClue, New. York
Abby Short, Massachusetts, j. lsley, do Hosmer
Dsy Michigan; Helen NJ. Barnes, Vermont Moses
j. barnes do. Levi Wilson wife and child, do; SOL.
+ Mirrill vile and child do L. Gray, Maine En-
cline Day. do: Abigail Day, do; Anna Day, do. :
Louis Day. do: LORENZO Day and wife, do. Mary
Ashton. New.York; Mayssn Ashton. do; George
Leech. New-YOrk; Mrs. j. G.. Spencer, Michigan
John d. Day, Maine Maria NJ. Scott, do. Clara A.
Day, do Caroline X. Day, do; Lee Day do VIM.
Day and wife, do; Luceian Niles, DO; Hiram X.
Moore do Susan b. Moore, do; Susan L. Moore,
Maine. George ~ Moore Maize B. Mason, Maine
Anas b. Lyman wife and Two children, Messachu-
sets Mrs. L. Il. Presee ana family, Pennsylvania
X 81 Howard wife and two children, Massachusetts,
Sbornar Cummings wife and child Wisconsin; Selot
Peear NeT-York VIM. ROckf Maine Wm Null