Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1855-09-01

nunoreo ana elghty passengers, and left Phil
adelphla at the usual time, ten o'clock and
twenty minutes. They had run about twen-
ty-one miles and were two miles this side of
Burlington, n. j., when the engineer discov-
cred the morning train from New York ap-
preaching, and there being but a single track,
he reversed the engine and commenced back
ing the train to the Burlington switch in OF :
der TO allow the train to pass. They had gone
backward about mile, and were about the
same distance from the switch, going at the
rate OF twenty or twenty. five miles an hour,
when the accident occurred in this wise A
| physician named Harrington was driving a
span of horses before carriage in which
| were TOUR or i've ladies, and attempted to cross
the track ahead of the train, but the horses
! Just got upon the track when they were struck
| by the first passenger car and instantly killed,
one beng thrown on one side of the track and
his mate on the other Neither of the persons
in the carriage were materially injured, altho'
under the circumstances it seems wonderful
| The train being on the move back ward, the
| engineer did not see the horse and carriage,
| and was not aware of the collision until he
saw one of the carriage wheels lying upon the
| track after the engine had passed over it. The
| conductor saw the horses and carriage and ap-
| pretended that the train would strike them,
but the bell.rope was out of order, so that he
| could not warn the engineer. He started
through the cars for the purpose of doing this
| IN person, but was too late, and the car and
| horses struck before he could get there The
| cqncussion threw the first passenger off the
track and down an embankment eight or ten
feet high and with the momentum that the
train had at the time, the next two passenger
cars were thrown down, one after the other
on top of the first, while the fourth was thrown
clear over the whole Of them with tremendous
force. The fourth passenger car became de-
tatehed from the baggage car, and this, to.
gether with the engine and tender, was left
on the embankment above, and very little in
jury was done to these cars or those who &C.
cupied them.
The four passenger cars which went down
the embankment were literally broken into
fragments, and the wood work of one of them
was reduced to pieces, none of which were
over four inches wide, every PANEL having
been crushed apart.
Here followed scene which those who be-
held it represent as truly appallng-one that
shakes the strongest nerves and sickens the
Etoutest heart The cries of the mangled hu-
man beings who were buried beneath that
chaotic wrecks of material almost palsied the
senses and disabled the arms of the few who
were so fortunate as to be able to render as
S'SenASSs IIOSS5 1lOhCNSI, WIN COuiil GAlIl-
cate themselves and were not disabled by in
juries assiste4 by the residents in the vicinity
set themselves to work to remove their unfor.
tunate companions from The ruins. 1t was
some time. though, before their task was COM
pleted, timbeTs, iron wheels and axles, being
piled upon them i'll confused mass and,
alas there were too many who could not ap-
preclate their labors, who felt not the heavy
weight upon then--they were dead Those
who were got out alive were, almost without
exception, injured in greater or less degree
and many were SO seriously hurt that their
lives were despaired OF, and the injuries were
OF every description and character Imaginable.
There were broken legs and arms, half scalped
heads and fractured sculls, and every conceiv-
able kind of flesh wounds.
Among the killed was a middle-aged lady
who was travelling in company with daugh-
tor of about IA or Is years. The body of the
mother was removed from the spot ON a bier,
followed by the stricken child, believing the
path she trod with tears Of the intensest
grief.
Another lady, who was supposed to be from
Patterson, had her head severed from the BODY,
and they were found a few feet apart, with
the hat still upon the head, and the riband
still unfastened from about the chin.
man who attempted to escape by Jump
ing was caught between the cars as they went
over the embankment, and his body cut in
two just above the hips.
a train was sent down to the scene Of. the
disaster from Burlington, and the dead bod
les, together with the wounded that had not
been conveyed to residences in the vicinity,
were taken to the Burlington depot. Here
the dead were covered with blankets to await
the Coroner investigation, and every aid that
h,,,,, u ! =
injured sufferers.
The ladies of the place came with linen to
bandage broken and bruised heads and limbs,
and to speak those gentle consultations which
woman alone can utter. The clergymen of
the place, and among them Bishop Doane,
were also present, and while one smoothed
tie pillow of groaning sufferer, another,
with hands clasped, would supplicate Heaven
in behalf of some dying one.
Among the injured who were lying in the
depot was Spaniard, who was badly injured
and a great sufferer, but he could not speak
English, and there was no one present to
whom lie could make known his pains. A
young lady in town, who had the reputation
OF being master of the Spanish, was sent
for and came but the groans and sobs with
which the air was vocal affected both her
nerves and memory to such degree that she
SOUlu iiOI bpCdN ONOu HtI udllNb tongue, Qucn
less the Spanish, ana the poor Spaniard, after
all, was compelled to make known his wishes
as best he could.
An extra train was sent for from Philadel-
phia, and by this, such of the passengers as
were able, came on to this city last night
Of those who arrived, however, there were
very few who did not either have plasters and
patches on their faces and heads, or their
arms in sings in handkerchiefs. In fact, it is
believed that out of the whole number of pas
sengers, there were not twenty who did not
sustain injuries of some kind.
Benjamin X. Mills, of Bridgeport, Conn,
states that he was in the fourth car from the
last one, in company with Mr.. Leeds and his
daughter, a young lady about 10 years of age,
also from Bridgeport. This car ran off the
track and was smashed up about half way
against the one before it. He was sitting in
about the centre Of the car, and had his leg
badly wrenched end ankle sprained by being
caught in the broken timbers.
Mr.. Leeds was crushed down between two
seats, where he remained some time before
being extricated. His injuries were not con-
sidered dangerous, but sufficient to prevent
his continuing on his journey.
Miss Leeds escaped from injury in the
most miraculous manner. The side of the
car on which she was sitting was burst out,
and the seat being raised very suddenly, pre-.
cpitated her out upon the ground clear from
the ruins, without experiencing the slightest
injury.