Weekly hawk-eye and telegraph. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1855-1857, 1855-09-05
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| Oss % ths nost fearful nd fatal railroad
acndents that ever occurred 10 the vicinity
lot y. Il, took p;sce % ths Csmslen and An
boy ksilscad ysss.rdaf morning, aboas IL
S'slo,.k, wishis halt iai.e Of tbs town u
Burlington, n. J.
AZ DE 10 e'closk train from Csndsn for
Nsw York passed through Darlington b..
bind time (abont 6fteen inmates, the o.
clock train from New York casne in si,,w,
under full headway. The Camden train im-
nediately stopped, and the engineer con-
menced, 81 soon a. practicable, 70 rAverss
the wheels, 20 % te retarn TO the station he
had . few m 1ments before left, and snabls
The New YORK train 10 pass unobstsuesed.-
Unfortunately, however, - the train ysas nm
der hesdway, going at the rate OF Ct least
twelve or fifteen miles an hour, q two horse
wagon Was driven nm the rails with the i'm
teotion Of riding party straight ever the
line. However, the horaes had jast stepped
on the limo, when tho backing Train ran
them down, cutting them completely from
the carriage, and leaving tie parties in It mn
injured. Not 20 with the railway cars.
The shock which they sustained twisted one
car-ths next the horses completely round,
and threw Is from the tradk up against an
smbankmenf. Theforce with which the train
was moving when the Incident took place,
caused dreadful crash. -Four cars (the
rear ones) were smashed 10 pieces, and all
the passengers more or less injured, or killed.
The two last cars, containing about fifty peo-
pie, were knocked into splinters by the forco
Of the conclusion, and it was the occu-
pants Of these cars who Suffered most se-
verely.
The scene that followed the dreadful crash
can be better imagined than described. For
more than fifty yards, lay scattered around
the forms of the maDgled corpses and the
mutilated bodies Of the wounded, whose pitt
eous means AID shrieks for help were enough
80 make the stouiest heart quail. As soon
~ the confusion attending the calamity had
subsided, those who were mnhnrt exerted ev-
cry nerve and muscle in rescuing their fell
low creatures from the ruins.
While this sad work was going on, fathers,
mothers and children might be seen wildly
rushing from one spot to another, in search
of those dear relatives with whom few mo-
ments previously they had been conversing
in safety. Many were rejoioed to End their
misgivings unfoundcd, but q great number,
alas! were destined to find the object Of thsir
search mangled corpses, or suffering the most
excruciatiDg torture from broken limbs. :
The Scene was, indeed, heart-rending
one.
: When the news Of the accident reached
Burlington, the inhsbitants Of the village,
like good Samaritans, hurried to the scene
of woe with wagons and litters for the pur-
pose Of conveying the wounded to place of
shelter. The phys clans Of the place also
hastened forward and lent all their aid in
soothing the agonies Of the sufferers.
/ Seventeen persons were picked up quite
dead, while in few hours afterwards eight
others died from the effects Of their In
juries.
Over thirty Of the passengers wo-
men and chiidren-were dragged from the
ruins alive. They were taken to the princi-
pal hotel in the city, and were kindly taken
care of by the host and his good lady.
A Geographic dis atch announcing the ac-
cident, was sent to Camden, when number
of physicians from Philadelph.a started for
to afford oil the r.lief they could to the
wounded.
Many were the hairbreadth escapes that
occurred. One gentleman named BENZ. R.
Mills, Of Bridgeport, Conn, was knocked
through the bottom Of the car, and escaped
with few contusions; while man named
of Peoria, H., on his way to
Boston, who was sitting in the same seat,
talking to him, was killed outright. A frag-
ment Of the wreck struck him ON the head,
producing fracture Of the skull.
Another man, whose name we could not
learn, was thrown distance of over sixty
feet, through the side of the car, and was
landed uninjured on the roadside.
A Mr.. and Mrs. Levy Of New York, while
sitting in the fourth car, were thrown out of
the windows, and escaped almost unhu7t.-
Mrs. Levy lost q box containing one thou
sand dollars worth Of diamond jewelry
which she had in her possession.
The Philadelphia train was composed of
six cars, four Of which, as we have said be-
fore, were smashed almost to perfect
wreck. The conductor, Isaac Van Nostrand,
the New York train, but did not heed the
Then it was that he gave the orders to the
CINE; but this had to be effected in such q
hurry that no lookout could be stationed in
the rear of the train then going at rapid
rate, and consequently when the rear car
struck Dr.. Hannogan's horses, the engineer,
who was not aware of the fact, did not stop
the machinery, SO tie train moved on rapid
x,>es1 e., e,,)l
twenty-five human beings had been killed.
The indignation Of the passengers was
vented in loud terms against the conductor
of the train, aud serious thoughts were en-.
tertaincd of lynching him on the spot; but
better judgment prevailed over the natural
impulses Of the moment, and the man es.
capped with his life.
We COPY the following additional partic-
ular's from the Tribune's account:
The concussion threw the first passenger
car of the track aud down an embankment
eight or ten feet high, and with the moment
um that the train had ut the time, the next
two passenger cars were drawn down, one
after the other, on top Of the first, while the
fourth was thrown clear over all of them
With tremendous force. The forth passenger
car became detached from the baggage car,
and this, together with the engine and tender,
was left ON the embankment above, and very
little injury was done to these cars or those
Who occupied them.
The four passenger care which went down
The embankment were literally broken into
snd the woodwork Of one of
them was reduced to pieces, none Of which
were over four inches wide, every panel hav-
ing been crushed.
It was some time, though, before their
task was completed, timbers, iron wheels and
axles being piled upon tn m in confused
mass; and, alas, there were too many who
could mot appreciate their labors, who felt
not the heavy weight upon them-they were
dead. Those who were got out alive were,