Glasgow weekly times. (Glasgow, Mo.) 1848-1861, 1855-11-08
TERRIBLE ACCIDENT
ON THE
P ACIFIC RAIL ROAD!
20 KILLED-MANY WOUNDED.

Last Thursday was the day appointed for
the opening of the Pacific Rail Road to JEFF
ferson City. About six hundred people left
st. Louis at half past eight, in the morning.
No accident occurred TO tnar the pleasures
of the occasion until they reached the Gas
conade bridge, about nine miles above Her
man. Says the Editor of the Evening
News, who was in one of the cars:
The bridge is approached by an embank-
ment thirty feet high, which terminates in
a massive stone abutment. Forty yards
from the abutment, and just at the edge Of
the river, stands another staunch stone pill
lar, three more Of which reach 10 the other
side of the stream and support the bridge.
The river is about two hundred and fifty
yards wide, and the bridge thirty feet high,
at least. The Pioneer locomotive had cross
ed the structure safely, and was waiting on
the other side to see the result of our at
tempt. There was no fear of danger, and
no apprehension Of peril. We slowly moved
along the embankment and came on TO the
bridge. The locomotive had passed the
first span, and had its forewheels above the
first pillar beyond the abutment-there be-
ing then, resting on the first span, the loco
motive, the baggage car and two heavily la
den passenger cars. The weight was too
much for the long, slender timbers which
supported the rails, and the enormous load
above. Suddenly we heard horrid crash
it rings in our ears now-and saw move
ment amongst those in the cars in which we
were seated; then there came crash crash
-crash-as each car came to the abutment
and took the fatal plunge. The affair was
but the work OF an instant. We were run
ming slowly at the time, and the successive
crashes came on at intervals of nearly Sc
cond. We onrself were seated in the sew
enth car-there being three behind us-and
when we heard the horrid sound that came
up, as each car slowly and deliberately took
the leap, we hoped that our car might stop
before it reached the precipice. But no
il seemed that the spirit of ruin was beneath,
determinedly dragging each car 10 the spot,
wrenching it from its fastenings, ard hurl.
ing it to atoms beneath. Six cars fell in
one mass, each on the other, and were shiv-
cred into fragments. The seventh fell with
its forward end TO the ground but the 9TH
err end rested on the top of the abutment.-
Those in it were only bruised. The eighth
and ninth cars tumbled down the embank-
ment before they reached the abutment.
Such wreck we never saw, and hope
never to see again. 1t was one undistin-
guishable mass Of wooden beams, seats iron
wheels and rods, from beneath which came
up groans of agony. Those who could
crawled out of the ruin Immediately, and
either sought TO relieve their own wounds,
or the wounds of their friends. Some wept
tears of joy to find their friends alive; and
others shuddered to find their friends dead
The uninjured organised themselves under
the lead of Mr.. Pride, the Conductor, ant
endeavored by chopping 10 extricate those
who were yet alive fr m the wreck. Here
beam was cut into 10 disengage broker
arm; there an iron axle was pryed up TO re-
leve mutilated leg. There was no shrek
ing and screaming, though all begged, fo
the love of Heaven, to be extricated from
some mass of iron or beam of wood whicl
pinned them to the earth. All begged 70
water, drank it when it was brought, an,
prayed for more. There was hardly an en-
tirely uninjured man to be seen. Most @
those who escaped, had streams of bloc,
flowing over their faces from splnte
wounds. Others limped and hobbled about
looking for their friends. A board shant,
was the only shelter to be had, and that wa
soon filled with the wounded, whose silent
speechess agony was enough TO make tn
stoutest heart shudder. Immediately afte
the accident the heavens grew dark an,
black, as though the night had come. TIL
wind shrieked through the leaAess trees
the heavens were rent in twain, and iron