The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1855-11-10
Terrible II abroad Catastrophe.

On Thursday, OF last week, occurred on
the st. Louis Pacific railroad, the most hor-
rible railroad catastrophe of the year. The
road had just been completed to Jefferson
City, and on the morning indicated train
consisting Of u ears, and conveying be-
tween six and seven hundred persons, left
St Louis on an excursion to Jefferson City,
to celebrate the completion OF the road to
that point, The party proceeded safely and
happily until they reached the Gasconale
bridge, . miles beyond Hermann, and about
90 miles from St Louis. The bridge was
but temporary structure, and gave way
under the weight of the immense train. The
scene is thus described by an eyewitness;
We slowly moved along the cmbankmcnt,
aud came on to the bridge. The locomotive
had passed the first span, and had its fore
wheels above the first pillar, beyond the
abutmcnt-there being then, resting on the
first span, the locomotive, baggage car, and
two heavily loaded passenger cars. The
weight was too much for the long, slender
timbers which supported the rails and the
enormous load above. Suddenly we heard a
horrid crash-it rings in our ears now--and
saw movement amongst those in the car in
which we were seated then there came
ash--Crash-Crash--aS each car came to
the abutmcnt, and took tho fatal plunge.
The affair was but the work Of an instant
We were running slowly o. the time, and
the successive crashes came on at intervals
Of nearly Z second. We oursclf were seated
in the seventh car, there being three be.
hind us, End when we heard the horrid sound
that came up, as each car slowly and delibc-
rately took the leap, we hoped that our car
might stop before it reached the preclpice.
| But no it seemed that the spirit Of ruin was
beneath, dctermncdly dragging each car to
| the spot, wrenching it from its iastcnings, and
hurting 1t to atoms beneath. Six cars fell in
one mass, each on the other, and were SILVER
Ell into fragments. The seventh fell with its
forward end to the ground but the other res
ted on the top Of the abutment. Those in it
were only bruised. The eighth and ninth cars
tumblcd down the cmbankmcnt before they
reached the abutment
Such wreck we never saw before, and
hope never again to see. Ii was one undlS-
tnguIshabc mass Of wooden beams, seats,
iron wheels aud rods, from beneath which
came up grOans ofagony Those who could
crawlcd out Of the ruin Immediately, and c.
ther sought 10 relieve their own wounds or
the wounds Of their friends Some wept
tear. Of Joy to find their friends alive; and
others shudlcreI to find their friends dead.
The uainlurcd organized themselves under
the lead Of Mr. Pride, the Conductor, and
endeayorcd by chopping to extrlcate those
who were yet alive, from the wreck. Here
a beam was cut ia two to dscngage broken
arm there an IRON axle was rrlcd up TO re-
iicyc a mu,ilatcd leg. There was no Shrek
ing and screaming, though all begged, for
the love Of Heaven, to be extricated from
some mass of iron, or beam Of wood, which
pinned them to the earth. All begged for
water, Dir INK when it was brought, and
prayed for more There was hardly an en-
tlrely uninjurel man 10 be seen. Most Of
those who had escaped, had streams Of
blood flowing over their faces from splinter
wounds Others limped and hobbled about
looking for their friends. 4 board shanty
was the only shelter 10 be had, and that was
soon filled with the wounded, whose silent,
speechyss agony was enough to make the
stoutest heart shudder.
The number Of killed outright was about
twenty, among whom we notice the name Of
Thos ;. OSulIiyan, chief engineer Of the
road, and several prominent citizens of St
Louis, such as Henry Choutcau, X. VI. Du-
bois, Rev. II. Billiard, &c. Some twenty
more were dangerously wounded, while the
slightly wounded would include nearly the
entire balance Of the company.
The bridge was built by Stone & Boomer,
Of Chicago, but was merely temporary
structure, put up to facilitate III" eo"strue-
ton of the work, and was never intended
for the crossing Of heavy passenger trains.
Doubtless the heavy part Of all the blame
for this frightiul accident rests with the
chief engineer, who has probably been sa.
we'd worse fate by being among the killed.
lie passed over the road the day before and
reported all safe, while his judgment ought
to have told him a mere bridge Of light scat,
L