The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-09-06
THE NATIONAL ERA: WASHINGTON, D. c. SEPTEMBER g. 1855

1t was nearly an hour before all the dead and
wounded were extricated, and placed in the
hands OF persons ready to aid them. Eleven
dead bodies W. e taken out of the ruins and
others were so badly injured that they died as
soon as they got to the hotel at Burlington. 1t
is supposed that from fifty to sixty persons have
been wounded, some seriously and others only
slightly.
The cause of this terrible calamity will no
doubt be investigated, to fix the responsibility
where 1t properly belongs. Whether the con-
ductors OF the respective trains were running
according to regulations, both being on the same
track at the same time, and running towards
each other, we do not know; but it placed the
Philadelphia train in very dangerous position.
II the engineer had seen the ioagoR, and had
stopped has engine, the probabilities are that
the Neto York train, following close behind,
scoutd haze run into him. Unless company
has two tracks to run upon, train delayed be-
yond its time should invariably wait until the
other has passed; and, with so short distance
between Burlington and Bordentown, neither
should haze moced before teLegrdphing the 9TH
err. A train that is compelled to back ought
to have conductor or person to give signals
at the end opposite to the engineer, and the
Whistles ought to be kept all the time blowing.
Above all, persons riding in the vicinity of rail
and discretion, and never presume they are
safe till they are so far from the track that they
are out of the reach of danger.
CORONERs INVESTIGATION.
Coroner Samuel w. Earl, on Wednesday even
ing, had all the bodies of the dead collected to-
gether, and conveyed to the Lyceum Hall,
| where they were arranged around the room,
each one labelled with the name of the deceased
cd
| bodies that were identified were handed over
| to their friends; the remainder retained until
they were called for.
| After the jurors had been sworn, John Rod
gers, Esq, foreman, asked permission of the
jurors that the examination be conducted by
| the Prosecuting Attorney, Garrett S. Cannon,
| Esq. The jurors gave their assent to such ar
rangement.
| AT this stage of the proceedings, the bodies
were examined, and the inquest adjourned over
until nine o'clock, Thursday morning.
DR.. HANNEGANs STATEMENT
was driving to Burlington, for the purpose
of crossing to Bristol, but went through Flor
ence, to visit sope patients in that place. l
| was turning from-~the river road into the Bor-
dentown road by side road, which crosses the
railroad at the place where the accident &C.
| Cured. / heard no whistle, no notice of any
train. / saw no train pass and on looking
both up and down the railroad, saw no train.
| / drove on to the railroad; but on arriving
close to the railroad, heard a rustling noise
| of cars moving. Immediately refined up, but
| the motion was so rapid that the horses only
halted on the rails The train was positively
moving at the rate of thirty miles an hour. /
was driving at about ten miles an hour. The
| cars struck and killed the horses, broke and
upset the carriage, containing nay wife, her
| father, Thomas Antrim, ESQ.,, his wife, my
| child, and myself. / was thrown out on to the
| ground. / bear the mark of the conclusion
on my shoulder. My family were only slightly
| injured.
/ attribute the melancholy accident to tie
| engineer not ringing the bell nor giving any
alarm, but backing the train at the almost de-
structive rate of thirty miles an hour. An
| act of the Legislature fixes the maximum rate
of speed through the borough of Burlington,
| which extends to where the accident occurred
at six miles per hour. l have been cautious,
| from a preceding accident-a wagon contain
| ing several members of my family having been
| broken, during my absence, by the fright of the
horse, few years ago. / am an elder of DIR.
| Miler's Presbyterian Church at Columbus
where / have been practicing medicine for the
last thirty-two years.
| LATEST FROM THE WOUNDED.
| Philadelphia, august 3O.-The number Of
dead from the accident has been ascertained to
be twenty three, of whom two persons are unrec-
| ognised. The number of persons disabled is
fifty, besides large number with minor inju-
| ries, but who are able to be about Some five
| or six of the wounded are considered fatally In
| jured the others are getting along comferta
bly,. Several mistakes have occurred in the list
| of killed, in consequence of names having been
derived from articles in possession of the de
ceased. The Coroner commenced the inquest
at ten o'clock this morning.