Minnesota weekly times. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1859, 1855-12-01

| SLAVERY, uWdfl MS young iiiiiuS oIlu ueIluut
him Of his strength.
the N. Y. Tribune.
Terrible Accident On the Harlem
| Railroad.
Four Cars Blown off the Track by n Hurricane =
One Man ktlled-Seventcen Wounded.
On Monday evening ono of the most wonderful
accidents occurred which the annals of railroad dis
asters have to show. A train of four cars on the
Harlem road was blown off the track bodily anG
rolled down an embankment some thirty feet high
the turning four complete somersets, killing
two men and injuring many others. Only thirty
passengers were on the train, and it is wonderful
that any of them escaped.
The following is the statement of the conduc-
tor, Mr.. r. j. White, who arrived in the city this
morning.
eve left Albany Mt 4:30 P. NJ. and Chatham
Four Corners at 5:2S, with three passcnger-cars
and a baggage-car About thirty passengers were
| let out at Copake, and ut $3.50, as near as | can
judge, the went off the track. The whole
| train turned over four times, the coupling be-
tween the baggage CIR and tender being broken.
| No other coupling was broken and the cars went
| together. They rolled no less than seventy feet
and were dashed in pieces. got out, and the
first persons found were three ladies. The rain
was pouring in torrents, and it dark moth
ing could be seen. first found the foot of one
of the ladies and pulled the fragments off her head.
| took her out and laid her on the grass. Then
went back and found another; the side of the
car lay on her head and shoulders.
ga third was lying on her head with her feet
upwards, and everything piled all about her,
Then thought of an old lady, Mrs. Coburn of
Chatham; | called out to her, and some one
whom knew, Mrs. Brant, answered. She said
she not hurt, and came to me, but fell.
laid her with the rest, and then bandaged up two
men. then thought of my old friend Mr.. Rath-
bone, and called but could get no answer from
him. My baggagemaster, Shelley, said: Il am
hurt in my back and inwardly.' Then heard
something which appeared to be on the upper
side of the
81 got up then and found Mrs. Coburn. She
had cash over her left eve and the skin was hang
ing down. Her face was covered with blood,
which wiped away. l went back and called for
my men. Barnes told me he was hurt. Then we
found Gaylord, almost dead; the car had crush
ed his ribs right in and his entrails were pushed
out. lie was taken to the farm house of a Mr..
Pulver orsEulver near by.
81 then found the papcr-bOy crawling up
the bank with the back of his head cut open. He
told me to look after the rest he could take care
of himself. then found MIR. Rathbone living on
his face under a truck. The bearing of the truck
lay on the small of his back. We got the truck
off; he was dead. His watch was broken off by
the ring, but was still running. l found Mrs. Co.
her side, and Mr.. Coburn with his head cut.
81 got the ladies on the engine and took them
to Boston Corners; then sent the engineer to
Middleton for a car and physicians he brought
two physicians, DR.. Wood and one from New
York; we then went up and got the dead and
wounded on board, all except Gaylord and Barns,
who were at the farm house. l changed the car
with one on the express train which had stove
in it, and then we brought the passengers down to
Middleton, where we left them, and arrived in
New York on Tuesday morning at 5:45 A. NJ
The car lay on both my legs, and they are cOnsid-
erably bruised below the knees My engine was
the Pilot, nay engineers name Lewis Elder, and
my freman's Giles Capron. They were on the
engine, which remained on the track.
''My lantern lay under lady and was not in
jured: everything else was torn in pieces but my
valise. | never saw such sight in my life
There was nothing left of the cars the saloons
and everything were completely ripped in pieces.
The train went over with just one movement like
turning my hand ; and had just been talking
with Mr. Rathbone, sitting by the side of him !;
when got up and turned, two ladies were sitting
together, and one of them said s'Mr. Conductor
will you be kind enough to get US a carriage when
We arrive in New York ?" said "With pleas
ure," and | had not more than said "pleasure'
before felt that was going over; went over
the ladies and the seats went upon them.
eat first everything was still for a moment
the rain. | crawled out, and began to hear the
screams of the wounded. didn't think was hurt
then. The very moment | begin to get in
browse now, 1.-THE conductor was in bed | see the
whole thing right over again | can't sleep
The road at that point is placed on high en-
bankment in a valley between two mountains
AS We come down, the road curves from south
east to south, and ut the place where we were
blown over there is notch in the ridge on the
east side.
''The wind swept through the valley of this
notch, which is the place where MOrrissey and
Sullivan fought two years ago. 1t is three-quar-
ters of amile north of Boston Corners.''
Mrs. Van Vectten, residing at Pittsfeld, whose
husband is master mechanic the Western
road, was in the middle car, and by her attentions
towards others, regardless of her own injuries,
showed that she was a woman of spirit equal to
almost any emergency. She assisted to dress the
wounds of three ladies, the news-boy and several
others, and finally, after the lapse of several hours
it was ascertaned that her injuries were more
extensive than any she had assisted. The first in
timation she had of danger was the gentle raising
of the car, and then it pitched down, turning over
and over, and her impression was that they had
run off very high bridge and were whirlng down
into stream of water. Seats and various n is
siles were flying about in all directions, tearing the
dress, bonnet and cloak nearly off her. All at
once they struck the ground and she was standing
not even groan to indicate the presence of
living being. moment before the accident she
was cow ersng with Mr.. White, the conductor
She called out for Mr.. White, and he replied that
he was safe. lie then procured lantern and with
Mrs. Van Vechten proceeded to extract the la
dies and others from the ruins and make them as
comfortable as possible, by spreading mats and
cushions for them to lay upon. After some three
or four hours all the injured persons were convey
ed to the hotel at Middleton. The neighbors gath
cred round and looked on while Mrs. Van Vechten
dressed the wounds of three ladies and then at
tended to the news boy. 1t was then for the first
time that discovery made that she was niur-
ed. She received several severe gashcs about the
head by striking against the top of the car and
from flying missiles, and was injured in the back.
Yesterday she returned home.
Francis W. Rathbone, White Mills, Chatham
Fonr Corners.
Mrs. COburn, Chatham, seriously.
Mr.. Coburn, her son, slightly.
Mrs. Coburn, his wife, slightly.
James Hart. conductor on the train running
face bruised, and clothes slightly burned.
lumbia county, received flesh wound over one
of her eyes, some bruises, not of serious char
acter however.
Mrs. Van vechten, Pitts6eld, four cuts in the
head and considerably injured in the back. l
down, but she would look out for other people.
After she had done all she could for them she
tainted twice.
Horvev Gaxlord br,keuac ~ Ch.thor Ia,