The Opelousas patriot. [volume] (Opelousas, Parish of St. Landry, La.) 1855-1863, 1855-11-17
AWFUL DISASTER ON THE PACIFIC
RAILROAD.
Great Loss OF Life.

The St. Louis papers Of the I'd and Sd have
accounts Of q most appalling disaster on the
railroad between that place and Jefferson City,
by which about thirty lives were lost and a
great many persons severely wounded. On
the LIST instant, a train started for Jefferson
City with about 600 passengers, to celebrate
the completion of the road to that point. The
Evening News thus relates the catastrophe
which followed:
At l O'Clock we left Hermann, preceded by
a locomotive and tender, which had been sent
forward to see that the way was clear and no
danger impending. Soon we al in sight Of
the bridge across the Gasconade river, about
nine miles from Hermann, and about thirty
five from Jefferson City. The bridge is ap-
preached by an embankment, thirty feet high,
which terminates in o massive stone abutment.
Forty yards from the abutment, and just at the
edge of the river, stands another stanch stone
pillar, three more of which reach to 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 crossed the
structure safely, and was waiting on the other
side to see the result Of our attempt. There
was no fear Of danger, and no apprehension of
peril. We slowly moved along the embank-
ment, and anne on to the bridge. The loco
motive had passed the first span, and had its
forewheels above the first pillar beyond the
abutment-there being, 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 d
movement among those in the car in which
we were seated then there came crash-crash--
crash-as each car came to the abutmcnt, and
took the fatal plunge. The affair was but the
work Of an instant. We were running slowly
at the time, and the successive crashes came on
at intervals of nearly a second. We ourself
were seated in the seventh car-there being
three behind us-and when we heard the hor-
rid 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 not seemed that the spirit of ruin was
beneath, determinedly dragging each car to the
spot, wrenching it from its %fastenings, and
hurting it to atoms beneath. Six cars fell in
one mass, each on the other, and were shivered
into fragments. The seventh fell with its for
ward end to the ground, but the other end
rested on the top Of the abutment. Those in
it were only bruised. The eighth and ninth
cars tumbled down the embamsment before they
reached the abutment.
Such a wreck we never saw, and hope never
again to see. 1t was one un%distinguishable
mass OF wooden beams, seats, iron wheels and
rods, from beneath which can't 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 organized them
selves under the lead Of Mr.. Pride, the Con
ductor, and endeayored by chopping to extri-
cate those Wit were yet alive from the wreck.
Here q beam was cut into to disengage a bro.
ken arm there an iron axle was pryed up to
relieve q mutilated leg. There was no shrick-
ing and screaming, though all begged, for the
love Of heaven, to be extricated from some mass
Of iron or beam of wood, whichpinned them to
the earth. All begged foy water, drank it
when it was brought, and prayed for more.
There was hardly an entirely uniniured man to
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. A board
shanty was the only shelter to behad, and that
was soon filled with the wounded, whose silent,
speeches. agony was enough to make the
%stoutcst heart sndder. Immediately after the
accident the heavens grew dark aud black as
though the night had come. The wind shrieked
through the leaaess trees the heavens were
rent in twain. and from the crevicc CLEANED
the white lightning, and the hoarse thunder
beloved its cruel mockings at the woe be-
meath. 1t seemed as if the elements we've hold
ing high carnival over the scene of slaughter.
Some d The bodies Of lie Nad were masked