The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1855-11-16
DREiDPUL ACCIDENT.
From tie 81. Louis Democrat, Nor. /

Bishop and William RumboId. citizens of thi
place, that the excursion train of twelve Oh
fourteen cars, that departed from St. Louis yes
teTday morning, al o'clock, to attend the rail
road celebration at Jefferson CITY, met witt
an accident at the bridge of the Gasconade riv.
er, the details of which are not yet attainable
but which, when fully known, will, we fear
be of the most awful and heart-rending char.
acter. The information we have derived from
these gentlemen is as follows
Tiny were passengers coming down the Mis-,
souri, river, on The steamer Ben Bolt, and lam
ded at Hermann Tor the purpose Of taking the
downward o'clock train for this city. Just
before the boat landed, at the hour of O'Clock.
the excursion train passed up by Hermann
and the passengers both of boat and cars ex-
changed greetings.
Shortly after the landing of the Ben Bolt,
and just as the downward train was about star
ting, locomotive that had accompanied anG
was pushing at the rear of the excursion train,
arrived at Hermann IRON above, bearing the
terrible news that as the excursion cars were
passing over the railroad bridge recently erect
ed al the mouth of the Gasconade river, at a
distance of about eight miles from Hermann,
the bridge gave way. and precipitattd the front
locomotive and ten OF the passenger cars OF the
train down into the river.
The height OF the bridge above the water
was about thirty feet, and the depth of the wa
ter beneath stated to be twenty feet. The loco
motive which brought the news to Hermann,
together with one Of The passenger cars, be-
came dSengaged from the train as the accident
took place, aud were thus saved. About one
hundred and fifty of the passengers, it is stated,
got out OF The cars before passing the bridge, in
order to inspect the structure and abserve the
trial of the heavy train upon the timberS.-
These, if they We're not standing on the bridge
at the time, may have escaped injury.
The locomotive and tender of the downward
train from Hermann, was Immediately olsen
gagged, aud the passenger cars attached 10 the
engine which had Just come from the scene Of
the disaster. The latter went immediately back
to the bridge, while the former, on which were
Messrs. Bishop and Rumhold, proceeded with
all haste to this city.
The excursion train had on board at least six
hundred persons. Whilst 50 much uncertainty
contemplate the consequences.
Among the excursioniStS We're many OF the
leading merchants and ralroad men of the city
-indges of our courts and members of all the
two companies Of our mlll-
tarv, the National Guards and the St. Louis
Grays. Indeed, we may say the very flower oi
our citizens We're on board the train.
At the time of writing this we have no con-
6rmatory news. Large numbers OF our citi-
gems are holding consultation at the Planters
House, and taking steps for the procuring OF
more reliable news and preparing 10 receive
the killed and wounded that may come in on
the next train.
We conclude for the present under the most
painful anxieties for further particulars, and
hoping that late advices may rid Us OF the thou
sand apprehensons and terrible uncertainties
that now surround the case.
From the St. Louis 1ntelIigencer, Nov. ?.
Messrs Rumbold and Bishop, well known
citizens of St. Louis, came to Our office last
evening with the melancholy intelligence OF a
terrible disaster which happened on the Pacific
Railroad Yesterday, between ] and O'Clock
p. NJ. TO the excuIsionists to Jefferson CITY,
We have no language at command to express
our feelings. Never did we receive or have
occasion at record more shocking intelligence,
The gentlemen who bring the sad tldingS
were on their way 10 the city as passengers on
the Ben Bolt and saw the train Of cars pass up
with the company on board and exchanged sal
utalion The boat soon came to a landing, and
the train proceeded on to the GaSconade river,
about eight miles distant. Before the boat was
ready to leave locomotive which had follow
ed train for the purpose of rendering assistance
in case of accident, or of seeing that all was
right along the road came back t:om the river
with the word that the bridge oyer the Gas
conade, standing thirty-fve feet above the wa
ter, had broken down while the train was cross
ing and that ten or eleven cars with their occu-
pants had been precipitated into twenty ieet
water. The CONSERVATION of the men with the
locomotive was so great that they could only
announce the fact adding that they thought
that al least one hundred and fifty bad got out
of the cars to walk over the bridge. There
were probably 800 persons in the company
Two Of our military companies were along, the
GrayS ard the National GuardS-aS were alSf
many mrulbers OF the Press and private cltl'
ZeDs.
The Locomotive came down to the tralr
bound for ST. Louis, which was immediately
taken bv the Superintendent and his men bach
10 the scene of suffering, and may have beer
the means of saving many lives.
Messrs RumboId and Bishop at once prevail
ed upon the ticket agent and engineer at Her
mann, TO come immediately TO the city, wltf
the news, which was consented to and loco
motive and baggage car were despatched or
which our informants took passage, to bear th'
mournful tidngs to the friends who had witt
Joyous hearts bnt just before bid fathers, broth
ers, husbands and associates God speed and re
GREETING that they themselves were not OF th'
party
The gentlemen deserve much credit for th'
promptnees with which they acted IN getting L
the city with the heart reuding news. lhel