Minnesota weekly times. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1859, 1855-11-17

the Brtdyc-The Crush-The Scene Afterward-he-
From the St. Louis News of Monday.
It is before us now-that terrible scene. The
moment before the long train with its load OF life
approached the fatal spot, many were intently
observing from the windows the we'll marked line,
which separated the thick turbid waves of the Mis-
souri, from the pellucid waters of the Gasoonade;
others looked out on the long bridge We We're ap-
preaching, and remarked its strength or its
fraility; an old gentleman, whom We thought
unduly cautious and nervous, wished he was out,
''for," said he, 81 believe that bridge will break
down." We glanced out the window near us in
a careless way, to see the structure, and turned
round again without the shadow of fear that
we were doomed not to cross it. At that moment
came the destruction. We could see nothing, but
we heard everything. A sharp, piercing sound,
as of shattered timbers, came from the 'front.'
We knew its meaning. The bridge had broken
down. Then followed four separate, well-defned
crashes, and our Car took the inevitable plunge
At the first sound sprung to our feet, and start
ed to run backward. 1t seemed as though the
ruin was approaching instead of our nearing
it. Every man in the crowded car in which we
were seated jumped up, the shiver in front told
of the coming danger. During those few terri
BILE moments in which We approached the preci-
pice, the intensest silence prevailed. Not word
was spoken. We had given but two steps
backward in an involuntary effort to avoid dang
er, when our time came to follow those who had
gone before. Down, down, endessly we seemed
to go. We were not long falling, yet it seemed
ages.
The memory of railroad accidents we had read
of, and the reflection that we in the midst of
one of frightful character the question soon to
be solved, whether We would escape or be killed.
the reflection that we might be killed the next
moment, and the inward belief that we would not
be killed at all chilling thought at the idea Of
being crushed by beam, or trans6xed by rod, or
torn asunder BY adverse forces--all these thoughts
flashed across our mind while falling Then there
was tremendous conclusion, and we found that
we were on the ground, under a mass of leaning
timber, which, however, did not touch us. Though
in the midst of a crowd when the commenced
falling, we saw no one near US on the ground
We crawled out from under the wreck, and thank
ed God that we were safe. We sat down on a
stone to recover from the shock. There was not
a sound to be heard Not shrek, or groan, or
cry came from the wreck. All was silent as DEATH
Men were creeping, and crawling and bobblng
from the shattered cars, some holding leg, some
pressing an arm, and some claspng the head
Several sat down us and breathed heavily,
but spoke not. A man staggered by, and said,
quietly, "my collar boneis broken" Capt Cou-
zcns went past with man swinging to his neck.
HIS feet did not touch the ground, for his legs
were broken. wooden shanty was standing a
short distance of, and we got up and walked to it.
Mayor King, with blood streaming over his face
from cash in the forehead, was trying to tear
down the door. He finally succeeded, and we then,
assisted by others who had come up, tore off the
sides, SO as easily to admit OF the wounded being
brought in.
The floor was soon covered with the PROSTATE
forms of men marked by every description of inju-
ry. One had leg lying unnaturaly bent, or an
arm doubled backward; here one bending
his head forward to let the blood drip from a
gaping cash in his face, and there another with
his bowels protruding from hijeOus wound in
his body. No one complained except when those
who brought in the wounded, in their haste, step
ped Oh ii fractured arm, distuI bed broken
leg. These suffering victims showed no weak tim.
ldlty nor sehshness. Even through their agony
shone the traits of generous manhood. No one
! desired to enSross the attention of his friends,
but all submitted without a murmur to the wretch
ed comforts that alone could he prOvideu. A
small boy was deiriOuS with a wound on the
head. A while he would lay moaning in the shan
| ty, then Jump up, into the rain with
| shrckS that would have made the hardest heart
| shuddcr. cons .derable time elapsed after the
| acc dent before men spoke about it. They were
stunted, shocked, bewdered and unstrung by the
conclusion, and overpowered by the overwhelm-
| ing consciousness Of the destruction they looked
| upon. AS they recovered their senses, they began
| IN fllk mo KIN hat no vbo
! him was killed, for wheel had fallen on him !;
another saw the man before him pierc ID by huge
! splinter and another still the roof of Il car
as it crushed the life out of this citizen, or that
| one.
At one part of the wreck, several wounded per-
sons could be seen, directing the labOrs of those
| engaged in extracting them. One by one as the
timbers which pressed them down were cut away,
| they were dragged out and borne away. Under the
roof of one car could be seen the proIruding limbs
| of seven lfeess bodies, crushed to instant death
| as they fell. The dead neglected. and the
living sufferers alone thought OF. a body which
moved was brought out and placed on a log, then
it ceased to move, and man placed his ear over
the heart, but it was pulseless. The face, chest
and neck, of the dead man were discOlored, so
that he could scarcely be recognized. Passers by
looked on the face and asked who it was but could
not learn. 1t was Mr.. Chouteau. Men ran Wild
ly about, seeking friends of whose fate they were
=
crevce in the wreck, told the worst or till the
| ones looked for were met, when momentary
CLEAN would light up the universal gloom. Mr..
O'Sullivan stood on the platform of the engine to
note the effect of the passage over the bridge
His quick eye saw the yielding of the timbers, and
a consciousness of the impending horror seized
his mind. "My God, we are all killed. had hard
ly escaped his mouth, when he went down never
to rise nor speak again. Several countrymen on
the opposite shore of the river, two hundred yards
distant, witnessed the awful spectacle. They
gazed with curious delight they saw the mag
nifcant train sweeping along the high embank-
ment towards the fatal spot; they were all STAR
| ing with pleased wonder, when shuddering came
over them and rooted them to the spot, as the To-
connective went down, and each whrling car as it
came to the abutment, stopped not, but eaped
down with its precious load of life. 1t was u ter
rbe picture of suffering and forttude, of silen,
agony and speeches. grief, of life and death,
which We pray heaven we may never look upon
again.
| From the Intellgencer Of Tuesday.
WALL OF SORROW.
The history of St. Louis, it seems. must be
written In blood well as in tears Fire and
peStilence have scourged US, their turn and left
the deep scars of their visitation upon our people
And now wholesale havoc and slaughter have
come to keep up the horrible work and take our
men away IN their prime. Verify. the cup of our
sorrows must ever be trimming over.
The cars of the Pacific road, on Saturday eve
ming, brought in the costliest freight ever landed
Lace IL l. E..fA t.s L. IL