Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1855-11-08
THE HORRIBLE ACCIDENT ON THE
PACIFIC RAILROAD.

No one dreamed that death was near, and
yet IT lurked for US only few miles further on.
AT / o'clock we left Hermann, preceded by
locomotive and tender which had been sent
forward, to see that the way was clear, and no
danger impending. Soon we came in sight of
the bridge across the Gasconade river, about
nine miles from Hermann, and about thirty
five from Jefferson city. The bridge is APP
preached by an embankment, thirty feet high,
| which terminates in massive stone abutment.
Forty yards from the abutment, and just at the
edge OF the river, stands another staunch 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 struc-
ture 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 embankment,
and came on to the bridge. The locomotive
had passed the first span, and had its fore
wheels above the first pilar--beyond the abut-
ment-there being, then, 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 horrid
| crash-it rings in our ears now--and saw
| movement amongst those in the car in which
we were seated; then there came crash--crash
| -crash--as each car came to the abutment,
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 second. We
were seated in the seventh car-there being
| three behind us-and when we heard the hor-
| rld sound that came up, as each car slowly and
deliberately took the leap we hoped that our
car might stop before it reached the precpice.
But no; it seemed that the spirit of ruin was
beneath, determinedly dragging each car to
the spot, wrenchingt 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 embankment before
they reached the abutment.
'Such wreck we never saw, and hope never
again to see. 1t was one undstinguishable
mass of wooden beams, seats, iron wheels and
rods, from beneath which came up groans of
agony. Those who could crawed 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
themselves under the lead of Mr.. Pride, the
conductor, and endeavored by chopping, to
extricate those who were yet alive from the
wreck. Here beam was cut into to olsen
gage broken arm; there an iron axle was
pried up to relieve mutilated leg. There was
no shrieking and screaming, though all begged,
for the love of heaven, to be extricated from
some mass of iron or beam of wood, which
pinned them to the earth. All begged for
water, drank 1t when it was brought and pray.
ed for more. There was hardly an entirely
uninjured man to be seen. Most Of those who
had escaped had streams of blood flowing over
their faces from splinter wounds. Others
limped and hobbed about, looking for their
friends. board shanty was the only shelter
to be had, and that was soon filled with the
wounded, whose silent, speeches. agony was
enough to make the stoutest heart shudder.
Immediately after the accident, the heavens
grew dark and black, as though the night had
come. The winds shrieked from the leahess
trees; the heavens we're rent in twain, and from
the crevice cleaned the white lightning, and
the hoarse thunder beloved its cruel mockings
at the woe beneath. 1t seemed as if the ele-
ments were holding high carnival over the
scene of slaughter"
The Republican gives the following among
the killed not heretofore mentioned:
Rev. Mr.. Teasdale, S. Best p Barr, j. A.
Ross, Mr.. Lynch, R. NJ. Dubois, VIM. Horn,
JOS Finnegan, Mr.. Bryan, Mr.. Moore, and
three others not identified, one of them colored.
The Republican adds:
"Mr. 0'Neal, the engineer, was left at Her
mann, very dangerously injured. Some of the
bodies OF the dead we're marked with unusual
and terrible mutilations. One of the survivors
informs us that he saw two corpses with the
entrails torn out by splinters. 1t is not yet
practicable to give a complete list Of the
wounded among so many passengers, and
where few escape without q cut or confusion.
"James McDermott had hisleg badly mashed,
and it is feared that he cannot recover E.
Court Dodds had both arms broken and foot
mashed. John Mullery, Of the St. Lonis Grays,
received very serious injuries"
The Republican also notes an accident to the
train from the scene Of the disaster for that
city, containing the dead and wounded. 1t
says:
ION the way up, upon arriving at the bridge
across the creek known as st. Johns about
Tour miles above Washington, portion Of the
train was left behind to provide for contn.
gencies in case the bridge might break down.
which was thought to be quite probable, the
creek being much swollen from the heavy rains.
The balance Of the train proceeded to Her
mann, took on the survivors, the wounded and
the dead, and about two o'clock started on its
return. About FIVE o'clock they reached the
bridge across st. Johns Creek. Before start
ing to cross, a number Of the unhurt at the
disaster, (among whom was our informant,)
got out of the cars and walked across the
bridge afterwards, as soon as the locomotive
started TO cross, the whole structure gave way,
and the entire train Of cars, containing the
dead and wounded and most Of the survivors,
was left on the other side ofthe bridge.
Those who walked across got in the cars
which arrived last night and proceeded i'm.
medately to the city. How soon the dead and
wounded may be brought in, it is impossible
to conjecture. When our informant left the
the creek, there was no show for anything to
cross, there being no boats of any description