The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-01-11
THE PoUGHKEEPSIE CATASTROPHE.
FURTHER PARTICULARS OF THE CALAMITY.
List Of tho Kuled and Wounded.
TIE coReHER,s IIQUEsT.

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TIE coRoHER's IIQUEsT.
Testim0ny--Thrilling Incidents,
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The accident on the Hudson River Railroad, near
Poughksepse although attended with the loss of three
lives has not been disastrous at rst supposed
All Of the wounded, numbering twenty-five, it ID expect
I'd, will recover and not moro than Eve SIX have been
seriously injured. From tho statement Of persons who
the train when the catastrophe occurred, we
earn the following additional pArtculars:-
The tran which left Albany ON Wednesday night and
winch did not reach Poughkespse tin hapast two the
following morning. WAS detained about two miles south
OF that town, at place called Montgomery Cove, by
slight defect which had been discovered the track
The locomotive of the Poughkeepsie train, which was
going at full speed into the last Of the Albany
train completely demoishing it, and strsving the road
with the fragments There about fifty passengers
in It, three Of whom almost Immediately killed. and
twenty two, as We have stated wounded The spectacle
presented most painful Two Of the dead bodies
mu!ated in horrible manner, and the for some
distance along the track stained with blood The
Creates. excitement prevailed among the passengers and
the eceno was rendered atlu more pAniul Dy the
cries and means Of the wounded. The engine,
after passing through the last Of the Albany train
partly into the next one and then fell down
sspkment, dragging v:.n it in its descent part Of the
ruins The engineer when asked why he did not send
signal back said that he had done SO, and have been
informed that he took every precauton to prevent the
collision. 1t appears however, that the man whom he
sent to the approaching train of the danger did
not reach in the road In time to make the signal
and that the locomotive upon them before the eDg
could stop It, The curve was about two hundred
yards from the point where the defect had been discover
cd In the road. When it was known that the Pough-
ksepie train coming, the Albany train started
and every effort made to escape but nothing could avert
the danger and in few moments after it put in
tcn 'he collision took place. The engineer the Pough
keepse train reversed the engine and when it fell down
the bank he fell with it, but escaped with few slight in
iuries.
II about hour before the wounded could be re-
moved, there no Of conveyance near ct
hand. As soon however, as news of the catastrophe
reached Poughkeepse, train despatched from that
place. but few minutes before It arrived at the
of the accident the up train from New York had arvei
and taken them board On the arrival Of the wounded
at Poughkeepsic every attention paid to them By
the President of the road Mr. soan and the superinten
dent The depot converted into temporary hospital
and every provision made for their comfort In the
fng those who most seriously wounded and unaben
consequence to return their homes wereconveyed to
bets and .cdisal attention procured for them from
Poughkespsie, New York and Albany. All who were
able to do left yesterday morning. leaving about seve
or eight still remaining At Poughkeepsie.
The following is statement Of Mr.. Isaac D. Gott, o.
this city, one Of the passengers
Was Of the passengers on the train from Albany;
nothing Of interest took place the way down. until we
reached the passengers all seemed in good
spirits and little thought Of the sad catastrophe that
awaited them the arrival of the train ct Poughkeep
de they waited fifteen minutes before they started
it was about two O'Clock when the train started
not going at the usual speed but seemed to by jerks
two gentlemen who sat the seat in front Of
copversing in regard to train which expected
might run into u.s. asked them what train Il was, and
they informed me it expected TO be the two O'Clock
train from poughkeepse. While talking with them,
and they had barely replied to my question, when
ieit sudden jerk, and loud neise, and looking
behind me- saw the last which next to ours Ay
ing in every direction. Before had time to turn my head
round, our car seemed open, and the next moment
found myself tumbled down to the side embankment
into the river. had no more than reached the ice
than felt tremendous blow upon my head, which
discovered the stove. Fortunately sustained
serious damage from it, with the exception Of two or
my hat One Of the OF the car fell across nv legs
bit soon succeeded in extricaHng myself As soon as
the engines which was attached to the rear train lay
down the erubannent and directly in front OF lay
the mansied bodies OF man and woman: went towards
AFRAID that her boiler would burst. The bodies seemed
to be literally torn into pieces the left leg Of the lay
about ten feet from the body with boot upon but
part of the pantaoons his face horribly mutilated
and his clothing all in pieces The lady, seemed
also mutilated in horrible manner she was very well
oressed there was gaiter upon one Of her feet her
foot was quite small; gold chain was hanging
around her neck. The passengers seemed all excite
nent; some were hallooing and crying, and the
wounded lay in every direction, mourning. il In
great agony. just turned from the horrible
in front Of the engine the conductor of the train
out the ice distance off, but Immediately oppo
site the train He was coming towards me. As he
neAred me said 10 him that he ought 10 be hung when
he REPLIED in great excite nent, .My God, sent sig
nal back to stop the train The engine that struck the
down the embanKment. was In the third passenger
car and next to the last When first got upon the
about quarter mile ahead Of us With only the ten
Ter attached to US. There is doubt bat that
ing The train coming down behind them that they
diaengaged themselves from the train as to be
clear OF the collision. Had they Immediately started
of Ia full force discovering the train behind there is
NJ doubt but the collision could have been avoided did
not hear any signal before the collision took place.
had been started about second when first felt the
aslock; there were some fifteen twenty In
way injured; they all cut and bruised and
ny could be seen with their faces covered with blood
ws son car a ws IN
black in the face that her husband could not recognize
her. and it was not until she had to- and she had
gwen her namc that he discovered her. notwitandng he
had passed her several tmes About hour after the
accident train came up, and the dying and wounded
we're conveyed to Poushkeepsie and medical attention
immediately procured.
At nine O'Clock some hundred of the passengers
took the night train and arrived in the city at eleven
O'Clock.
The particulars of the sad calamity, which are fully
explained in the testimony adducod before the Coroner
iary enpapneled 10 examine into the circumstances,
nsy be brie6ysumpcd M as follows;-The Albany ex-
press train which started at eleven O'Clock from that
city, arrived at Poughkecpse at 250 p NJ and started
rom the station mt that place at 253. She proceeded
On her trip until passing through cutting in rock
at Mines Point and when at Montgomery Cove she was
dgnaed TO stop and did 80, because Of break of rail-
near Milton Ferry.
Meantime the train (way. accommodation, which
should start from roughkee pse at 25l had been de-
tanned, not starting till 81 T. NJ or eight minutes after