Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-07-18
TELE9RAPHIc NEWS.
FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS.
BY HOUSE PRINTING rELesRAP8.
Terrible and Disastrous Railroad Collision

Terrible and Disastrous Railroad Collision,
PHILADELPHIA, July l7.-As an excursion
train of the children Of st Michael's Church
was proceeding on tn North Pennsylvania
railroad this morning, ut about o'clock, il
came in collision with the down train. Six
cars were entirely demolished, thirty mine
persons killed, and sxty-nine MANNED or
wounded. Many of the wounded were con-
veyed in carriages 10 Germantown, and sur
geons were dispatched to the scene Of the dis
aster.
The excursion train contained eleven hun
dred children, parents, and teachers. The
trains came in collision at a curve near Fort
Wash hin gton, with the down train; the latter
was going very slowly. The excursion train
was going very rapidly, endeavoring to reach
the stopping place. Both the locomotives
were crushed, and three cars of the excursion
| train, together with those that were consumed
by FIRE. A number was crushed beneath the
ruins, so that extrication was impossible The
scene was most heart-rendiug.
The names of the killed are as follows
Rev. Daniel Sheridan. chorister of the church.
body not recovered: Hugh Campbell, Barry
Kelly, James McIntire, John Dogan, Edward
Hall, Jno. Rivers, James Hickey, VIM Bar
nardI Henry Harris, Mary Mclean, Catherine
| McBurk, Ellen Clark, Sarah McGrugsn,
| Catharine McGrugan, Kate McGirr, Jno. Bra
| dy, Margaret Meaney, John MEG uire, James
| the up-train.
In addition to the above, seventeen bodies
were counted beneath the ruins of the cars
mostly consumed; eleven men and women
| and two children were consumed in one car.
The scene of the disaster is fourteen miles
from the city, in the neigbborhood of two
| curves, so that approaching trains cannot be
seen five hundred yards distant The track
| is also single. When the locomotives came
hnp fhau 81 h. e
| nearly touching, and fell over across the road
The fire being scattered about the wreck, the
| hrst excursion car soon caught fire, and the
| flames rapidly communicated to the two others
piled up upon it. The most extraordinary
efforts were made to extricate the unfortunate
| mutilated beings who were crushed amid the
| wreck, rending the air with their dying groans
Many of these poor beings were still alive
when the flames reached them, and thus suf-
| fered as it were double death. Their groans
| and shrieks for aid were awful and heartrend
ing, altogether beyond the power Of language
| to describe.
Fortunately there were two hotels, a dwell
ling, and a blacksmith shop and small shed
within three hundred yards of the wreck, all
of which were used to shelter the dying and
wounded. A number of physicians from the
| city and from Germantown were early In at
tendance, doing all in their power to aid the
| sufferers.
| Two fire engines from Chestnut Hill came
| to the spot. and forced water through hose to
| the wreck from neighboring stream. After
| working for several hours the fire was extin-
| guished, and the human remains were re-
moved. Nineteen burned bodies were re-
moved to the blacksmith shop-three sup
| posed to be femsles Under another shed
were placed eight other bodies, so charred by
the flames as to defy recognition.
The body of Father Sheridan has been re-
1 rah md hf 20 oit
| An immense crowd was attracted to the
| spot from the surrounding sections of country;
many friends of the excursionists walked from
| the city, and others proceeded thither in every
| description Of vehicle, which were made use
OF in bringing the wounded and dead to the
| city.
| William Vansawen, the conductor of the
down train, driven to desperation by the ca
lamity, committed suicide by swallowing
! arsenic.
William Lee, the engineer of the same train,
| has been arrested and committed for examina-
ton.
SECOND DISPATCH
| PHILADELPHIA, July Is There is great
| excitement here in rela ion to the catastrophe
of yesterday, which increases hourly The
| depot and streets in front are thronged with
people.
| Coroner Delavan has commenced the duty
| Of viewing the bodies at the houses of the rel
| Rtives Of the deceased, but the examination of
witnesses will not commence until this even
ing
| A number of unfounded reports have been
circulated this morning Of accidents on other
| roads, which indicate q feverish anxiety in
| the community. The bridge on the Norrist0wn
| road was said to be broken down, sct. After
| an investigation the report was found to have
| proceeded from the fact that a number Of the
wounded had been brought in over that route
from Chestnut Hill
A large number Of unhurt passengers also
came home that way. As the list of the
wounded published, were mainly those who
| were brought down over the north Pennsyl-
| vania road, the number thus stated is less
| than were actually wounded, which could not
| be less than one hundred.
| The Board of Directors had a meeting this
morning, and passed resolutions of sympathy
with the bereaved, expressing its determine
| ton to relieve the distresses incident to the
calamity as far as is in its power. A sub
scriptiOn has been started to contribute TO this
object.
Virginia Old Line Wing Convention.
RICHMOND, July 1.-THE Convention me t
at ten this morning, and the Committee on
Resolutions not being ready TO report, the
Convention was addressed by MessrS. Terrett
of Orange, johnson of Richmond Speed of
Lynchburg, Kilby of Nansemond, and Carter
Of LOudoun, all Of whom expressed themselves
strongly In favor of Fillmore and Donelson,
and also Of a reOrganiz alton of the Whig