Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1856-05-19
The Fatal Accident ON the Panama
Railroad,

X
sengers from Aspinwall to Panama,) who left
New York on the 21st of last April, by steamer
Geo. Law, for California, furnishes to the New
York Times a detailed statement of that terrible
disaster which resulted in the destruction of
many lives, and the manning and wounding of
scores, if not hundreds of human beings. The
train consisted of eighteen passenger cars and
two baggage cars. 1t was drawn by powerful To-
connective, and going at the highest rate of speed,
was thrown from the track. by the spreading of
the rails, and the most of the cars were thrown
violently together and smashed to pieces.
Mr.. Armstrong says:
l was seated in the seventh passenger car
from the locomotive. The train was gorg at
an unusually high rate of speed so much so
that the fact was subject of remark among
the passengers generally in the car in which
sat. The speed was commented upon as dan
gerous, from the frequent and short curves in
the road. l felt somewhat alarmed, and put
my head out of the window. / did not have
my head out more than minute, when 1 saw
the front passenger car Gas the train was pass
ing curve) suddenly force the outer rail from
its place, and darting from the track, instan-
taneously turn complete side summerset.-
All l recollect from that moment is feeling a
killed." l saw the passengers jump to their
feet, and made a jump myself, but how or
where know not l only know that found
myself in an instant landed upright on my
feet in a pond alongside the track. l either
jumped or was thrown some twelve feet from
the track. The scene that ensued it is i'm
possible to describe. The locomotive and first
baggage car, having retained their place on
the track, proceeded some distance, as if un-
conscious Of the sudden sundering of the link
that connected them with the remaining cars
of the train. The seven cars succeeding the
one first throw from the track were min
gled mass of shattered fragments. They had
been thrown sideways, lengthways, cross
ways, bottom side up, sides up, ends up, and
in every imaginable way. Portions of the
wreck were submerged in the pond of water
on either side of the track. The cries OF
agony that rose from amid the ruins were
heart piercing. Here was visible an arm and
there a leg, with no other appendage. In
another place was presented the sad spectacle
of head separated from the body, and again
the trunk of human body, shorn entirely of
its head and limbs. As soon as possible after
the crash, those uninjured turned their atten-
ton to discover the extent of loss Of life and
wounds sustained. 1t was found that beyond
the first eight cars, the injury to the passen-
gers did not extend. except in occasional
bruises, to those occupying the two passenger
cars directly following the eight. Both of
these latter cars were thrown from the track,
and the occupants received more or less con-
tusions. The remaining cars of the train re-
tanned their places on the rails, and the peo-
pie inside received ITO injuries other than some
slight bruises.
While those having escaped personal injury
were seeking to recover from beneath the
wreck those still giving symptoms of life, the
locomotive detached from the train, which
had come back to the scene of disaster was
dispatched to Aspinwall for help to search for
the dead and wounded The place of the ac-
cident vas near Gatun's bridge, only aine
miles distant from Aspinwall. The track for
some distance was completely torn up, so that
the cars still remaining on the track could not
be attached to the engine in front. At ABOUT
4 P. NJ, train returned from Aspinwall--
In the interval the wounded passengers suf-
fered greatly from thirst. Many of them
drank from the muddy pond on either side of
the track, though it was red with human
blood. Fortunately, a supply of water was
brought by the train, which greatly alleviated
their sufferings. Fifty three wounded pas
sengers were placed on the cars and taken to
! Aspinwall. for medical and surgical treat
ment.
No physicians came with the train, though
the reason why none were sent is not explain
! ed. The bodies Of the dead, as far as recov-
cred from the wreck, were not removed. 1t
was about Z. NJ. when the first train re-
| turned to Aspinwal.
/ remained to assist in digging out the dead
bodies. The night was dark, and by the dim
light shed over the ground by few lanterns,
showing visibly here and there heaps of dead
bodies, and the increasing means and shrieks
of the wounded, added to the mournful couu-
tensnces Of those at work in the removal of the
shattered wreck, made it scene never to be
forgotten. At o'clock in the morning, a
second train arrived from Aspinwal, and car
| ried back more of the wounded. None bit
steerage passengers aoere injured. Two young
men in company with myself, and occupying
sests directly in front Of me, were instantly
killed. Their names were VIM. McMillen
| and James Crawley, of Rochester, New York.
The former leaves wife and two children. =
l learned that all the brakemen of the train
were killed. Over eight hundred persons
were on the train-of these l should presume
that three hundred were killed and seriously
wounded.
In the midst of all this terrible suffering, the
owners of that line behaved with characteristic
heartlessness which initiated by the Rail
Road officials and hotel keepers.
Major Armstrong of the u s. Army, father of
the young man who gave the above statement to
the Times, and who was at Aspinwall when the
first load of the wounded passengers were brought
in, saws
Those having money and friends were ia.
ken to the hotels and private houses. and
the Others to the hospital. The departure
OF the George Law, announced to sail at 10
O'Clock 2. NJ, was postponed. called at the
hospital and at all the hotels and private resi-
dences where the wounded had been convey
ed, to find il my son was among the number.
OF his safety knew nothing till his return
on the morning after the accident. The
Crescent City, the st. Charles, and the How
ard House would not receive the wounded
The railroad company would not give list us
far as they knew of the killed and wounded,
for transmission to New York, and neither
would they permit any of the passengers on
the train at the time of the accident, who es-
capped uninjured, to return to New York The
officers of the George Law also refused 10 car
ry such passengers, though many were desir-
Gus OF coming. My son was the only passen-
ger on the i'll fated train who came the in
steamer to New York.
Amherst is the first town in western Massa-
chusetts which has moved for the election of dele