Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1856-05-21
IATl,S / NEWS.
The Panama Railrn,a Aae.a,

The Panama Railroad Accident
The accident that occurred on the p,n,,,. rail
ROAD on The Oh at May was far more disastrous
IMAM we were led 10 believe from tho ,elesranhie
accounts The New York papers contain the
s,ttem'alf ut passengers who were on board Mr.
ohrw. IN Il communication to the Trhmp, saws.
was seated in one If the rear cars and the
nrst sensation felt sudden Jerk aud imnpdi
ateiy looking out of the window could So. The
cars rushing upon each other until nine in mum.
Der were completely demolished Every car was
crowded with passengers. each containing nj
least sixty persons. At the present il is imnos-
sihle to estimate the number killed and wounded
or th-lr names, but when we consider that there
were not less than five hundred persons in the
cars mat these were shivered to atoms, it must
be low estimate to say that fifty were killed and
at least hundred, ,.nd. PERHAPS. many more
badly wounded
The Times has letter from Mr. Alfred L.
Armstrong, OF Illinois, who states that there
were eighteen passenger and two other cas- AT.
tach'o 70 the tram which was going at an unusu.
al speed when the accident occurred He adds
The locomotive and first baggage car having
retained their place on the track. proceed d
some distance, Us if unconscious If the sudden
sundering OF the link that connected them with the
remaining cars of the train. The seven cars sue.
ceedng The one first thrown from the track were
mingled mass of shattered fragments.-They
had been thrown sideways, lengthways, cross
ways; bottom side up; ends up, and in every I'M
aginable way. Portions of the wreck were sub
merged IN the pond of water on either side of the
track. The cries of agony that arose from amid
the ruins were heart piercing Here was visible
an arm, and there leg. with no other append,re.
In another place was presented the sad specta-
Gle OF a head separated from the BODY, and sgaip
the trunk of a human body shorn entirely of its
head aud limbs.
II was found that beyond the first eight cars
tho injury to the passengers did not extend ex-
cept IN occasional bruises, to those occupying
the two passenger cars directly following the
eighth Both OF these latter cars were thrown
from the track, and the OCCUPANTS received more
or less Commissions. The remaining cars of the
train retained their places on the rails, and the
people inside received no injuries other than
some slight bruises. While those who had es
capped injury were seeking to recover from be-
meath the wreck those still giving symptoms of
life the locomotive was sent back for aid At a.
bout =. Nj, II train returned from Aspinwa,
In the interval the wounded passengers suffered
dreadfuy from thirst. Many of them drank
from the muddy pond on either side of the track
though it was red with human blood Fortu-
nately, supply of water was brought by the
train, which greatly alleviated their sufferings
Fifty three wounded passengers were placed on
the cars and taken TO Aspinwa for medical and
surgical treatment
remained to assist in digging out the dend
bodies. The night was dark, and 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,
I added t. the monrnfu c"unttnancps of those at
work IN the removing of the shattered wreck
made II a scene never to be rorgntten. At four
O'Clock in the morning, a second train arrived
/ from ASpinwall and carried back more of the
wounded The bodies of tho dead and some of
| the wounded still remained at the scene Of the
disaster. ! did net get the names Of any of the
| killed or the wounded. None but steerape pas-
sengers ,oere injnrsd. Two young men IN com
pany with myself, aud accup, ing the seat direct
| u in front # IRE, were instantly killed Their
hamAs were VIM. McAlillcn and james Crawiey,
| Of r. chester. y. Y.
I 1t appears that three trains had lift Aspinwall
that morning for Panama, with the pas seneers of
| the steamer Grorge Law, in numl".r near nine
hundred. \ baggage train preceded the pa sen
| gers. and the engine off the track on Obi-po
bridge. some fifteen miles This side of Panama. =
! Passage being impossible after this mi.hapt was
| determined to send the passengers back to Aepn
| wall At Mntachin. two miles this side of the
! Oh spo, one Of the two engines gave out. and the
other engine had to take both trains. consisting
of some twenty ears. About half II mile the 9th
er side of Gatun bridge the second car from the
! locomotive ran off tl, lack, from some cause
! now nexpleabr, and the ght others followed.
with the consequences above stated.