Smyrna times., 1856-07-23
Communication.
Correspondence Of the Smyrna Times
Letter from PhiladeIphla.
PHILADELPHIA, July 20, 1856.

"ee"H n"tes 10 the Times, 1t has been my lot
TO record several fatal accidents-thp most fa .
'a' Oh any that has occurred for many n ,lav, in
these parts, took place last Thursday.
On this morning of the day stated above the
sunday School of st Michael's Roman Catho-
lIc Church, IN the l7th ward, started on an OK.
cnrson to place on the North prnnsvl"onia
Railroad About 500 persons, mostly children.
were on Ia" tram, and everything PROMISED to
go on well, until within mile or two of tbo;,
u""'lha'i"n' when collision occurred with one
o' Inc down trains. II srrms that the cxcur.
sion tram was behind time, and the condurtor
to gam the next station, drove the enrjpe -,
the rate 0l 81 miles per honr; the couduct,.ro ot
'he down tram from Gwynncd to this CITY. after
waiting awhile at Fort Washington, concluded
10 run down easy, and had The whistle soun6cd
as they proceeded along bat from the ttarul
speed Of the other train, and in ronnd;pp .
curve where 1t is impossible to see more than
i've hundred yards ahead, both trains came j.,
collision. The locomotives went r;rb, iD,o
each other while the passenger cars were spIn
and crushed To pieces, some of which inmcdi.
atrly took fire, and many of the inmates that
wSra not killed by the conclusion were burnt
TO death. Over fifty were killed and burnaa
on the spot; some Of the wounded have sinca
died and many more will, as their wounde y 70
ol Such Character that it will be bevond tho
power ct man to heal. Every conceivable kind
and degree OF wound was to be seen. and moth.
ing save signs of agony from the wounded or
thelr aililcted friends and relatives met ono's
eyes at the scene of disaster AS soon nc tho
accident occurred, the farmers living in tho
vicinity Ol the scene, rendered every assistance
excepting one individual who wanted SIN N
=" I"f Il physician. After the fire of the burn.
ing cars was put out, the bodies of those wbo
we're burned beyond recognition were pathered
oEe'her. In blacksmith shup near whore
me accident occurred, there were tvrnty.nna
burned bodies. Under a Temporary sbej I,r
The bodies of eight other human beings 90
charred as to be utterly unrecognizable Ne,r
Where The engines came in collision nor,;o,o =:
hulhah bodies lay among the smokinr ti,nbors
ana the bent iron. All were burned in tr,e ,no.,
AorrIbIe manner, and of the whole nnuher ,L,ra
were many that were SO mntiiatcd thar tboro -
NOT the slightest hope Of their beinO Identified
very lew had any Ves.ige of their clotbinq la,i
0" 'helr bodies, and the head and limbs of many
were burned entirely OF! On Friday mornin',
tlere were h!teen bodies at the Master etrnaf
=, uePot 'nat cannot possibly be recognised =
,So'lle OF the bodies of the victims were ent;ro-
y consumed. EX-Lieut Davis, in SEARCHING
t"O"s c 'he aShes under the machinery, found n
Nv. "'oiic' human bones In two places. They
'' "i'"oul doubt, all that was loft of two
"u" io1 oeings' The remains Of both could
auls oe Aeid IN the palm of the hand. 1t is |
- 4I '"e power OF any one TO give an accu- |
ra'e description without writing colunns oe
nothing so horrible and So fnll nf ;no;In,1'
'fdEery ana suffering ever occurred bcC,ra 20
ny knowledge, anywhere. The d,ai.nIt, ac
'focaf'ng water, and 40 axes and other nccas
"FE apparatus being being at hand. those uL.
escaped were obliged to stand bv and 500 tho;r
tehas burnt up in the fragments of the cars
among inc Killed was Father Sheridan. pr;ssi
i 81. MlchaeIs church. One OF the first thai
iouSht the news OF the calamity was a how ~
'''" vi age VINO escaped from the train and
a" ~ t"e CITY. lie went to the house orc n
: Nei'' ESD, and informed him of th,. acc;
'"'' MI O.S iamIly were on the eycurs;o,
"u '"c news soon spread like wild fire. and
ui1FeuS :, crowded to the depot ofthe comn,n,
'hlie others took any kind of convcvonro -
~ scene, "A boy whose father and mother
ere Oh the tram, started to walk 10 tho d;sao {
- Ou' leil exhausted after proceediuo ton
l'leS IN the hot sun. The accident occurroI
bout miles from the CITY. "''eu I
"iosl VI the engineers were killed. and Tho
"u"''or OF the excursion train was badly in.
reu' Mr.. Nanstavoren, the conductor oi ,ho q
,"h fSiil' committed suicide Oh Friday. bv ta. a
hs Gose OF arsenic. He received no min b
"a. a. the disaster, but the excitement and los
."c Preyed on his mind to such an extont
~ nc committed the fatal deed. Mr. V wns Fl
you"e man ana much respected. He was \
ieu .,t' oM I sunday afternoon. The funeral of W
- oL H"erioan took place on Saturday at 81 al
'.naei "a church. Rev. DIR. Moriartv ieI;yor Ii
'ne olatioh and high mass was performed al
,o;nir ""' 't 'neh taken and placed in grave bI
- '."s nf 'ie church. The scene at the church q
eue most imposing kind that coulJ be ar
,ho - "'Fge concourse assembled to ir'
'he service, as also the friends and eli "
Io"r OF the Victims whose bodies woro rioS OF
u ''ie altar. The lighted candles and woon- re-
congregation, and the five bodies baGora ,t. IN,
il' together with the solemn peals from, ,ho 96
a" ana choT, impressed one with faeI;nr. ba
'1 reauiiy imagined than describcd r. III
iuay large number of the victims No. n,
ou' uia"Ung together in the upper psrt NJ tai
"lge concourse of people. The n.- tin
many OF the lost are of that class who
not always have the means at hand 70 rooo, ""e
. caiamltIes in the families, and an snnooi @ eae
- 'orth on Thursday in their behalf! h.. a." e,,'
lay night over $500 were left at the ~ ~ t .ot
'FT newspaper Office, besides the contrib - ot'l l
ol oI one individual of $500. Other snOs eo. eou
olamG % as yet ls positively fastened pnor So S,''
,'';s T III" c"roners of Montgomery coun,v nee
'"'S Guy are proceeding with the ,nves,;- :
NEE
w. HiTo- of {
on - VI THE STEAMER lNnIANA.-Tbe aud
y y" ooaFd The steamer Northern lud;an" scar
u was burned on Lake Erie on The IT' Is,L' of
or'slHated in the VOID work of the chi'n ,%n~ nan
IA nly minutes after the firr biokc '''" "m, the
W. was '" s nnrned to the waters edge. The mos
80 L.. -