New-York daily tribune., 1856-07-19
THE SLAUGHTER
ON THE NORTH PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD
Sixty Killed-One Hundred Wounded.
FULL PARTICULARS FROM EYE WITNESSES.

We paid visit 10 the scene Of the late
distressing calamity on the North Pennsyiva-
MIA Railroad this morning. AS the train pro
ceeded through the streets of chat portion of
the city inhabited by those most afflicted BY the loss
of friends and relatives, tho people gathered in groups
at their doors and gaZed upon the cars with open
mouthed amazement, apparently wondering at the
audacty of the Company in continuing to carry pas
sengers after the late slaughter. AS we neared the
Cohocksink Depot mourniu professions were passing
through the street, bearing settees the burned and
blackoned bodies of parents ch dren, just rec0g-
nized such by the aid of shred of clothing, OF
little mark upon the skin. Children, too, sat In the
doorways nursing their bandaged limbs, while Others
half MANNED, hobbed about by the aid OF canes and
crutches. L. sorrowfu scene, and iearully suS
gestivc of the urutterable woe which had over
whelmed the merry-makers of the previous morning.
At the Cobocksink Depot, other bodies were IN
process of recognition, being taken away by their
friends The depot was full of people, numbering
seyeral thousands, but almost solemn stiffness
reiened o> OF them unbroken save by the hil whistle
and the warning bell Of the locomotive.
The course of The North Pennsylvania Railroad
runs through very uneven country and much OF the
track is laid in deep cuttings Where the collision
took place the road curves, within the bret
distance Of $50 yards very much like the
letter S. The excursion train was emerging
from q cutting below Camp Hill Depot, and go
ing at a tremendous rate of speed in consequence
of having experienced delays, when the down train
of which Van Stavorcn conductor, came through
deep cutting at The other end of the curve not more
than $50 yards distant and the collision was nevlta'
bic Owing to the depth of the cutting at the north
end of the curve tho top of which was crowned by
grove of large treea neither conductor could see the
approaching ran until it too late to check their
beadlorg career. Nor could re learn that the warn
irg whistle of either engine was sounded approach
irg this dangerous curve.
The scene which followed beggars description Five
large cars, filed with adults and children, were more
or less crushed; the tmbors of the three foremost
;Dterlocl1pg each other in fatal embrace. The en-
eines reared on end, their massive breastplates
crushed 10 atoms and their huge rods and cylinders
torn ard bent and shattered in every conceivable form
of destruction and then fell PROSTATE across the track
Butt this ruthless material destruction appalling
how terrific how awful was the destruction OF human
life which attended it From the spintercd ruins Of
those cars arose cries shreks groens and objurga
tions of uneartbly intensity while through their
iuptured edes and floors protruded the limbs and
bodies of scores of the dead wounded and dying, who
but 6 moment before were in the heyday Of happ-
ness. Paleied for few moments the bewdered sur
vivols could only gaze helplessy upon the horrors
before them. A reaction onsued, and then each flew
to the rescue, impelled by common instinct. But
no ordinary finite help could successfully cope with
those giant forces. One ran to neighbornS house
for an AK to stave in the panels of the cars others
got 1as from the fence to pry the great tmbers OFF;
while still others sought to dash in the win
dows and thus extrcate the inmates Then,
to add another depth to the horror OF the
calamity, the burning Goals from tho engines set the
cars ablaze ard the wreched people pnoned in their
seats, held between plks and climbers by their arms
Or legs AID wholly unable escape Were subjected
to the e1oruciatng agony Of roasting alive. From the
ew houses in The vicinity those whose energies were
not altogether Frustrated procured buckets and form
ipg in line rapidly passed water from the little brook
in the meadow hard by, to cxtinglish the hamos AS
well attempt to stem the torrent Of Niagara with
wavo OF the hand as qucnch these furious flames with
few water. pals The fire ragged resstlessy, and
loud above the roar and crackle 0. the flames arose
the helpless agonzing cry of the poor wrotces who
were expiring within Their terrible embraces.
At length fainter fewer sounds of suffering were
heard, and soon the spirit of the last victim of
this auto da f6 Of supendous recklehsness and fool
hardness took its flight to other spheres. To their
honor be it spoken the people near by, with single
exception lent what aid in their power to al
levaie the calamity. But it was little they could 90,
| except to sympa hze and soothe the survivors. VI
| the gay throng of hour before nearly sixty had
died deaths Of inconceivabe agony, and more than q
hundred others were Sd arting from wounds of every
degree and kind. To add to the misery Of tae
wounded the sun shining with intense iervor and
the ar fairly a-quver with heat, while there was
scarce tree or shrub to give them shelter or repose
4 blacksmith shop and the rude oepo-shed afforded
shelter for few, but the majority We're destitute o.
even these poor comforts.
AS soon as intelligence reached this city, car was
dispatched with medical men, and such other assist
ance as could be obtained, and people OF every con-
dition hurried off 20 the spot in vehicles OF every Kind
some on foot and those who could get standing piaces
on the train. Cohocksink Depot was beslegcd from
early morning until the next morning, by anxious
crowd of the residents Of kensngton and the scenes
which were enacted there yesterday would move the
steruest heart.
All Of the dead and wounded have been conveyed
to Philadelphia; that s, all of the dead that could
be found but when we were on the ground this morn.
inc men and boys were digging for money and valua-
bes in the ashes Of the fire. and every now and then
turred no pieces of burned flesh and particles OF
charred BORE not larger than the little finger an1 some
sualler These were carefully collected together and
buried near by. A sickenrg odor Oh burned 1csh hled
the atmosphere in the neighborhood, and rendeled II
exceedingly difficult TO reman on tho spot long without
suffering from nausea. There are several pels 2ns
missing. mostly children, whose bodies doubt
entirely consumed, and of the bodies which were