Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1856-07-21


@. the Trginian thaf an appalling acciden, hal
occurred on Thursday morning, near Phi!sdel
phia.
The Baffetin OF Thursday afternoon contains
a long account of the distressing calamity, +,
which Is appended lis, of the wounded md
Killed We extract portion of the Bulletins
account:
About nine o'clock. this morning the appalling
intelligence reached The city TINT u collision hal
occurred upon the North Pennsylvania Railroad
between the regular morning train from Gwyncad
and an excursion train that left the city at five
o'clock this morning, with nrge patty of school
children with their teachers, &c
The particulars. so far as we have been able
10 CLEAN them from reliable sources, are as fol
lows:
a, FIVE O'Clock this morning special train of
ten cars l"ft the Master Street Depot with the
schools of st. Miehnel's Roman Catholic Church.
in kcnsington. The excursion party consisted
of between five and six hundred persons the
great minority Of whom were children. They
intended proceeding to Fort Washington. four.
teen ana half miles from tho city, where they
were to enjoy picnic.
Owing to the number of cars. and the weight
OF the train there was soine deluy. and the con.
dnctor, Mr. Alfred f. IIoppel, finding himself
behind time, pushed forward with great rapiditv
when towards the end Of his trip.
The regular passenger train for the city left
Gwynedd at six O'Clock, aud reached Camp HiIl
at q O'Clock and ls minutes. Finding the ex-
curslon train Ind not yet arrived. Mr.. VIM Van
stavorcn, the Conductor. determined not 10 wait
for It, and his train was moving along when the
expected train came laundering on around I,
curve, Mt the rate Of 30 miles an hour \ coli
son Of course eiHued with the most appalling
consequences.
The down train escaped without serious dam
fhpS tod b
train was fearful. The three forward car. of the
train were crushed completely to pieces, and tn,
wreck mingling with that of the Locomotive took
htc. and the flames communicated to the other
cars of the train. The two next cars after the
three thai were wrecked outright tnok Ere and
were entirely consumed.
The in mates of the three forward cars were
completely mixed up with the wreck, and large
number Of them were killed outright Their
w'r" probably fifty persons in cuch Of the three
c"r1 aud the lowest estimate We heard fix the
number of killed at fifty, while it WIS feared the
freud aggregate you'd reach one manfred.
When Que il '.'rnlaht LEFT the spot. every effort
- being mad II rescue the wounded aud the
l., "f the dead from the wreck Everything
he widest commission. and it was OF course
h'e Under the circumstances to arrive
.tIv certainty NJ the number of the victims,
p. pr"i"nd to ob,oin any particulars to their
Ar Hoppel, the conductor, escaped with very
little injury. Harry Harris, the engineer of the
excursion train, was cut to pieces and killed in
stantiy. and john l}agans. the fireman, is among
the missing, and it is believed he is under the
wreck.
As soon as the dreadful intelligence reached
the city dispatched with ali possible
speed from the Master street depot with physi
clans and other assistance.
inc IF hon III
mrdiatev repaired 10 the office If the company,
at Front and Willow streets, nut the ~ o'clock
train had ia>t Icfl the station
y then proceeded along the line of the road
to Inc ouirr depot of the Company, where he found
the Vice President and Engineer Of the road Mt
the depot, which was surrounded by thousands of
excited men and women.
lie was informed that an attempt had been
made TO send hand cars along the road TO the
scene of the accident, but thcy had been imme
diately SURROUNDED by the mob, and the police
and the employees Of the company had the al
most difficulty in keeping them from being run
off with.
The excitement NJ the Willow Street station
was also intense. Exelird>ctowds were eagerly
inqnring for the latest intelligence from the
scene, while those who had children on the Ill
fated train we're in the most dreadful condition
Of su- ppnse.
circulated, a large number of persons who ina
gined their friends might be among the injured.
also proceeded TO the outer station.
Mr.. VIM. Swain was at Chestnut Hill, about 3
miles distant, when the disaster occurred. he im'
inrdiu,ely FASTENED to the spot. and he furnishes
US with the following particulars of the catastro-
phe that came under his own observation;
The scene was the most awful | ever witness
ed. OF five cars nothing left standing bat
tl,n III, ,l, Una AT al
destroyed. a number of the dead were lying in
a heap So dreadfully burned that You could not
tell whether they mrn women. Among
these was. il is believed, the Rev Mr.. Sheridan.
priest IF St. Mcheel's Church. lie was with I'll"
excursion party, and his body was not found.
Under the ruins the bodies of some fifteen or
eighteen persons could be seen. No portion "i
them could be reached but their hmb--here
leg protruded and there arm or head could b"
discovered. The cars could be seen burning for
II distance of four miles. and the Chestnut Hi
Fire Company FASTENED TO the spot.and by their
oxprtions in extiugnishing the flames, served ma
trray in the work Of rtscung the dead.
I people around the neighborhood hhStened
f., tho dreadful scenr. aud by every means IN
their mower assisted in the relief Of the wounded.
Fortunately. there was a quantity OF ice and zee
cream on the train; this was gwen to the wound
ed; il refreshed them greatly
As the train ot baggage cars sem Wy ""'" WI
city approached the spot, the scene h'egarrd al
dc.crintion: some from the city W." had friends
~, the excursion, Jumped out before the tram
stepped and sought their friends, who too often.
were dead or horribly lnniiated. lh'ir shr'ehN
would nngo will, bo.eot the dying. Ne" lrft
th,ir work for miles around. and came to the
.yot and rendered ri the assstanc" in their pow
er Many were helping to remove the i'c1'n"-
..vn ,nlpr which were many bodies; Inc hea'
,.. 80, intense that 1t was almost impo,''olr !"
ron. anv assistance 10 those IN the runs IN"
Ga. - Engine and Hose Company ct Nhest
., ,.i arrived on the ground about O'Clock;