Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1856-05-24
THE PANAMA RAILROAD ACCIDENT
ACCOUNT NY A PASSENGER.

| The accident that occurred on the Panama
railroad, on the 9Th Of May, was far more
disastrous than NO we're led TO believe from
! the accounts published in tue Aspnwall aud
| Panama papers, an4s Ehich wc gave on Sat
urday. The train, with the sieerage passen-
gers who went out with the George Law had
nearly reached Panama when the Superin-
| tendent discovered that they could not reach
there in time for the steamer, and fearing to
expose the passengers TO the Violence again
of the Panama outlaws, il was sent back
when the cars ran off, iu consequence OF an
irrraunrity at the joint Of the rail. There
were three trains on the line Of road At the
time, two Of which hid broken toa'a. All
| cf Che trsins were formed into one, end con-
| sisted of twenty cars The engine was IA
| powerful one, and drew the cars ulong at full
speed, without difficulty. Que Of the passeD-
gers describes the accident MS follows:
! was seated in the seventh passenger car
from the locomotive. The train was going
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 dangerous, from the frequent and short
curves in the road. felt sonew what alarmed,
ana put m, head out Of the windows. did
not have my head out more than minute
when saw the front passenger car (as the
tram was passing curve) suddenly lorce the
outer rail from its place, and dariing from
the track, instantanrousy turn complete
SHE summerset. All | recollect from that
moment is feeling II sudden crash and crying
out, 1--WE are all killed" ! saw the passen-
gers jump 10 their feet, and | made n jump
myself. but how or where know not only
know that j found myself in an instant Ian
ded upright on my feet in pond alongside
the track. either jumped or was thrown
some twelve feet from the track
The scene that ensued it is impossible TO
describe. The locomotive and first baggage
| car having retained their place on the track,
proceeded some distance, as if unconscious ui
the sudden sundering of the link that con-
nected them with the remaining cars Of the
train. The seven cars succeeding the one
first thrown from the track were u mingled
mass Of shattered Fragments. They had been
thrown sideways, lenythways, crossways,
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 arose from amid the ruins were
heart piercing. Here was visible au arm,
and there leg. with no other appendage.
In another place was presented the sad spec
! taclc OF a head separated from the body, and
again the trunk OF ham@n body shorn en-
/ tirely OF its head and limbs.
| AS soon as possible after the crash. those
uninjured turned their attention to discover
! the extent Ct loss Of life ami wounds sns-
tanned. Ii was found that beyond the first
eight cars, the injury to the passengers did
not extend, except IL ocCasiu.a. bruises, 10
those occupying the two passenger cars di-
rectly following the eight. Both Of these
latter cars were thrown from the track, and
the occupants received more or less contu-
sions. The remaining cars Of the train re-
/ tained their places OF the rails, and the peo-
! pie inside received no injuries other than
some slight bruises While those having es-
capped personal injury were seeking 10 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 the disaster Was dispatched TO As
! pinwall for he ? to search for the dead and
/ wounded.
! The place Of the accident was near Gatuns
bridge, only nine miles distance from Aspin-
| wall. The track for some distance was COM
| petely torn up, 80 that the cars still remain
| ing on the track could not be attached TO
the engine in front. At about 4 u. NJ,
train returned from Aspinwal. In the inter
val the wounded passengers suffered dread
| fully from thirst Many of them drank from
| the muddy pond on eithar side Of the track
! though il was red with human blood For
tunately, supply of water was brought by
the train, which greatly aHeviatrd their
suiierngs. Firiy-tIree wounded passengers
were placed on the cars and taken to Aspin-
wall for medical and surgical treatment
! No physicians came with the train. though
| the reason why none We're sent was not ex-
| pianed The bodies Of the dead, as far as
] r.l th,.
1t was about s O'clock in the evening when
| the FIRST traia returned to Aspinwall
! remained to assist in digging out the dead
! bodies. The night was dark and with the
dim light shed over the ground by q few
lanterns, showing visibly here ard there
heaps Of dead bodies. and the increasing
nouns and shrieks OF the wounded. added to
/ the mournlul counteEances Of those ut work
| in The removal Of the shattered wreck, made
! IT n scene never To be forgotten. At four
! O'Clock in the morning, Il second train arrived
/ from Aspinwal. and carried back more Of the
wounded. left in this train. The bodies
of the dead and some of the wounded still
remained mt the scene Of the disaster. ! did
not get the agmes Of any of the killed or
/ wounded. Two young men in company with
myself. and occupying the seat directly in
/ front of me, were Instantly killed. Their
names were Wm. McStIen aud james
Cramey, of Rochester, New York. The
/ former leaves wife and two children. ]
! learned that all the orakesmen Of the train
were killed. Over eight hundred persons
were on the train. OF these J should pre-
sumo that three hundred were killed and
seriously wounded
Col. Tottea writes, ave can only count,
a. yet fifteen killed and sixty wounded badly.
The wounded have all been brought TO our
hospital ut this place, where they are receiv-
ing the attention OF our OWN surgeons"
Mr. Shew. passenger, says, Il was seated
! in one of the rear cars, and the FIRST sensation
] felt was a sudden jerk. and Immediately
looking out of the window | could see the
ears rushing npon each other until nine in
number were completely demolished. Every
car was crowded with passengers, containing
at least sixty persons"