Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1857-03-21
THE LATE RAILROAD CALAMITY.

THE LATE RAILROAD CALAMITY.
The Canadian journals are filed with the details and
incidents of the tragedy at Hamilton The Toronto Colo
mist has list Of all the passengers the fatal train so
far ascertained The whole number is put down at
ninety three Of these si1tythree killed, fifteen
injured, two of whom have since died and fifteen
escaped unhurt This statement differs considerably
from our previous information. Which is nearest the
truth cannot be known The following incidents
described by the Colonist viii be read with painful
interest:
Every person in the first passenger car except Owen
Doyle James Barton, of Stratord, and children be-
tween eight and nine years of age persisted The
Of these seems miraculous. One OF the children war
thrown out of window to the ice it knows NOT hor
The other dragged out of window having 5een up
to its neck In water for fifteen minutes In almost
senseless They little boy and little GIRL
brother and sister 4hey car yecolleci nothing the
fearful crash and being thrown upon their heads Their
mother, father and uncle persisted, and Owen Doyle
who saved himself is their uncle. He saved himself by
forcing his way out of window the water rush
ing in He remembers swimming to the ice and then
lost consciousness James Barton cannot tell how he got
out of the window. He recoIects but wild scream,
being dashed against the ceiling of the Hasense
less and half-drowned he made last spring for
dow. He was picked off Of cake of ice a few minutes
afterwards senseless. The two children marvellous to
say, but slightly injured and Doyle and Barton are
but comparatively little hurt Doyle had his brother,
and sister-in-law cousins and cousins wife, and
two nieces all killed drowned and what with his own
injuries the fearful excitement of the he has pass
ed through and the loss of SO many near and dear to
him, the poor fellow wandered about almost bere of his
memory and his senses. Barton father also lost.
They sitting together when the car was turned up
side down. and they dashed against the top of it.
The escape of Richardson Mr. UrqBart of the express
the mail-conductor and the baggagemaster was equally
marvellous When the locomotive and tender went into the
abyss literally the baggage-car swung around apparent
ly going over and broke loose from the tender
c+r I'm rhQ lQff of
where the locomotive disappeared and slid, strong
the ice, short distance. never overturned; and
its three inmates though thrown upon trunks and all
Of things strange and happy to say escaped with
but barely tring bruises The conductor, hearing the
smash Of the bridge and standing at the open door OF
the car eaped out just at the brink of the abyss He
escaped unhurt.
In the second car the persons saved were the
ductor Mr.. Barrett, the deputy superintendent, M.
Muir and Mr. Jessop, an auditor. They on the
platform of the last car and jumped off when they heard
the conclusion.
THE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT.
In the present stage of the proceedings before the CO.
roners Jury and in view of the deep responsibility that
may be attached to the railroad company we desire 10
speak with all proper upon the cause OF TINS
awful calamity Still feel called upon to state few
facts which every who inspected the bridge must
have observed and which the people at large desire to
understand
The first is that the train went of the track st
ALL because there no marks OF the wheels Whatever
beginning about forty to fifty feet from the bridge ~
the track itself These as if bolt q somet1Gg
the kind had rot bose and s,iplss
and tore in the ties. At first they very slight
amounting to scratches As they near the bridge
they become deeper and finally before going the
bridge, whatever il that broken slipped down
shaved off piece of the solid stone about inch and
half deep. This obsruction-and 1t did as if
it broken axle because it neither made the marks
broken axle would have made, was in the place
the track broken axle would have moved upon
have in contact with the timbers Of
the bridge and literally cut them in two swept them
before it, These timbers wholly unprotected
by fooring and it obvious, if either broken axle
any other obstruction in contact with Them they
must either have given way thrown the engine off the
track If the latter the the bridge would of
be standing if the locomotive had been thrown
it. The bridge having given way it the
obstruction whether broken axle not broke it down.
And this would the more probable from the fact
that the locomotive literally cut its way through the
bridge that is it broke Of it than actually
necessary let itself down We do not wish go fur
ther into the ineciency of the bridge its imperfect
construction. The locomotive manfestly went the
bridge the track That is obvious and ndispuable
The bridge breaking down with it, whether axle
were broken not settles the matter of inadequate
sruction As to the train running the bridget teo
fast it is in Judgment falscy because, the train
going unusual speed for the place. the people
who jumped off and unhurt could have done so,
or might have been killed if they did.