The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1857-03-27
Correspondence Of the Daily Gate City.
The Terrible Disaster Ii Canada
Impressions of nn Eyewitness.
Aston House., N. Y. City,
Mach 1Stb iGk-

Aston TIousE, N. Y. City,
March 18th, 1857.
arrived in this city late last night, and
have not been long enough here to give any
city news that would be Of much interest in
your latitude. There is much talk of
stringency in the money market, and that
Railroad securities are much depressed, or
rather that there is no sale at present, and
that it is an unpropitious time to offer any
new securities in this market.
Like thousands Of other men, stopped at
Hamilton, c. W., to visit the scene of the
great Railroad tragedy. Up to the time of
my visit, on Monday last, there had been
sixty-one deaths, victims Of this unfortunate
calamity | suppose that you have, by tele-
graph, received all the leading characters
ties of the accident.
I The accident occurred at the Des Jardines
Canal, about one and-a half miles west of
Hamilton. The structure is a pivot-swing
bridge, which Is about 60 feet above the sur
face of the water, the water being from Is
TO Is feet deep. The train was an accom-
mediation train from Toronto for Hamilton,
and was due at the latter place at 80 p. NJ.
The number of passengers is variously esti-
mated from SO to lbs, Of whom only Is were
taken from the wreck alive, and of these six
have since died, and the lives Of others are
dispaired Of.
The engine and tender, in their awful leap,
plunged so deep into the canal that the water
entirely covered them and nothing has been
seen of them since. The baggage and passen.
ger cars are all complete wrecks. The for
ward passenger car was carried forward with
such velocity that it was hurled through the
air, turning completely upside down, and
was nearly buried beneath the surface of the
water, and every passenger in it who wns not
single being from that Inflated car has been
taken out alive. Not one soul that went
down in that fearful plunge ever saw day
light again.
While at the place Of disaster, | heard
much complaint as to the manner of remoy-
ing the bodies from the wreck, ms being most
brutal. No litters were provided to move
the dead with, or anything to cover their
mangied bodies when moved, but the labor
ers shonldered them in the manner Of wooding
Mississippi steamer, and threw them on a
platform car to be taken down to the Hamil-
ton station. There was no head to attend to
the management of the laborers, or if there
/ was, it must seem that he was entirely des-
titute of all regard for the proprietes Of life.
! II is the general impression that the bridge
WINS insufficient in strength. OF that / do
not wish at this time 10 hazard an opinion.
! The entire lower chord timbers, (the width
Of the span,) and the cross timbers, together
with the lower portion Of the cross braces,
are carried away. In this connection would
mention that John I. CLARK, of Utica, N. T.,
who was Chief Engineer Of the Great West.
ern at the time Of the construction Of this
bridge, and who accepted it, was, under
stood, at Hamilton, and had been requested
to remain to give testimony before the Coro.
"D' ~ ~ boia w VIC snicts Va sbN bitA
This is q new idea to call on man to prove
that his own work is all correct.
The crowds Of people congregated at diff
ferent places were enormous. At the depo,
buildings thousands were TO be seen, oil cage,
to catch the least possible intelligence Of tn.
disaster, or Of the recovered dead. AT the
suspension bridge, over the place of disaster
. crowds were continually coming ard going
! and at the baggage building, where the deaf
. were deposited, the excitement was intense
The building was surrounded with expectan
crowds, and the countenance Of many pre-
sented the most melancholy appearance.
. Every accessible door and crack was occu
pied with persons anxiously peering into tn,
charnei ihouse among the stitfened corpses
) 10 see il the familiar face OF some dea,
friend or relative was not recognizable.
among the horribly mutia,ed dead, which
' lay arranged in rows On the bare floor Of tn,
, baggage building. attempted to look il
. upon the dead, while thus arranged, but thu
> scene that met my view at the first step in.
side, stopped me, and with faltering steps, i
sick heart, uud ewes that could not see.