The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1857-03-19

From the Buffalo CommsrcialA dvertiser. 18th
Appalling Casuality!-.-Upwards Of sc
Lives Lost.
A frightful accident occurred on the
Great Western Railway, at the Bridge
over the Des Jardines Canal, four miles
north east of Hamilton, Canada West.
yesterday afternoon, between FIVE and six
o'clock. Our intelligence is imperfect and
contradictory in respect to the details. but
there seems to be no reasonable doubt
that more than eighty lives were destroy
ed by the terrible disaster. The bridge
across the canal swings, and the accident
was caused by the defective manner in
which it was constructed. 1t was local
train from Toronto TO Hamilton, leaving
Toronto at 4.IO P. NJ, and was due at
Hamilton at $40, which met with the ia
tai disaster.
There were no through passengers up
emit. most ofthe victims being from those
two places. 1t is supposed that the train
which passed East short time before,
sunk the bridge so much that the locomo-
tive Of this train was obstructed by the
abutment to such degree that the pas.
senger cars were raised up and thrown in
to the canal. II is said that there were
ninety eight passengers on the train. and
that only fourteen were rescued alive.
The water in the canal is 18 feet deep,
and all who were not Immediately extrica-
ted must have been drowned, of course.
Mr.. Bridges. the managing director Of
the Great Western Road, and DR.. Mack
lem and Mr.. Street. both of Chippewa.
were on the train. but escaped with their
lives. although they are said to be consid-
erably injured.
We hear flying rumors of the most
painful description, in respect to several
gentleman well known in this city; but as
they may prove unfounded, we refrain
from giving them currency.
FURTHER PARTICULARS FROM AN EYE W.T.
NESS.
Our informant was at the scene Of dis
aster. at 7 o'clock this morning. The
place where the accident took place is
short distance beyond Hamilton, where
two bridges cross the Welland Canal at
an elevation of about go feet above the
water. When he arrived parties were
still busy in extricating the dead bodies
from the wreck. There lay the shatter-
ed remains of the baggage car and two
passenger cars, the first on its side. and
one OF the passenger cars turned com
pletely bottom side upward and about
two-thirds submerged; the other lay near,
also complete wreck. While gazing on
the sad scene. the body of a woman was
brought out-the legs drawn up and the
arms extended rigid in death.
In an clubhouse adjoining the station
house at Hamilton were about fifty or six
ty corpses laid out on the floor, men wo-
men and children. No inquest had yet
been held. Most of the passengers were
of Hamilton, Toronto. and the adjoining
towns. Mr.. Zimmerman, Mr.. Buchanan,
Vice. President of the road, aud Capt.
Twohey. popular commander on Lake
Ontario, were among the victims. Only
one lady passenger was saved, and she
with considerable many cuts and bruises.
A German lad who was in the hind car,
seeing the conductor hastily retrcating to
the back door, took alarm and followed, |
and he with the conductor and two others
were the only ones who escaped with tri-
fling injuries-tumbling out of the cars
just as it made its 6nal pitch into the deep
chasm.
But fifteen persons were taken alive
from the wreck, and of these five have
since died from their injuries. The num-
Der of persons on the train is variousy es-
timated at from seventy Eve to one hun
dred.
The cause of the accident was undoubt-
edly owing to the engine having by some
means got off the track just as the train
was approaching the bridge under di-
minishing speed; the wheels OF the engine
Of course cutting off the ties of the bridge
as it advanced, till the whole weight OF
engine and tender falling heavily, parted
the string pieces. and pitched headlong
into the canal below. and is now buried
with the engineer and fireman. at least
twenty feet below the surface.
Many Of the observers were disposed
70 cens'lre the company for the apparent
slightness of the structure Of the bridge,
but the fact that heavy freight trains have
been constantlypassing, should at once put
this at rest. The remains of Mr.. Zim-
naerman were to be brought to his resi-
denee this afternoon. Mr.. z. was in the
baggage car at the time of the accident.
By rELEeRAPH.
FURTHER FROM THE RArLRoAD ACCIDENT.
HAMILTON, g. W., March l3.