The Davenport daily gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1869, 1857-03-21
The caasAa Disaster.


.illed, Of fourteen dangerously Wounds
nd sixteen who escaped uninjured.
The following from the Colon.st will -
( interest to our readerss
wno KscArsD, Asp now
Every person in the frat passenger car,
kept Owen DOYLE, James Barton. OF
suattord, aud two children between eight |
md uine years OF age, persisted, The es.
,ape of these seems perfectly miraculous.
)ne OF the children was thrown out Of the |
window on TO the Ice, it knows not how. -
rhe other was dragged out Of window
,avins oeen up 10 its neck in water for
ONE fifteen minutes in almost a senseless
tate. They were little boy and little J
,iri, brother and sister. They can recel-
eet nothing after the fearful crash, and
,eine thrown upon their heads, Their
mother, father and uncle persisted, and Owen
Doyle, who saved himself, 10 their uncle
He saved himself BY forcing his way out Of
/ window as the water was rushing In. He
swimming on to the ice; and
hen lost consciousness. James Barton
cannot tell how he got oat Of the window.
He recolleets bu, wild ream-being
dashed against the ceiling Of the car. Half
and half drowned he made last
spring for = window. He was picked OF
cake Of ice few minutes Afterwards sense
less.
The escape Of Richardson, Mr.. Urquhart,
OF the express, the mail conductor, and the
b baggage mas,er, was equally marvellous,
GOT OUT OF THE WINDOW.
Henry August, passenger from Toronto,
escaped from the FIRST car. The escape Of
this person was most wonderful. He is =
German; aud he aud the last named pas.
senger we're sitting together on the rear
sest OF the frst passenger car. The mo-
ment they heard the FIRST conclusion, they
got up and rushed together 10 the door, the
latter only reached the platform. He jump
ed OF just three feet from the chasm. The
other car rushed BY him and was gone. He
stood for a moment paralysed. He then
ran down the hill, and was the means Of
saving from drowning his companion who
was not in time to reach the platform. He
dragged him our Of window, aud Gompar-
ativeIy unhurt.
RECOGNIZING THE DEAD.
Among the most narrowing scenes at
tending the fearful cata strophe, are the
witnessing the unhappy relatives recogniz-
ing the mangled remains of husbands, faith
ers, mothers, brothers and sister. Yes,er-
day morning the wife of Mr.. Morley arriv-
ed from St. Cstharines, to pick out Of the
manyAdead his body. The scene was heart.
rending as she passed from one dead body
10 another, oil marking death with greater
horrors by being more or less maagled. At
last one, even more distorted and mangled
than the rest, was come to; and a wild
scream but too well told her tale of woe
And in a large store house, strewed with
dead bodies, and with others going the
rounds to make similar heart-rending dis
ccveries, was she left to kneel down and
bewail her bereavement. Whilst on one
side OF The large building row Of bodies
were placed 40 yetunrecognized, and CUES.
tions were asked OF every new conner. if he
or she knew anything Of them. sob or a
moan would be heard in another part, indi-
eating that some one had come from dis
lance and found ell her sad expectations
realized.
Here again linger larger group. They
are looking at the figure Of q woman, once
beautiful, and her hair lies tangled and wet,
and her face is distorted from the effects OF
drowning, she still Chains that idle crowd
with q melancholy interest. She has q
marriage ring on her finger. Two lockets
are on her breast, and brooch is suspend
ed by yellow ribbon round her neck. For
whom did she wear thema Who were dear
to hert To whom was she dear, No one
knew her
TIE ExAhIsAuoSjoF THE PAPERS, LETTERsNc
OF THE DECEASED.
This vas little less melancholy than the
recognizing their dead bodies. In the peck
ct of one would be found letters from his
wife and children, wishing him home, and
sorrowing tor his absence. Another died
with daguereotypes on his breast of those
he loved most on earth. A mothers letter
was found in this ones pocket, asking re-
Lief, and saying she was i'll. The money
for relief was found side by side with the
letter, Another's name was learned by
the letters Of those who loved him. And
yet another was hurrying home to console
the sick or the dying. Such were some OF
the Incidents.
THE RENAME or THE BRIDGE AND THE CARS
A vast concourse OF people gathered
round the scene of the disaster yesterday
Al day men were engaged breaking into
pieces the first passenger ca, which had
been nearly submerged. II was found i'm.
possible TO raise il bodily. The locomotive
and tender are still under water. The sec
ond passenger car was broken up, and car
red away the first evening of the disaster.
The bridge has been allowed to remain pre-.
cisely as ii was broken; and will, we appre.
bend, be allowed to continue 20 until after
the inquest, and after thorough inspection
by competent engineers. II was a matter
OF utter establishment, to every one, how
any person could have escaped, after such
fearful fail. The walls on either side are
Of very solid masonry the adjacent banks
are perhaps hundred feet higher than the
railroad. The Suspension bridge 10 thrown
over immediately on the right, and is still
higher. Then, about sixty feet below the
railroad is narrow deep channel, which
looks like sort of chasm be ween tive
high hills. Into this abyss was hurled the
i'll fated train. Itwas jus, wide enough to
ct the cars down without touching anything
TO break their fall They literally leaped
sixty feet into ice and water, one asa enper
ear following the locomotive and complete
ly overturning, and becoming almost sub.
merged; and the other lighting endways
upon this. Great as has been the loss Of
lie, considering the number Of passengers;
yet, looking at the place, il 10 absolutely
wonderful how any one escaped.
HOW TIE ACCIDENT WAS FIRST DISCOVERED.
There is but one small house, belonging
to the poor woman who behaved SO nobIy
BY the Doyle children, near the fallen
bridge; and she was looking out Of the win.
dow as the train approAche ed, She says the
catastrophe made but little noise The
train seemed 70 sway to one side, and then
all disappeared Il is probable the swing
ing was the first passenger car oyerturning.
She says she saw man ieaped from she 10.
connective Immediately before il disappeared.
This was likely the engineer, as he was
found with his neck broken on the ice. At
the same time, one Of the workmen at the
station h0use--it is about a mile distant
from the broken bridge was watching
the train coming in, saw The steam sudden.
Iy stop, and d sort Of duet arise. In sec.
ond there was ne train to be seen. The
aiarm was 81 once given and we believe
that all persvns connected with the railroad
have eaerted themselves most assiduousIy
since, TO render all the assistance they
could, Thsscrash was not heard 1t The de.
pot