The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1858-07-20
I III Il DISPATCH.
TUESDAY MORNING INe.......,..-.JuLY %. 1853
THE ERIE RAILaoAD DISASTER.

THE ERIE RAILhOAD DISASTER.
The following sraph,c and touching account Of
the recent disaster 10 from the Rev. E. D. g Prime
one of tho editors Of the New York Observer. il
was written to bis brother, who has kindly por.
nitted its publication:
rosf JAWS, Thursday a. 81. July is. 1858.
DEAR BROTHER The telegraph will Inform you
of the terrible accident our train met with last
evening near this place. We lett New York in tho
O'Clock, T. NJ. train, and came safely aud pleas
antly until about 81 o'clock, when descet ding the
heavy grade on the west side Of tho Shawangunk
mountains perceived that We were moving at
such a fearful rate that started once or twice
xith Apprehension, knowing that we were on
heavily descending grace Within Two or three
minutes after my fears became thus excited felt
cancussiop as II we we're running over slight OBJ
structi0p Some little commotion ensued in our
car which the fourth from the rear. signal
was made to the engineer a. soon a. possible, but
We had run mile or more before 1.-THE train srep-
ned We soon found that two cars had been de-
tached from the train. We ran back with great
apprehension, and our worst fears were more than
realized.
bankment forty feet, aud we're completely deuoi-
ished. The grosns and screams of the Injured
broke eaIfay upon eur ears in tho stiffness of the
evening. They were under the wreck aud strewed
around the scene of the disaster In awful confu-
sion.t he moon was shining feeby and by its light
aud that Of large fire which was soon kindied
the wreck OF the cars was removed, and ali that
were living were rescued Three hours were spent
10 getting the suffering from beneath the. ruins of
the cars aud up the embaDkment, when, with
seven dead aud about forty more less efiousy
injured, the melancholy train moved on to this
place. An engine had been previously cent to
Port Jervis. which returned to the scene of the
sisaster with surgeons and other aid All the in-
iured were taken to the two notes.-the Della
ware aud the Fowler House-and to-day they are
generally doing well.
Among the iuj ured are Professor l.. Peet, Vice
Principal Of the New York Institution for the Deaf
and Dumb; his wife ami child, his wiies sister and
several deaf mutes. Mrs. Peet and Miss Barry, q
deaf mute, were quite seriously injured, bat
they are doing well, aud are ont of all danDer.
One of the most heart rendering incidents Connect
ed With this melancholy occurrence the
screaming of the deaf nutes, which could be heard
at long distance, which greatly aggravated the
horror of the sceue~
To detail its Incidents would be as impossible as
to rehearse horrible dream. When reached the
car heard familiar voice, and making my way
towards it, stepped in the darkness upon dead
man. / soon reached Prof. Peet, aud found him
supporting his wife's head. Both were ignorant OF
what had become of their babe, or of any other
member Of their party of ten. ] heard chlds
voice on the other eide of the car, aud rushing
around towards it, asked one who had taken it up
whose child 1t was The mother frantica1y ez-
claimed, at is my child" and pressed it to her
heart as if afraid was about to claim it. soon
found the child of my friend in the arms OF a per-
son who was carrying it up the emban kment The
babe was only slightly injured. 1t was asleep on
the seat When the cars were thrown off the track
and no one could tell where it was found. One
deaf mute was reported to be dead, and went. at
tho request of a gentleman, to identify him, but
be revived, and is doing well.
During all the long hours that we were tojIpg
to get the sufferers from under the ruins, and up
the embankment to the cars, parents were calling
francally for their children aud children for their
parents One mother had her dead child brought
TO her. another received her living babe with ec-
static joy. Another beautiful young mother, uu-
injured, / saw, by the light Of lamp, holding
tenderiy in her arms the mangled form of what
was just before beautiful child. One gentleman
who with me, who had labored without falter-
ing from the first, gave way at this sight and was
overcome. He bad helped to carry the dead and
the wounded up the embankment, but this WAS too
much for the strong heart of man to endure.
The uninjured passengers manifested the utmost
readiness TO relieve the distressed and to do every
hing ia their power for their comfort Little COM
fort could be afforded them until We reached this
place, where the hotels were thrown open, at
which the citizens of the place were already as
sembled. All night long they have been devoted
to the fthe sufferers and through their atten.
tions nearly all are now very comfortable. 1t is
hoped all will recover, through the blessing of a
kind Providence
| From the New York Post of Saturday afternoon I
Mr. Thompson, the conductor, states that the
brakes had been applied TO arrest the speed when
| a shock experienced which affected the whole
| train. He looked out and saw that two cars were
missing. The rear car ran off first, dragging the
other with it, and the two, when they stopped,
were fifty feet apart. The passengers killed were
| all in he last car.
MIR. John E. white, No. 127 Blocker street, sup.
posed to be fatally injured, is considered in fair
way of recovery. His little daughter sat beside
| him at the time, and was not hurt. The other
wounded are doing well, and will probably re-
cover.
It is supposed that the rail was broken by the
weight of the engine aud that it did not get out oi
place till the had come TO the spot other
wise the slaughter would, it is thought, have been
greater.
Mr. VIM. Rose, of this city, who was OF the
train states that the going at the rate o
nfty rifles an hour He became satisfied, from
the motion, that the cars could not be kept on the
track at such speed, and. consequently, took bfs
| position upon an open freight car. In momentary
expectation of an accident. and resolved to jump
When the accident occurred he ieaped off, apd
was considerably bruised, but not dangerously
hurt.
from the n Y. Herald, of Sunday
The hotels in Port Jervis still contain large num-
eT Q. the ne % ana tsese At nresen re-
maiEing here number abou, sixteen or twenty. Ali
doing well with the exception + Charles Bar
rett of Cleveland Ohio. who had his thigh bros en-,
| and is otherw Sc badly injured, His medical al
tendan,s hav. not much hope that h. will survive
his II he lives the ~ ed mo ts S,
the appearance OF many OF the wounded, even now:
Their heads bandaged in soma cases and in all
| they are wax looking and emaciated Some o
them how. YER will be abe 10 leave their present
quarters day two and others in proportion to
the severity OF their inluiies.
The a ad have all been removed by their fIiende
With the exception OF one man, who has not yet
been i'd. ntifed, and who now lies in the station
house his remains being enclosed in a coffn From
his letters bch have heen found in bis trunk. II
world So m that his name is Shultz, ana his resi-
dence Buffalo
or the wounded it may be added that Mr.. 4. Ho-
guet, of New York. is doing we'll at the Fowler
House; Mr. Brown, who was reported inJured is aisf
doing very favorably; Mr. and Mrs Lay, OF New Or.
ieans doing well and passed last eight easy Nh
Haas is ATTENDED by his own physician rom New
Yors and T. doing ws My No0n ssvna
last night most satisfactorily All the other pa
tier is might be spoken of in much the same Ian
mentioned
VERDICT OF The JURY.
The Herald says: The coroner jury in the railroad
accident at Port Jersis, bas rendered yerdI
blame. They were just two hours coming to con
cluson on the subject, taking the testimony, exam.
stails necessary to arriving at calm and delibe-
rate opinion t. how and by whose action, ever
y Of their fellow beings were in an instant fright
fully mangled and mutilated. They have pro
nounced the skirts Of the company clear OF blood
rather hasty Judgment think but after all not
without precedent in snen eaiss a hhs We 80 IRON %
each case of mo one to blame. Our hope now ls IN
the courts. let every injured PASSENGER bring suit
hRatHsL TIE company uhu
public may derive ,ome from the result
Troops ORDERED TO THE PACIFIe.-Tbere are al
ready In Washington and Oregon Territories, 1t is
said. some twenty y-three companies, but they are
far from being full, and believed to comprise
less than twelve hundred men. These do not Of
course include the reinforcements from California
which are supposed to number some six hundred
men. To-day, 400 men III sail from New York in
the California steamer, en- route for Washington
aud Oregon territories, and it 10 expected they
will make the trip to Vancouver in thirty.fve days
The following officers are ordered to accompany
these reinforcements:
Maj ] ii Carleton, 1st dragons; Capt Fl o Wal.
len, 4th infsntry: Capt English, 9th infantry,
Capt Underwood, 4th infantry; Lients l. Bysseil,
c 9 Woods, J Quattebaum, and @ Bopnycastie,
atb Infantry; r Johnston, 1st dragons; and b
Ayres, Sd artillery.