The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1859-07-07
The Railroad Disaster,
SCENES At THE WRECK.


SCENES AT THE WRECK.
Uacevtsinsy Of the F.se az sssmy &C
shs Passengers.
fWm Tie ch,csH, yimss Of "Wednesday.
The most dreadful railway disaster which
ever happened In Americs took place uight
before last, not far from twelve O'Clock,
about two miles east Of South Bend. India.
M. A train consisting Of three cars wAs
to tally demolished. and over seventy pas.
sengcn we're killed. The PRECISE number 10
not known. but no Ices than sixty dead
bodies had been recovered at the date VI the
latest intelligence. People were searching
for more.
II 10 stated that there were 100 passen-
ssngc's on the train. only 70 OF whom are
now living. We think the estimate OF the
whole number k rather small When the
train left this city at \ O'Clock, A, NJ, there
werc two frat class cars crowded 10 excess.
one sleeping car comfortably iull, aud one
cmisrant car empty, The latter was taken
aloag Tor the purpose Of carrying down
number Of railroad hands. who werc taken
On board at Ainsworth, Calumet and other
stations olong the road. Among the pas
sengers were quite number OF Chicago Ieo.
pie, of whom We have the names only Of l.,
i. Hilliard. II. Dickinson, MN. Sumner and
some others which appear below. David
Runnlon, late proprietor Of the Revere
House, left the train at South beud, two
miles this side Of the place Of the accident.
During Monday afternoon and night u
heavy rain storm prevailed throughout the
region traversed by the Michigan southern
road 10 Indiana. All tho streams were fear.
fully swollen In very brief space Of time.
Rivulets were augmented to rivru and fields
previously dry wer changed 10 miniature
lakes. The accident took place at calvcrt
crossing the ravinc some twenty five icet IN
depth, and about ono hundred feet broad.
The bottom Of the ravine forms the channel
Of u small brook. which In midsummer Ia
usually dry. On the morning before the &c.
cidcnt. man stepped across il without dif.
iculty. The passenger train, which arrived
here The same night crossed The culvcrt at 4
o'clock Ia the evening. with safety. II h
thought that tho water. way hsa become
choked up with Lockwood, thus causing the
ravine above the crossing 10 Ill with water,
the great weight Of which pressing sgsinst
the embsnkment caused Il 10 give wsy
while The train was crossing. The entire
train was precipitated into the bottom 81
the rayine, or against the opposite side, and
every car was broken into Fragments The
loss Of life IVES much greater, however, than
II otherwise probably would have been, on
account Of the water which was about. &c
teen feet deep. Many persons ~ re
drowned.
TINS wssex, Midnight, June n. 1859
lett Tor tho wreck Of the unfortunate
Michigan Southern train, At 4 =. NJ, this
evening, To company with q large number
of others who were proceeding 10 The scenc
OF The disaster. Our train was unusually
crowded, aud u due sense Of the solemn na.
ture Of our erraD1 seemed 10 pervadc the
whole d the officers and passengers
Al IAporte, the first evidences Of the ter
ribe scene enacted few hours before. De.
gan 10 BE- manifested 10 the tears and sobs
Of residents Of that city who bad friends on
board the unfortunate train. Several wo-
men, who had just received the melancholy
news Of the loss Of some loved one, were
wringiog their hands upon the platform 10
oil the bitter agony Of impokivc grief. A
few questions we're asked 10 whispers. md
we passed %. Arriving at South i,cud, an
overwhelming sene Of the ruin we were
about 10 look on increased IN lis intensity.
and oil felt the weight Of a calamity coming
nearer and nearer 10 our own hearts.
Proceeding slowly and 10 silence, We NJ
las! caught sight Of The glimmer OF the ssd
beacon lights built on the edge Of the rayine,
denoting the fatal spot where 70 much Of
"ihis lice mortality passed at ooe fatal
plunge into the terror Of sudden and violent
death. Terrific scene PIT place for an
accident Of shuddering consequence sach
startling sgony and death. The cars stop.
ped within few yards Of this dark guli,
and We aligbied amid q crowd OF laborers
and villagers who had been s,fenuously 10.
boring 10 behalf Of their fellow men 10 vio-
len,ly ushefed into eternity. The scene Of
the wreck can BE- better realized by de-
scription OF the locality the works. and the
track previous TO iLs accident The rails
are here run over On embankment some
thirty lest high, rosing small stream
and raviDs OF Anconsidersble Dimensions.
| The stream wu carried under the track BY
q culyert, which, from being either TOO
small, Or from being clicked up with fallen
,rees brossht.down by the fresbet, wss IN
doubtfdy the Cause q the calamity. The
culver, wS built Of Dlh masonry. and vss
ten fit vide, that Measurement being re-
gasded - amply suiieisp, for tbs body Of
water coarsing through the raviSe wbsther
The engineer Who planned thu. calvert made
ell proper allowances for the hsavy rains
common 10 oil The country situated ct the
besd Of lskas, h not TOT N 10 ~; Il w0sld
s~p. however, that Urn isst culver, would
] .n,Nd kaflleient eapAcitY Tor What b tnehni.