Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1859-01-08
FROM OUR SOUTHERN CORRESPONDENT.
CoLUMBus, GA, Dec. 81, 1858.

]
Your correspondents journey came to avery
sudden period this morning, about o'clock, at
point about two miles from this town. In
passing over a bridge spanning culvert,
which the present very heavy rains have rem
dered insecure, by washing away the loose soil
supporting the sides, the locomotive dashed
through the weakened floors, and, plunging
into the narrow abyss below, was buried,
complete wreck, in the muddy bank opposite.
The locomotive, striking the other side of the
gully, put a sudden stop to the train, and was
itself completely doubled up with the tender,
in the narrow space intervening between the
two sides. The passengers received no injury
beyond slight bruises, but the two firemen
were instantly killed, and the engineer, who
saved his life by jumping, suffered a fracture
of the jaw-bone, as well as other injuries,
which render his recovery doubtful. Many
others must have been seriously injured, and
some killed, had not the train been running at
slow speed. Information was sent to this
town, whence train came to our relief, with
medical aid. A temporary bridge was built
by the passengers across the culvert, and, as
they went over, they were obliged almost to
tread on the mangled and CHASTITY corpses of
the firemen. We had scarcely reached this
city, when the report of a still more horrible
accident followed close behind.
train, which we had met only short time
before, about seven miles back, broke through
a bridge, over which we had just passed, only
fourteen miles from town, dashing all the pas
sengers into the raging and foaming torrent
below, from which only seven, thus far, are
known to have escaped.
The first report, came from negro, who
was on the train. He swan to the shore from
where he saw the cars rolled over and over,
down the furious current, in the mercless
grasp of the swollen and impetuous stream.
He saw no other saved, but himself. 1t is not
known how many were lost.
In view of the present freshet, which re-
minds your correspondent, of what he saw in
Missouri, during the spring rains, he has de-
termined to locate in Columbus, until things
become more settled. He is constitutionally
opposed to a forced hydropathic treatment, and
in disturbing sleepers, so early, as he, and his
fellow passengers, disturbed them, this morn
ing, he desires to have no hand. Columbus con-
sists, lat present. of an aqueous deposit, with
a substratum of mud. 1t must be prosperous,
above its sister cities, being in a state of COM
plete liquidation.
Its streets are cut out at right angles, are
CTR ifrbt Ito do
when last seen, were of brick, and in very
good condition. The water, as seen by your
correspondent is thick, and yellow, of the
consistency of molasses, which you will be-
lieve, when tell you, that brick sidewalk,
sometimes, answers the purpose of a raft.
The place is not so large as Macon, though,
as much business is done in proportion. If /
learn correctly, about $4,000 bales of cotton
are shipped annually, while populous neigh
borhood finds here, market for its supplies.
The Apalachicola river is navigable to this
point by boats of inconsiderable size, and much
cotton is shipped by the way of Apalachicola,
on the Gulf coast of Florida.
Your correspondent thinks of nothing more
Va AneSA Sot' DuV loPeS tildt, WITCH Vic coHuluoH
OF the country permits him to escape from his
waterbound exile, he may find something more
to say. A. S. D.
p S.-Since writing the above, learn that
thirteen bodies have been recovered, and more
are supposed to remain in the cars, which were
found more than mile from the fatal bridge,
having been carried thither by the force of the
freshet. The first reports, as to the fatality of
the accident, were, probably, much exagger-
ated. As.D