The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1859-07-14
To John S. Pomeroy, Joseph GarretsoI
and II. Seltzer, Esq, Committee.
Horrible Scenes at the late Railroad Dis.
aster.--Coroners Verdict.

w. j. Hawkes., esq. Of Charleston. Va,
furnishes Tile Free Press with thrilling
account Of the late horrible accident on
the Michigan Southern Railroad. Mr.
Hawks, after stating that be was pas
senger, and that he was swept forty yards
down the stream from where the train
was preeipitated into it, says:
On reaching the shore stumbled over
a msn--turncd and found him alive--I
asked him his name. He replied, "Wal.
worth" could not raise him, and went
to the cars for assistance, passing ten or
twelve dead bodies on the beach. Arri-
wing at the wreck found some had pro
cured light-returned aud found Wal
worth dead. lie was large. fine look
ing old gentleman. ! afterwards assist
ed his son in bis last moments.
The first thing that arrested my atten-
tioD on entering the car that had left
was that | was standing Oh pile of dead
bodies. One III man / thought alive and
gazing Into my face. turacd the lamp
around, and the glazed eye of death told
me that all was over. A lady had her
arm cla-ped around his his neck, with a
| ishtful wound 10 her head, her feet
caught and cru-bed in the wheels of the
car. At their feet lay beautiful boy,
with bis head severed from his body as
close rs it could have been done by the
guillotine. Some we're just 10 the pangs
of death. Others, caught and crushed
by the falling timbers, begged me to kill
them and put them out of their mi-ery.-
There was lady going to meet her hus-
band. with daughter six years old, and
babe at her breast. The mother and
little girl were killed Tbe mother had
clasped the babe in such manner that
it was unhurt.
The ground was strewed with heads,
arms, legs aud dead bodies. | saw sew
eral with their backs broken and their
lower limbs paralysed, writhing in the
sand. Some of them would clutch me as
passed with grasp from which it was
almost impossible to free myself. Sew
eral beautiful boys and girls we're taken
from the water and laid upon the bank.
They were drowned, but looked beautiful
in death. Others were crushed between
the wheels, with their faces and hands
upturDed 10 supplicating manner. l
passed woman who begged me to find
her children" She was crying, "Oh
my dear family! oh, my six children p
Both of her legs we're crushed off below
the knee. She lived ten or fifteen min.
utcs. | afterward assisted in taking two
of her children from the wreck dead
Two more fine boys Of hers were found
one with his leg cut off; the other had lost
an arm. and both were living when left
The Coroner's Jury have completed
their investigation aud made their YER
dict on the railroad accident at South
Bend, Indiana. 1t fully exonerates the
company from all blame. fnds that while
the embankment and culvert were very
thoroughly and substantially built, and
of sufficient capacity for all the water
that has been accustomed to run there,
or has been there for twenty years past,
yet il wosld have had to be double it's
size for such an unprecedented food as
this was. They say tho train was run
with great care and caution, which is
true, and the devotion as we'll as the con-
fdence of the men in the safety of the
suivert, is proved by their being found
dead at their posts.
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