Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1859-07-02

The Toledo Blade brings us some particulars
Of the frightful disaster on the Michigan
Southern Railroad 1t took place at half past
twelve o'clock at night, amid darkness that
was itself fearful. 1t had rained all day, and
the clouds and mist still burdened the atmos-
pierre There was sudden plunge of the |
train into an abyss thirty feet deep and an
hundred feet wide; and then mass of ruins
in which were crushed the dead and wounded. |
And a swollen stream that whirled through 1t
bore away many of the passengers to death
by drowning. This stream at the time, in its
channel, was twelve feet deep. The Toledo
Blade says: =
s'Mr. Darlington tells us that there was not
a glimmer of light about the train, after the
fatal leap except the lightning, until he built
some fires on the bank near the chasm. lie
further SAYS that 1t CdS near four hours from the
time of the accident before anything like systematic
efforts could be made towdrd securing the living or
recorering the bodies Of the dead.
Mr. Osgood, the conductor, was in the third
car from the engine, and the first he knew OF
anything wrong, he was going through the end
of the car, into the water among what seemed
to be the wreck of the forward cars. lie was
and went to Chicago yesterday.
Mr. Rahtj astes "a Us sittf5ir
brakes at the extreme of the train, being the
hind end of the sleeping car. He was IN that
car when it went down and was unhurt
After the deaths from this accident, between
40 and so had been ascertained, including
those who have died from injuries; and it was
believed that several more dead bodies would
be found. The Mrs. Sumner killed was Mrs
Increase Sumner. The Blade says
"a lady who was carried down by the cur
rent and saved by catching hold of limb, says
at least dozen human bodies, some alive and
calling for assistance, and some still and life
less, passed by her in the stream.
The Express car was in charge OF Joseph
W. Hartwell, Messenger, and contained from
$4,000 to $4,000 in money-about hall
specie and half currency-beside other valu
able property. The car was very badly brok
en- up, and the safe broken into six or elgh
pieces. The money, strange to say, was al
found and in good condition, considering the
exposure to mud and water, it being found
some six feet under the surface.
We are indebted to Rev. w. II. Fish, of the
MRisaSian Church in this city, for many inter
esting facts and incidents conIiecteu
sad event. Mr. +. was at Chicago on Monday
afternoon, and had designed taking the fatal
train but yielding to the urgent solicitation OF
friends, he waited for the Tuesday morning
train. He arrived at the scene Of the disaster
about twelve o'clock yesterday, where, and at
Mishawaka, he remained until six o'clock last
evening, when the train came on, arriving mere
at three this morning.
Mr.. E. 2. Gillett of Jefferson county, N. !. y
was returning from western trip, with his
| aud them
They were both killed, while he was spared to
pursue his homeward journey with theil
corpses.
A lady, travelling alone, was returning IRON
the West to South Bend, at which place hel
brother was in waiting for her, but having tall
en- asleep and not awaking in time to leave thu
train at that station, was brought on, and takei
back yesterday corpse. Three young mel
occupied seats facing each other, two sitting VI
andone lying down the former were Killed
and the latter but slightly injured.
A lady from Illinois wished Mr.. Calligan +
say to Mr.. Richards, conductor of the sleepln
car, that she owed her life and that of he
child to him. She with her child were in tn
water, and about to be carried away by tn
current, when Mr.. Richards caught them an
rescued them from death. Air. Calligan ais
acknowledges his own Indebtedness to Mr..
for his prompt and efficient assistance in re-
cuing the property of the Express Compan
from loss.
Even in this scene of death and suffering
where the humane were incessant in labors
resculng and relieving the poor Victims Of IL
catastrophe, there were not wanting tends lends,
If total depravity could give greater evidenC
of supremacy in mans heart it is hard to col
ceive of its nature.
All unite in giving great praise to the poop
of South Bend and Mishawaka, for the
prompt and noble services in the trying hou
; The ladies of the latter place, where most
. the bodies and wounded were taken, d
themselves eminent credit by their untirir
labors Nothing that a noble sympathy an
willing hands could render, was wanting.
, The cause of the disaster was the washin
away of culvert in high embankment abol
two miles this side of South Bend. So SUI
den and powerful was the shower on Monda
that great quantities of Lockwood, includir
trees and logs, were foated to the culvert, an
: so far choked it up as in great measure
: stop the flow of water. A train passed ov,
in safety but couple of hours before, an
l nothing was knownto excite the least suspicic
OF danger at that particular point although
, heavy rain was known to have taken plac
So powerful was the current at the time TIN
even masses of concrete masonry and bars
railroad iron were carried for several rods b
r low the gorge. Something of the suddenne
OF this powerful flood may be imagined, whe
we state that only twelve hours after the acc
dent, there was very little water passing, an
, by evening not enough to prevent man wit
boots crossing with dry feet"