The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1859-07-12
THE LATE RAILROAD ACCIDENT.

The Western papers bring us some of the appal-
ling particulars of the late disaster on the Michigan
Southern Railroad, notice of which we published
last week. We copy as follows:
passenger who was in the sleeping car at the
time of the accident says that he startled by a
sensation as ifthe car was jumping ON the bare
ties. Then came crash and plunge downward
into deep abyss The turned over on its
side; but, being the last in the train, and
strongly built did not break up badly as the
others, and therefore protected its occupants from
severe injuries.
The train was heavy one, containing five we'll
filled passenger-cars, besides the baggage and mall
car. The train was about half an hour behind
time previous to reaching the fatal spot. About
ten o'clock OH Monday night, two hours before
the time of the accident, tremendous rain fell
throughout that section of country, flooding the
fields and swelling the streams to considerable
bulk
The surviving brakesmen says that the train
was run with great caution over all the cuiverts
previous to reaching the fatal culvert; but, on
nearing the latter, the speed was increased to
twenty five or thirty miles an hour as this culvert
was considered the most reliable on the road
On reaching the gap, which was about one hun
dred feet wide and about thirty feet Deep the train
fell first Oh the old trestle work, which crushed
beneath the weight, and then leaped into the
chasm. The engine fell at the base of the further
bank and buried itself in the sand The baggage
car, two secondclass cars, and two 6rstclass cars
were piled into one mass and drove each other
into the EARTH The sleeping-car fell on its side on
top of the pile Of shattered cars.
Every connected with the train, except the
conductor, one brakeman, the conductor OF the
sleeping car and his boy, was killed.
When the uninj ured passengers crawled out the
scene is said to have been awful. Scarcely dis
tingushable in the darkness lay pile of shattered
wood and iron and about hundred and fifty dead
and dying persons, part buried in sand and mud,
and part washing away in the boiling torrent that
swept down to the st. Joseph river, but few rods
distant.
The conductor and brakeman set out to seek
succor at the stations of South Bend and Misha-
waukie, whilst the unn ured passengers built fires
around the spot and carried off some of their
wounded fellows to the neighboring houses.
1t was nearly three hours after the accident be-
fore succor arrived from the nearest towns, which
were three or four miles distant A strong body
of laborers were brought down by the people Of
the towns, and the work of digging out the dead
and wounded commenced.
Tuesday afternoon thirty-two bodies had been
taken to Mishawaukie; eight or ten were reported
taken to South Bend. Some ten or twelve bodies
were reported to have been taken up about ten
miles below, on ST. Josephs river.
Some FIVE or six laborers who were on the train
report that about twenty of their fellows are yet
missing. 1t is supposed they remain buried in
the sand, or have been washed out into the St.
Joseph's river
Very few of the passengers escaped death
fightful injuries. About twenty are reported
seriously wounded.
After the accident the water in the creek lower
cred rapidly, and at noon on Tuesday was about
breast high. The people living in the neighbor
hood say they always considered the cuvert too
small. The company, on the contrary, had such
confidence in it that they did not think it needed
special watching. The managers of the company
settled OH the spot for lost baggage and slight in
juries
Another passenger says that he was in the Sleep
ing car at the time of the accident, which occurred
about midnight. The first he knew of any thing
being the matter was when the water rushing
over the Car. The lights were out, and nothing
but an occasional fash of lightning there to-
see by. He jumped from the cars, but instead of
landing terra frma he leaped into the torrent,
but succeeded in making his way to a clump of
bushes, and got up the bank afterwards He heard
great deal of screaming while in the current, and
after landing, the cries of distress were awful
There being no lights, every thing was confusion,
and the survivors were rushing wildly about the
banks of the ravine in vain search Of their missing
friends. He says no one was killed in the sleep
ing cars, but one old gentleman jumped out and
was drowned in the current. One woman who
was on the train, with her husband and five
children, ran wildly about all night seeking her
family, but without success until morning, when
she found them all dead. She then went to
farmhouse few yards off, where after sitting
some minutes, the wretched wife and mother ex-
pred A gentleman who, with his wife and two
children, were on the train on a pleasure trip to
the East, also became separated. Tie husband
found one of his young dead in the morning;
next he found his wife dead, but with her arms
closely embracing the other child who was saved.
One lady was carried down the stream towards the
river, but lodged in tree-top, and heard several
float by crying for help.
The ravne is about % feet deep and IS to 100
feet wide. The night was very dark, and there
curve in the road just before the embarkment
reached.
The dead bodies picked up and laid out in
the cars, with sheets covering their faces The
men had worked two hours to get one woman out
of the water. She was of course dead when re-
covered. The scene on the banks of the ravine,
Mr. Pardee says, was truly awful, as one may we'll
suppose but he says the amount of human misery
among the wounded was terrible to behold In
the Mishawaukie Hotel he saw fine little boy
about nine years old, with his left leg broken and
almost open through the thigh, while the right
leg is cut completely off, The lad was failing FAST
and it is almost impossible for him to recover.
He of family of five children, with the
mother who were going to meet the father and