The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1859-05-28
The Late Accident on the Central
Railroad.

Mr.. CHAs. S. SrRINGPRILow, in Q card In the
Enquirer of yesterday, corrects the reports rela
tive to the late accident the Central railroad BY
which his father and the three ladies In the car.
rage with him, were SO seriously Injured. He
does this be says, in justice to his father, who it
might be inferred from these reports acted with a
reckless disregard of his own life as we'll those
he was bound by every tie to guard and protect:
10 the notice Of the accident which appeared IN
the "Dispatch,"I fnd the following: "From the
crossing the cars can be seen for nearly mile;
and - the engineer sounded tho steam whistle
three times as the cars approached the crossing,
il eesms little strange that Mr.. 8. did not hear
IL aud stop his horses until the locomotive passed"
Now, whilst 1t is perfectly true, that a. you ap-
proach the track tho cars can, for some distance,
"be seen for nearly mile," yet, BY the testimony
of these who should best know, the train was ct
tho time moving at the rate OF at least thirty miles
an hour, and 1t would, therefore, take less than
two minutes to traverse that distance; so 1t 10
strange that the cars were not seen by persons
engaged In conversation, snd not expecting their
approach. Moreover, for some thirty feet before
you reach tho track, from the direction Ia which
the carriage moving, only the top of the cars,
il any part of them at all, could be scotland al.
lowing for the difference In speed, it will be
noticed that the train must have been at q con-
siderable distance OH, when the carriage reached
that point; aud unless the noise had been heard,
the approach of the train might have been readily
overlooked.
That the whistle was not heard by Mr.. s. if it
was sounded three times does seem q little
STRANGE" and what makes 1t stranger still, Is the
fact that though the windows of the carriage
we're down, the whistle was heard by neither of
the three ladies who we're in it, nor by the SER
want no was on horseback, some yards behind.
servant 10 an adjoining field, says that when Mr..
s. saw the cars, or heard the whistle, he whipped
tho horses and apparently tried to force them
scro,s the road before the locomotive struck the
horses and killed them just as they got upon the
track" Il quote from the piece, but l suppose
ths printer omitted word or two here.) In re-.
terence this statement, have only to say, that
it 10 totally incorrect, and entirely destitute Of
foundation. Mir. S. Mother heard the whistle nor
saw the cars; and neither apparently" nor ia
reality did he attempt "to force his horses across
the road before the locomotive" for he was not
aware that the train was near him.
The facts are simply these: Mr.. StriBg fellow and
those under his charge, were returning from a
visit to sick ladies who have long been much az
ficted. They left their house about the time at
which the cara usually arrive at tho 'crossing -
The servant WAS asked whether they had passed.
He having heard the whistle at Beaver Dam, q
| station several miles above Hswletts, told them
"yss;" and, thus, from the moment Of starting,
all fsarsof the cars, and, indeed. all thoughts
about them were dismissed from the minds of the
inmates Of the carriage. They were proceeding
at an easy rate. the ladies engaged 10 yersaion
and Mr.. Stringfelow's thoughts occupied about
the painful affection Of the sick persons whom he
had just left, whom the collision occurred None
Of the occupants OF tie carriage had any init.
nation OF approaching danger, until they
were within rwo or three feet Of the track
Just then, one of the ladies seeing the ser.
want who was riding behind them, motionine
towards them with bis hand, looked I'D, and
pereeiving the cars, exclaimed "The cars
the carsl'' Attracted by the noise in the
carriage. Mr.. stringfs!ow surosd his head back,
aud, perhaps. struck the horse at the same time,
though he does not remember that he did. Most
sssurediy, II done at all, It was not with the in
tention Of "forcing the horses" in front Of the
CINE, Tor be was ignorant Of its approach. So
quickly did the blow follow the exclamation above
given, that before Mr.. could possibly have turn.
ed again sfter bis attention Was aroused, the iDju-
ry was done; and until consciousness Was restored,
and he was told how everything hsd happened, no
did not know how he had been hurt.
Without entering into details, this simple
statement of the facts connected with this painful
occurrence; and any account differing from this IL
entirely inaccurate As to the stories suoat IN re-
gard to my fathers deafuess sna usiec.ve slgu.'
dent. 1 need only say that they are absurd.
Por the truth of the above, I am ready at all
times to answsr, and its entire correctness can
'"i sssy p.v Dam P. o., Hanover county, Va.
y.ssul Losf.-rhe brig Morning Star from Per,
u.u.buco Tor virginia, WAS sunk few miles south
Of Cape Henry Thursday morning. She was laden,
Il 10 stated, with suano.
BLOODY AyYRAy.-A bloody ARRAY in Kansas 10
reported - follow: son the 9Th OF May, at Ksw
River Bottom, eight miles from Westport, man
usmed John Todd was assaulted ia his own houae
BY certain parties 10 whom he had become obnox.
ions, aud Who detsrmiu.3 to "run him on Todd
6sfsnded bis house, being assisted BY . yonng
ksntuekian, boarding with him, and in the melee
two men we're killed and two severely wounded -
Gallagher, one Of the assaiants, he'd approached
close to the door whom be was shot dead. Another
Of the gang Vas killed st distapcs. The young
Kentockian exposed himself % > uindo1 and n.
ceivsd three shots bae q y thought ~ viii recos.
es. Todd was wsanjsd. but not Asally.
s SAP nAssa % na0Wnlne.-Two young isdiea.
eArrisA ovss che dan ct High Rock, Black5sone.
nsse. Iuseday evening, and drowned. Their 3,
DnAD.--Nafhsut>t n 80