, 1859-08-08
TUE GREAT ALBANY RAILROAD DISASTER


| Ar. f. f. Lewis Of Gcnesee was a passenger
on the i'll faied train. He wus riding in ihe
front car, toward tic rear cnd. We take bis
statement as related to us III conversation ut
Stanwix Hail. :
As the cars went On to the bridge, Mr, Lewis
remembers distinctly feeling Il sort Of jar or
jerk, which gave him the mouientary impression
| that something was wrong-but before the
thought could form itself distinctly ia bis mind.
the crush came Mr.. l.. suddenly felt tue car
| plunging downward, IA it were, and falling to
pieces. The second plunged under the first,
md tore out tile sides ard bottom III. L. wns
thrown violently forward, head first, striking.
| is he supposed, against the top Of the second
car, turned and fell to the bottom, on the top Of
number Of persons.
For IN instant there was not the slightest
noise-nota I sbriek Of terror or groau Of pair
PERSONS energies appeared para1yxed. The
arst words that Mr. L. remembered hcaring,
for he was himself, if not stunned, entirely b.
wildered, were delivered in d very calm yoiec,
and srere, Say, sou at tho top, get of just as
quick as you eau, won't your' as if this was
was Immediately followed by agonizing shrie4s
aud Kraans and loud cries for heIp.
Ar. Lewis extricated himself from the wreck
as speedily as possible, aud the first person he
recognized was Mr. Cooley, the conductor. He
lad been thrown violently forward the entire
length Of the car, and had crawled back to
where his wife, her mother aud child had sat.
1lrs. Cooley and Mrs. Cuyler lar apparently IN
the position they bud occupied in the car. Their
feet were up amt their heads and the upper part
Of their bodies were buried in the wreck. 3tr,
Cooley sank almost helpless By the side Of his
vile, whom be apparently recognized BIZ her
dress. at which be was pulling, now bcseeching
assistance for her, and now calling piteouslS
upon her name, and bcseeching her 10 rise aud
save herself
Mr. L. feeling faint and sick at the stomach,
made tts way to the water, in WHICH be bathed
t1emcn badly cut on the head rushed to him
asking it they were dangerously luFk -
lie adrlsed them to wash their wounds in
water; which they did. He then returned to
TIE wreck and made for s1r: Cooley, rho was
still pulling at the dress Of his wife, although,
almost helpless from bis own injuries Mr. l.. t
raised him aud begged hiin to lei him take him |
ashore, but Cooley ouiy replied by leEeisc him |
to help his WIFE, After some difficulty mud not
without being compelled to speak harsh1y to
him, l!c succeeded in getting him out Of the
wreck, and got hin on the bank.
Mr. L. and others then went and got out the
body Of Mrs. Cooley, and bore it ashore. They
that both herself and mother we're
quite dead. The child, also much injured, was
also taken out Of the wreck. When Cooley
saw the dead body Of bis wife, be threw himself
upon it. shrickiug terribly, q Oh, my wife-my
Kim frnm The rorn.. ti;s sc1n;,s<1 rr;sf ~.
IN hchoid "s1A'@s1 s''e' "As
Rnt Il wns necessary tn .ttcn, T., t,o ,von,,
ed md snfisr;ng md III ~ eo,,lS H. 1870 S "oan
sa4 a;sa r. .ha -, . IT.. Lenoer ass
.r"ss af,',t f. '4o .o;.,,,s. w. =" aa1 WIS ue
,'snt IT, H., ~ ;t!' ,t nJn h!,s Ar. -. got
,rsa5, .s .as souI1 I'.,,;aS - a. Oh
-bnn' h. ho'n..a Gs & o!nesTlse
wifc and son Of Col u. z. johnson ucted noblr |
.1ot,is ~ enerer ~ an.3 ;"d"msnt sgen"g b az e.
fonrd IN .urh sEc;,;nr = sS,snS. . a uus eeuoal
s;ze M. =" t;ehtlr Wedvcd IN ,ha, !. o.
ssTr to n*c 1;eers of H. xrsct a -. ~as oeefs
hssms tl,nt rorfned him ~ ~, ~ teno's hans sae