Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1859-11-10
80 w.,,road accident.

with the details of the horrible accident to
the excursion train on the Chicago and
North Western Road. 1t says:
There must have been at this time, from
the crowded state of the train, over six
hundred and City passengers, the gentle
men very generally being accompanied BY
ladies. A happier party we never saw,
the little groups Of intimates were gather
cd each in It's W c~oterie. Seats turned
to face seats very generally divided those
occupying them into groups of four, how.
ering about which, or fitting from group
to group were gentlemen and ladies, all in
the highest spirits. Mirth and gayely,
made cars resound, and well nigh drowned
tho rafting of the wheels, as the tram
sped onward. The writer passed through
the entire length of the train, soon after 1t
was well under way from WATERFOWL, to
find these above features of the hour uni
versai. Every where was laughter and
mirth and song, now by quartettes and
then some familiar air, borne on full chorus.
There were numerous little parties at whist
and euchre. Lunch time was at hand,
and from the well stored baskets came
out numerous tokens of a forethought al
home, destined to give the coming hours
their full need of the satisfaction from
such sources derivable. Were the pail Of
midnight o-instaptaneously sbroud a sum-
mer noon, the change could not be more a
contrast, than when heavy crashes and then
silence, turned JOY to sorrow, and antici
pations to fruition of anguish rarely par
aiieIed. =
Six cars crushed and intsrlocked, sliding
in upon one another like the sections of a
telescope; six cars shattered, two of them
the frat and sixth, demolished for nearly
their entire length. All were filled with
human beings-husbands and wives, broth
ers and sisters, fathers and mothers, when
the crash struck them gay and merry, now
joining in The smolhered wall of anguish
from that fearful prison, or crawling out
bruised and bleeding by windows ard
through the roof. =
In n few minutes all who were able were
active at work fer the relief Of The suffer-
ers. Some mounted the cars with axes,
some cut away the sides, others, among
these many ladies, made touches by the
roadside out of car-cushions and shawls,
while others still bore or conducted thither
tie injured as fast as they could be extract
ed. They came wounded and bleeding,
apparel torn, numbers with broken limbs,
many with disfguring bruises about their
head and face; and among most of these
was a noble for,itude that arose superior 10
their sufferings. Tender and delicate 70
men were taken tenderly TO temporary rest
ing places and silently awaited the atten-
tion that must be delayed FOR there was no
house in the vicinity.
The cries of the wounded rose on the air.
Some of them were crazy from wounds on
the head, and shouted and howled altern-
ately; Others in the intensity of their tor
ment, shrieked and implored the bystand-
ers to put an end to their lives.
DR.. Bell one of the excursionists, saws:
When about nine miles from WATERFOWL,
while the jovial song and cheerful laugh
were the loudest, a shock came upon US
sudden and unexpected as the lightning's
flash at MONDAY in a clear sky every eye
was raised, and every voice was instantly
husbed-then came the recoil; and as the
platforms met they reared and qui7ered a
moment, then Tapped one upon the other,
coming together with a tremendous crash
car mounting car, each one ploughing
its way into the one forward of ii, bursting
off the top. rending the sides, crushing in
the ends, tearing up the flooring, crushing
and grinding like the cracking, crashing
thunder.
Immediately after | cleared myself and
wife from the wreck, | met Mrs. Emerson
of Oshkosh enquiring for her husband. /
told her that l would make immediate
search for him. l went TO the ruins of
the car, where they were extricating bodies
from the mud and rubbish. Two bodies
were taken out, but they could not lie
identified. Discovering a ring upon the
finger of one of the bodies, | took it off
and carried it to Mrs. Emerson; she was
seated upon a log surrounded by some of
her sympathisiug ~neighbors. l approach
ed and held the ring towards her, She
raised her eyes and with a CLASSY look and
hollow voice exclaimed, "Mr. Bell Mr..
Bell! is George deadY l asked her if
that was his ring; she said eyes," then l
replied Mr.. Emerson is dead. Her eyes
instantly became glaz ID, her features as nix
ed and rigid as the sculptured marble-a
perfect image of despair. Her female
friends began to sob and cry, but her eyes
were dry, her emotions could find no vent
aud to see that poor heart-stricken child
SO suddenly a widow. brought tears into
many a manly eye.
/ then went TO see poor Peterselia. He
was lying upon a door of one of the cars,
his legs were broken, torn and mangled,
his head bruised, but his eyes clear and his
voice distinct. As ] approached he said,
''Brother Bell, this is hard, l think the
chill of death is upon me, and | am ready
to GO" Friends gathered around him,
placed him in the car and my fraternal
brother was relieved from his sufferings in
about ten minutes after the cars started for
Watertown.
Six were instantly killed as follows:
u. S. Marshal NJ. ]. Thomas, of Fon du
Lac, was in the Post Office chatting with
conductor Hobart. He was taken out
dead, drowned rs WA thought. Mr.. Thorn
as was son-in-law of the Hon. John B.