Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1859-07-07
THE Ds~ssrSR o. Iu s soUrhsHn
MIC, iGAs NAIL ROAD.
CBsnLEirsws, JsyvsssoS Co. Va .
Jult 5 1859

I
lately occurred on the Sos,here Michigan |
aud NOr,Aers Indian, Railroad IL re
quires no eabellish nsnt, NO Imagination, to
describe the scene. My statement, though }
rough ssd plata, will have bat the spe viz
| tss Of yEfifsiness. fer the solemn sesses
Of that sish, are still before me, sleeping
OF vskisg aud they will be, through life
| leh Csicas, on the ill>f.;oi train, -
Msrday evsuirg the 2Sth e Jua-, a. half
past o'clock. Ii coasis:sd Of three sT,t
sl,s, and sss second class pss.eug.r ears,
ell 6lisd. There wcro at least 200 pas'sK-
ger. aboard besides The aou employed on
the c'rs. We preceded on our Way ,s~srd
Toledo with s.f,ty. sotil - minute. past ~
At night. when the accident occurred
We we're b.hini tins, aud we're rsuning
At q fearful speed At least f,r;y miles 40
hour. The 6r., in,in.,ion | had that any
tbing va' wrong, vas that / felt tie s.rs 81
the track and running over ia. eros, ue.
In moment Afterwards, We l.,pei into ia.
fearful ehs.m. / felt myself VOL n,ly
:h5vas tofssrl All roliri Up ike ball.
could feel the pressure Of passengers piled
upsn me, AMI f.l. the water gather.
inz around me | -Iale a mighty osor, to
free myself aud succeeded. The water had
by this time gained GA US 60 fast that it
was running sut OF the car Window
div-s.sl myself Of Hat and Shawl, aud
lsaped through the window into ,he black
aud angry waves an good .wimm-r.
1 L. into h. ..h
fisncs OF saving my life. va. perfectly
calm aud self possessed aud never doubt, 4
that would DO saved. After ri,iss to the
surface, sas swimming with the curr,ut
about tcn yards, cto.s-tis struck us on
the back, aud forced me under tss water.
turEeI compete sunmer"t, came up :,
And struck Gus tor th5 eTsss tic that lad
passed over me yust then some pan
caught TIE by tie f.ot "tiA de,pstat. gap.
suceeedea IL iTs.ins sell from lim. aud
coon found myself W toe sids ol .atge
Hee, which hai been wsshsd p ~ ne 1905,
snL hooted down ia ,6e middle Vt tbeIa..uc.
y H-ye w.-LeJ ne completely Uy.rts. body
4 tie tree e.uSc4sd aIIue branches
soOu climbed up cat Oi Tue r,aeh vi ,ae
; Threatening s-ye.. ILus tree Is ~ ,alu.
b-.OW The cliSeEt "arTc tac iIaIa "eut CONS.
Up ~ tuIs I.ms / ae..d LO oTIes lam
tLos. III Iae cas- lOvAsd s4cs iu zoe
direction si tue cats, and cysi4 4hcut ~
| ustlIus Ia TIC GArAu,s- IEe sadness oI
dsata isIsutd stCuLu auu l I1agtLtd
MI s.i tue Orgy one savei. 4 su@dsL Il 90
> Oi !ishIhias a. tat l-OaisLI SLOWED NE lAe
cars - i"e psttOn OF tie deep I.VIus a4a
D SONS p.fso"' ,e-i~ bug on tLs.Op OF .l,ep-
/. | ius COZ which vas Tot suUmeIsoi 1 ae.ra
. tue eHe' VI amy who urressept b. me in q ne
D0iAng NOD into The ST. Jo..nb River
. "A Large, sUgh. turbulent stream. ,s.st n
. 100 yards from the wreck The shower now
u ceased aud tae star. appeared They
n never looked so beautiful before 10 ne
n Those persons whs bad cliabsi upon ths
. top Of tsc cars, gave three loud erie. for
help. Then IL WAS that one long, Wild,
piercing vail went up from the wounded
AID dying 1t is still Tingirg ia my ears.
y Death alose will sblitcrste 1t IRON my min /.
d. found the waters were fast reecdiug
: soon ven;ured down from tho tree asd
vsded 20 the shore TO assist the wounded
The water vss about three feet deep, aud
u RAINING go swiftly that twice il lock ny feet
II from undsr Ne On rsacbiog the shore. I
stsnbl,d over smau,-tursed sni found
him alive, asked his name lie replied
l. Pd!e0th.' could not rAi,e bin, aud
went TO the cars for assistance, passing
- ten or twelve dead bodiss on the beach
n Arriving al the wreck, | found rme ore
s.1 procured light returned, ana fouGd
Walwor.h dead. lie vas large, Cue lock
a iDs old gs1ilemAp. l afterwards nshtsd
d bis son ia Lis last monsBis
:. The 6rst Ihiug ihst arrested zy s.tebtioa
8 on entering tie car Lad lsf, was, IhAt | TaI
y stspdiu. Oh = pile Of dead bodies Ono
' nan ihss.ht alive ani g.giDs int II 3
!. face. turned tho ltmp around. aud tic
n glazed eye Of death told me that all va.
q over A lady had her armi ola,psd around
, his neck, with iTighUfsl weus ] ia her head
"A her feet caught sad crushed 10 the " eel.
n Of the car 4, their feet lay = bo.uifuI
. boy, with kis heal ssytr.d from lis body ..
: close - IL could have hssn l.pe ~ 80.
I, gui.is,inc. Some were just 10 tko yaugs 4
+, death Others. caught and crashed ~ III,
i. fal!ing tinbeTs, begged ne to Kill ihc ~ aud
@ pu; ilem out Of misery There vas
a lady. goipg to meet her husband. sith bel
+. daughter H1 years OLD, sui babe Al the
breast. The mOiher sad htus slh ser,
killed The uotser bad elasped the bah.
10 sach a manner that u sas unAurt
The ground Eas strswel With Leads
r arSs, leg, Aad icai b. lie-. az ssyc.
!, raj xith their back broken add taeir lowe,
& imts par4JE-d, ~rltbiag 10 he s4ni. some
:. Of them would clutch aie a. pa...d wltl
sgrs'p from shiaa o. u.s. s.most mra.si ID
10 zee myself Several ietuii al is.. aai
gifi' were isEol ffsm tho EAteT. ADD ia 4
II spsn the bauk Ibry psfs irtsusI 10.
u o04ed tssatifal "a death Ousr- gafs
- crashed tciusss TIE Sastis. go i.sfr isss.
}. sna Lsnds spi armed "a sorIlsAurz s,s
}. Rr rssicrsd shat s.slstsbes c.4lI
- dsrus as LigIt SOM N.ls ctffisa 90 a
p reiEbhsn1g fGSus tsEV OtArfs s,rs III
u up0u ths hsnss II o., ..gsAp u.ti! ternfsg
b ! iAssc5 s5tnas 80 gel me o. sd
n sof chi4.rsn' sac sss ofyiag ID lny a.
? family % tby az clIlIrsh" BIL fLsr
u legs we're crls5rd % tsIou the kDer. IN.
3 l'sd ten 7r s'trsa birstes aN.fsafds
s-.I-'sI in tasirg .sysf Boo cAl4lsa fsu-
. the srssE se-j I've ofs Sse usys Il Be-.
. usfe ioasd ose sits DO. lse co.'s oG tie
r 1 0ttag hal iHst a An a.a.