Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1859-07-08
nusbbilI, aldon anS Snuitun.
The Canse Of lhe Michigan Susinern Isasf-

Ahe Cause OF lhe Michigan Suo1uern Rail-
rosd Tragedy
Tie Chissgo Tnsss publishes s letter fssa soulh
Bend. Iadana. in which ills STAT that, when ne
fAtaieaEeTt was constructed on Che Michigan south
era Road, Al Ihst Pa.e, Mr.. IiESRF DrssIsss eho
sEEa tue land at lhsi POitf. sLd Mr.. AARON ME-
STIR, prevalent citizen Of that sieiaity, WARNED
Che engineer shst be vas not mixing provision for
the waters 81 aOsd They rsasnbers,i. ana rs-
minded the engineer, that 10 great fres1et in 1870
when there bat simpleriyules there, the heavy
rains caastdifo eat az ta point galcA fresy feet
Deep The long she'd Of hills, six miles in extent,
the surplus WGess from which must pass that raVns,
was pointed oct to show the reason Why in dashiDg
rains, the Insignificant stream became turbulent
and destructive torrent. Science triunphed, how
ever, over the common sense Of the farmers. And
hence the wOeful tragedy, in which more than a
hundred persons we're msssscred outright or AorIi-
bly, manglei. The Little stream for which culvert
ten feet wi- by six feet high vas provided. BECAME
after vio'entsummer rain storm p1werfa' stream,
bearing down FROM its six miles OF hills the usual
drift. Some unlueky tree log caught on The cal-
vert, aad presently it was ehoked up The water
accumulated fast, and The thirty feet high sandy
embaBkmsnt was soon bat wall of almost liquid
mad TIE train had been TEn with great caution
the part Of the road which the darkness and
storm was thought dangerous It was believed By
those running It that the worst over. The train
ran upcn the trap at 'the rets Of at least twenty
miles an hour, and its shock causing the food to
burst tue airsy barrier presented BY The saturated
embankment Of sand the train, with all lie precious
freight Of huu al iie took the d. eadfui leap in the
dark. which has sent horror ard mourning through
gu. ihs land.
The Chicago papers Of the I'd state that on the
evening previous three more dead bodies had been
discovered ia The vicinity Of The late accident on
the Michigan Southern Railroad. The whole aum-
Der Of dead thns far recovered is for,y-Ooe Two
Of the bodies found were eompist " buried in the
sand. One was discovered by the toe Of his boot
icing observed prOttuding from The mass of earth.
One Of these persons was named cAArsDEL; the
other ia noi known. The body Of THOs. Ryan was
found in The 81. Joseph river. nearly mile below
the fatal creek The ground in the vicinity Of the
accident is to be searched fOr more bodies before the
culvert is rebuilt. This course was delerm ned on
at public meeting Of persons residing in the ]
nsighbOrhood.
The Indianapolis Sentinel gives tas following par
tienlsrl:
IL was shout 400 yards from the cllveri to the /
river end parties digging in the SAID allalong
Many bodies, doubtless, Were washed in the river,
md how Ha3y are yel buried il impossible 10
even guess with any degree OF accuracy. The !
ANDY nanE Of tie raVins had been eoasiantly cav
ng in, covering up the wreck and ruin. The
EorEmsn when our informant seit, had got the sand
'smoyed from the Wheels Of the locomotive, and
we're digging under them. The engineer was found
standing upright along side Of the locomotive, and
he road master in the same position on the other
tide. They, Welt the locomotive, had been
buried in the sand