Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1859-07-07
THE RAILROAD TRAGEDY.
STATEMENTS OF THE SURVIVORS
SCENES AND INCIDETs.

intensifes with every additional fact
Such wholesale destruction of human
life is almost without parallel in the his
tory of Railroad disasters. We devote a
considerable portion of our space to-day to
such additional particulars IS come to hand
by the Chicago and Toledo newspapers.
The Chicago Press G Tribune confirms
what we said in relation TO the nature of
the embankment where the accident occur
red. The small branch or stream, is cross
ed by an embankment 25 to 80 feet high,
pierced by stone eulyert. The heavy
rain swelled the stream, and brought down
drift woop so as TO choke the culvert.-
The water thus damned up, attacked the
embankment which is of sandy lQam-
more sand than loam-and soon dissolved
in and carried it off, or made it so soft and
yielding that as the weight of the train
came upon it, it gave way.
Formerly trestle work occupied the place
of the culvert and embankment; but it
was removed for more permanent struct-
ure which was supposed to be equal to the
purpose for which it was made. The cul-
vert has been built several years, and the
Press says that up to this time no one
doubted its suficiency.
STATEMENT OF THE CONDUCTOR.
Mr.. William NJ. Osgood, the Conductor
the ill-fated train, was taken back to Chi
cago. He is bruised considerably about
the head, shoulders and legs, but his inju-
ries are not of serious nature. Mr.. o.,
has been Conductor on the road for three
years past. He is confined to his bed at
the fremont House, where he made the
following statement. Mr.. o. is scarcely
well enough to give complete and de-
tailed account of the accident:
l was seated in the fore-part of the first
passenger car at about II o'clock on Mon
day night, when suddenly l heard a crack
ing the car, as if the car was plunging,
when got upon my feet TO see what was
the matter, and | tried to reach the center
of the ear, but not being able, as l felt my
foothold slipping from beneath me, COM
menced climbing to the roof, and succeed
ed in getting hold. The roof was much
broken away by this time and l landed be-
low. l then commenced climbing up, and
reached the bank. l saw number of 9TH
ers clambering up out of the cars, and there
were several persons assisting the persons
who had been injured. | saw some labor
ers whom I ordered 10 light bon-fres on
the track up and down the road. Of the
speed of the tran l took no particular no.
tice. l do not think it was running at.
full speed, as we had just passed over big
bridge, where we usually slack up, and had
not got under full headway yet. Several
of the passengers in the car escaped, but I
cannot remember their names, or the
names of any Others, although l knew some
of their faces. MIR. David Rulnion, l
think, was in the car with me, whether he
escaped or not l cannot say. l should
Judge there were some $50 persons in. the
train, could not tell as l had not taken
up my checks of the second class for emf
grant, cars, or the Eastern tickets. There
were fifteen Or twenty laborers got on the
foremost of the emigrant cars from Aims
worth station and atthe New Albany and
Salem crossing. The emigrant cars were
all smashed up. When got out of the
car the night was very dark and the water
was running heavy; 1 was confused. l
wanted to reach the telegraph station at.
South Bend, Ind, and started as l suppos-
ed for it, but again l forded the creek,
had gone the wrong way. l never saw
any rain in this ravine before; it was what
l call dry run, and the culvert was of
stone, as can be found upon any road.
The scene of the catastrophe is, as near
as can Judge, about half way between
South Bend and Mishawaka. This Tues
day. morning l crossed the same spot
where last night was a flood, almost with
out more than wetting my feet. l know
nothing further of the cause of the accident
than the carrying away of the culvert, and
I was sitting on forward seat with my
lantern near Inc, when the pitching and
commenced.
STATEMENT OF wM. M. BRETT, OF ELK
HORN, WIS.
was passenger on the s P. NJ. train of
he Southern Michigan Road. l, with
ny wife and others, occupied the first pass
,nger car-the forward one of the first
lass cars. There were three first class,
and two second class, making the train.-
sat near the middle of the car. At the
lime of the accident was not asleep, but
lozing. 1 had just got up and exchanged
seats with my wife. heard crash, and
elt the cars make what appeared to me to
be tremendous leap or plunge. 1t was
out an instant that felt this motion. II
lid not seem to me that the occupants of
he car were pitched about much. l was
lot thrown out of my plaek, nor was my
wife out of hers. But when the car struck
III the front part of it was demolished by
he force of the conclusion, and most of
hose occupying that end of the car must
,ave been instantly killed by the crash
The car fell in the water. Those who
,ould, hurried to get out. The lights
we're all extinguished, and the night was
cloudy and dark. got out of a window
Is the car lay partially on its side. My
wife escaped, she hardy knows how. The
'cene at the wreck was frightful. The en-
yine, by the giving way of the culvert and
smbarkment, plunged down full thirty feet,
md the two second class cars fell near it,
our car little to one side. Itwas a,fear-
ul pile. No one in the sleeping car was
killed. had several contusions about my
ace and body. My wife is hurt about as
much as I.
The Press d Tribune states that the
horror OF the scene through which MIR.