Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1859-11-05
1SB@ For City News see third page.
For Market Reports and Marine News see fourth


Journals, Sales Books. Recoiviug Books, Sc. 40.
pdS- For City News see third page
For Market Reports and Marine News see fourth
, page.
Details Of the Terrible wiscOnsin r. Rnilroad
Calamity.
The opening of tho Chicago and Northwest
! em Railway through 10 Oshkosh, Wisconsin,
was recently celebrated by grand excursion
from Chicago to Oshkosh. A return excursion
celebration from Oshkosh to Chicago was ar.
ranged for the 81 Of November Tuesday morn
ing train of four cars, containing about $50
exc ursiOnists, lett Oshkolh AT Fon du Lac, 10
mites, six cars were added to the train, also
fill cd with cxcursionists, gentlemen and ladies'
At WateTtown two more osrs were added, ma
king a total Of about 700 passengers, all joyous
aE'd happy. The party was mainly composed
OF the citizens of Oshkosh, Appleton, Menasha,
Neenah, Fon du Lac, Chester, Junolu, and
Watertown. Eleven cars were well filed tho
twelfth being still empty and locked for towns
l'elow. The gentlemen were very generally ac.
c'mpanied by ladies', and mirth and gayety well
nj. Oh drowned the rattling of the wheels as the
trai sped on. Suddenly, without moments
wal uing, joy was turned TO sorrow, and bright
antic pations to fruilion of anguish rarely par
aeled. Tb silence Of the instant was broken
by cries, SCI cams and groans, and the editor of
the Chicago Press who accompanied the e1cur
sionists ant occupied a seat in the eleventh car
says
The first intelligence ofanytbing being wrong
was convey ed by series OF shocks, the first
violent, the following one diminishing in vio>
| lence, unit the came to a stand Still
| there was T. othing in the shock or the noise, 10
that part Of the train, to convey any conception
of what ma d occurred We stepped to the
ground and the whole disaster was revealed in
kind, though not in extent, the latter awaiting
the trenl6licg z and eager search through the
crushed and shattered cars. Let US state the
accident rs it occurred
! the CASUALTY.
When ab out seven miles below Waterto wn,
and midwa Y between that city and Jefferson
half mile north of the small flag station of
| Bellevie, tb train then running about fifteen
miles an hour, the Engineer--Georgo McIntiro
beside whom in the engine cab stood Robert
Campbell of Fond du Lac, Chief Engineer of
the road, saw large white steer and a smaller
red one, staining near TO and east of the track.
AS the train was OF distance, the white steer
crossed the track, the other making off into th
woods Unfortunately, when the train was
distant only some four rods, the white bullock
attempted TO re join bis comrade by hasty
J move which bro uSht him into position to be
struck by the en- zine There was time for no
more than TO reverse the engine, no signal was
sounded, for oven while the engineers hand
was exte 'ded FIR that purpose, the ruin was
complete.
The COW catcher struck the steer but not at
spcCd suflic lent to throw the animal from the
track. II vas pushed forward for n rod or two
then at a Gu (vert some portion of the carcase
dropped betN zen the open tics The engine was
raised over il, thrown from the track and turn
ed over on it's side. The tender followed. The
first-olass pass, niger car following, was driven
the entire length OGthe ear occupied for express,
post office and b 'ggage, which It cleared com.
pelely to the foo fame. Apparently, this
car only stopped at thu, rear If the tender, where
It was turned 20 the rigNt and 'own into ditch
by the roadside tillet witt muddy water. This
ditch, at that point was 8, me elglit feet wide,
the water varying from eight to TIVE, Wy inches
IN depth. Into this were swept the ba ggage,
mails, and the Inmates OF the express car, the
debris and fragments of nj ich were driven l'nck
into the front passenger ,ar, every seat Of whL'h
was torn up.
The second passenger car was driven for
ward to nearly twOthirds the length of the ex-
press car, upO q tho swept platform Of which it
rested its f.ont end firmly interlocked with
the ioremoF passenger car. The third car
followed, u ,ough in the line Of the track, eud
upright e platforms demolished and the ends
lnterlocG .ng. The fourth car was staunch
built, se ;ond class car, that resisted the shock
and sto Cd uubroken sustained by end pressure
simply The tru,ks Of oil these cars, with
those OF the two following, were heaped con
fused " between the rails; The fourth car
prot icted it's passengers by its slaunchness; the
hnh car being thus he'd, tho sixth car was
orr en- against il, and under the immense pres
su re of the seven cars following, was co Dplete-
ly wrecked. the fifth car entering the sixth to
9 YER two TIN rds of the length Of the latter
The sixth ana seventh were closely inerlOcked,
platforms goD, and ends broken in The two
following cars b -oke their coupling irons and
shattered Their p atforms. The rear cars were
safe save from II oderate shock. All this was
acconSiaEesd in al lnstsnt.
five Are AZ all q, ear in this description the
reader will realize W hat met our gaze as We
s5s. glanced at the reek. Six cars crushed
and interlocked slidin, in upon one another
like the sections Of 'leacope SIX cars shat
tered. two of them, III, fifth and sikh, de-
mo lished for nearly then entire length. Then
reJaenber that III we're filled with human be
ings--husbands and wiVe ;, brothers and sis
Il re- fathers and uotheTs, hen the crash struck
them gay aud me 'Ty, now 10 oinlngin IN the smoth'
cred wall of anqu ish from that teariol prison,
or crawling out b. uised and bleeding by win
dOws and through the roofs. Prepared by this
deser. .ption, the n ader, In looking VVer the lol'
lOwj ng saddenn details, will be ready to
mingle anguish WI tn surprise, the latter that in
fnis terrible wreck 30 few were injured
In few minut, 3 all who were able we're ac'
lively at work for the relief of the sufferers -
Some mounted th q ears with axes, fome cut
away the sides, ot hers, and among these many
ladies', made couch es by the road side out of
car cushions and Ihawis, while others still
bore or conducted bither the injured as fast
as they could be extficated. They came
wounded and bleedh %, apparel torn, numbers
with broken limbs, many with dishgunng
bruises about their h cad and face; and among
the most Of these was noble fortitude
that rose far superior to Their suterings -
Tender and delicate womeS were taken tender
ly 10 temporary resting Piaces and silently
awaited the attention that TnusI be delayed, for
there was no house in the vicinity. We were
, in maTshy grove, and. for rods around, these
centres Of painful interests grew and multi
piled until the heart sickcned.
But the saddest and Rhastliest scene was
where the debris of the frat passenger car
and the express car were mingled, a confused
heap Of crushed and bruised forms OF beings
late Joyous and gay. Fire was almost imme.
diaiey al work in this part Of the wreck, com
municated from the stove into the first car
The smoke increased, the men wrought like
lions foremost were Perry H. Smith and 9th