The daily press. (Cincinnati [Ohio) 1859-1859, 1859-07-02
be- From the Chicago Press and Tribune.
THE GREAT TRAGEDY.
Full Particulars Obtained on the Spot
statement of the President of the Road.
THE NUMBER OF THE DEAD
CONDITION OF THE WOUNDED.
TIE LOCALITY OF THE CATASTROPHE.

THE LOCALITY OF THE CATASTROPHE.
The place where the tragedy occurred, which
has carried such deep sadness into the homes
of so many, is situated midway between the
villages of South Bend and Mishawaka, and
about two miles from either place. There is a
ravine some thirty feet deep from the surface
of the track, and seventy-fve to one hundred
feet wide. Under the track was culvert,
about nine feet by seven. The water passing
through it is generally, during the wet season,
not sufficient to fill the eulvert half full. Dur
ing the fierce storm which prevailed on Monday
evening, the passage through the culvert be-
came interrupted, and the water on the south
or upper side suddenly raised to the height of
fifteen or twenty feet, or within five or eight
feet of the surface of the track. The track rest
,ng on sandy foundation, the action of the
water had the effect to undermine, and proba-
bly, before the train reached the fatal spot the
track had been partly carried away, and the
train took the terrible plunge into the abyss
below, almost completely burying it in the
quicksand and mud. The scene which followed
it is out of our power to describe, but those
who were compelled to witness it, say that it
was an event which no man should be called
upon to witness but once in a life time. The
hight was clear, but the ravine being skirted
by woods and the high banks, it wos impossi-
BILE to distinguish objects, and any aid rendered
| by those who escaped death or sevRre injury,
| could only be by the sound of the groaus of
| the sufferers. So fierce was the concsssion, and
so terrible the screams of the wounded and
| dying, that the sound thereof was distinctly
heard at Mishawaka, distance Of two full
miles. When these sounds reached the ears of
the citizens, large number of whom were in
| the streets (they having been called up by a
4 fire in the village), they Immediately started
en- mdsse for the scene of the disaster, with Ian
terms and every thing that would probably be
needed to relieve the wounded; and from that
time until the hour of leaving last evening,
every door has been thrown open to the suf-
ferers, and every thing which human agency
could accomplish has been done by the citizens
for the relief of the unhappy victims. They
deserve the enduring regard Of the sufferers and
their friendss
The following is the statement of Hon.
George Bliss, President of tho Road, who was
on the trainrat the time of the accident
r..,. r. no GEe. BLIss's STATEMENT.
On the night of the 9th inst, a very severe
rain storm Of several hours duration accumu-
lated large body of water in what is usually
/ a dry gorge in MINER, midway between South
Bend and Mishawaka, and carried away O
stone arch culvert of nine feet span, with an
embankment of about twenty feet over it,
between 10H and 12X o'clock. The night
was very dark and the train came on as usual
at about the latter hour, containing a baggage
car, an emigrant passenger car, one second
class car, and four irst-class passenger cars
the last one of which was sleeping car--al
tolerably well flled-and every berth in the
sleeping car occupied with an unusual number
of women and children. The whole train
plunged into the gorge. The baggage, emf
grant and second class car fell nearly upon the
engine and tender, which were buried quite
out of sight in the sand and water of the
stream, now from three to six or eight fee
deep, the foremost three of the frst-class cars
fell further into the stream, and not on toI
of each other, but partially on their sides
and were entirely crushed. The sleeping Cal
fell inside of the others, right side up, careen
ing hsle, in three or four feet of water, bu
was a atively very little injured-the lamI
in the rdttk not being extinguished. Meme o
the, pafskt fors in this car were seriously in
jured. N1ere was over foot of water in tn,
bottom, u Ebe passengers from it were got OF
-share Velk ksNat.s From the other cars, man,
got on tQil Sef them, and were assisted to tn
4 shofey u benfres were built. Messenger
were diSf2f bed to South Bend and Mishawaka
each ab5AS 4wo miles distant, aud many sooI
arrive the Acehe of the disaster. hid. ..
As e1,th0cause Of the accident, so far as
can 1eafrS IL was entirely Providential, and una
llVoidahles Usually there was little or no wate
! kpassing through the oulvert. The rain 70
I macy hours was most profuse. The culver
was examined at 10 o'clock, and it readil,
Z bpassed allthe water The track-master and hi
men were over the whole line during the storm
v add all was safe. The track master wa
on the engine, on his way home, and was killed
It was an old rule OF the road that the section
men shall be on duty and pass over the roa'
q during every storm, and examine all tb
= bridges and culverts, at any hour of the day o
, night, and the Division Superintendent re
d pewed this order within the last ten or twelv
y days. By noon the next day after the acci
dent there was so little water in the brook tina
, a person could easily step over it. D..
AS to the number Of passengers on the train
it is impossible to ascertain with accuracy, a
3 the conductor was go much bruised rs to b
|, obliged to go home on the first train. TIL
i number of dead bodies taken out of the wreol
thus far has been SO, and 2have since died, ma
king the total SO.