The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-03-24
THE ACCIDENT ON THF GREAT WESTERN
4

Lo"lsaaha hep 500; Dallas 81. Judgment affirmed.
JerUts pencer for the appellant; T. g. Pratt and
ThoS. S. Alexander for the appellee.
THE ACCIDENT ON THF GREAT WESTERN
RAILWAY.
An extra from the Hamilton &c. Wy Spectator
office, of March 49, gives a statement in regard to
the shocking disaster on the Great Western Rail
road on Saturday, from which the following extract
is taken:
The night train west had passed over the line
from Hamilton to Copetown, meeting the night ex-
press, east, at the latter place.
The line was then in good condition. There was,
however, quantity of water damned up between
the track and the mountain. This, it is supposed,
caused the slide.
The chasm made by the washing away of the line
IS at least as long three passenger cars and from
IL to 20 feet deep. Into this the locomotive rushed
headlong burying itself completely in the SOIL and
becoming of course an absolute wreck. The baggage
car fell above and on the locomotive; the first pas
senger aslant upon this, the second passen-
ger car slid under the upturned end of the first and
the third the sleeping car, running into this, had
its corner carried away.
The scene presented was of the most frightful
description, and witnesses of it represent it far
more horrible than that at the Desjardins
Bridge. The furious equinoctial storm was raging
in all its violence; it was blowing hurricane; the
snow was falling, not in fakes, but in positive
masses. The water, too, was yet washing over the
ridge of the mountain, on whose side the track is
built, and the difficulty of succoring the wounded
or extracting the dead and the living, was much
increased.
The cars lay in absolute wreck, passengers were
looking for friends the wounded were groaning
and the utmost confusion prevailed. To add to all
this, another engine was seen rapidly approaching,
evidently unconscious of the casualty. Everybody
shouted and screamed to induce it to stop, lest it
should destroy itself and destroy all the wounded
who still remained in the ruins
Fortunately the engineer stopped, and subse-
quently the train took back the living, the dead
and the wounded to Copetown.
1t seems the shock to the passengers in all but the
last car was very severe; in the last, sleeping
car 1t was hardly felt, owing probably to its pecu
liar construction Here it was, however, that the
late Superintendent of the locomotive department
of the railway, Mr.. Braid, happened to be- He
was not in the berth, but sitting in the corner near
the stove, chatting with another gentleman. Bolts
and timbers from the passenger car in front enter
ed the sleeping car, onl woundDg the other, but
killing Mr.. Braid instantly.
The Rochester Democrat of Monday morning
gives these further particulars in the statement of
passenger:
We are indebted to Mr.. William Cox of Philadel.
phla, who was passenger the train and arrived
in this city by the New Ork Express train in COM
| pany with Mrs. Geare, Mrs. Markham and others,
| for the following statement:
"Ihe accident occurred at an embankment on the
south side OF a mountain, between COpetown and
Dundas. About twelve rods of the embankment
had been swept away by the food to the depth of
lorty feet. was in the sleeping at the rear
end of the train. The first intimation received of
danger was tremendous crash and in an instant
was hurled from my berth to the floor, alighting,
fortunately, on my feet. to the rear door of
the car and out on the platform, where obtained
dim view of the condition of affairs The sleeping
car was still on the track but the trucks were torn
oil and the body of the car was about balanced on
the verge of the chasm, the forward end being
pitched downward, and the rear end elevated about
eight feet from the ground All the other cars
were in the chasm. l got down to the ground, and
| and with some other passengers went forward to
see what had happened. The cars were piled up at
| the bottom, in a terribly confused state.
"The engine, which had of course gone over
| first, was at the bottom, and buried deeply in
the soft earth that there was nothing visible of it
except the tops of the driving wheels. The tender
| had passed over the engine and appeared to be
split in two that the water tanks lay on each side
OF it. The baggage car had gone completely over
| the engine and tender, and lying against the
| opposite bank on its side and considerably broken
up. Against and on top of the ruins of the engine
were what appeared to be the remains of a mail or
freight car, could not tell which, The first pas
senger car lay with its forward end among these
ruins. The second passenger car was driven into
and partially through the first. The hind end of
this car lay against piles which had supported
! the embankment. Next the sleeping car,
which hung on the edge of the precipice.
"There were about seventy passengers on the
train in all, and great many were killed and hurt.
know of six or seven dead, a large number wound
ed, and two missing but can give only few names.
Only one person was hurt in the sleeping car. He
was man named Braid, who sitting at the
forward end of the car, engaged in conversation
with the conductor of the sleeping car and another
gentleman. He was crushed to death instantly.
Mr.. Braid belonged to Hamilton, and was an en-
ployee of the railroad company believe. The en-
gineer was among the killed He found buried
under five feet of earth. His name was Morgan.
One of the brakesmen on the train was also killed.
The fireman was taken from the ruins badly scald-
ed and bruised. He called Charles The con-
ductor of the train was not severely injured. The
| baggageman escaped with a few slight bruises.
In1,- no,
to rescue the wounded and to provide for the COM
fort of the ladies and children. | assisted to re-
move three men from the first car, who were very
badly hurt. They were pulled out of the windows
with rope. One of them had broken arm and
| leg, and each of the others had leg broken. All
the passengers in this got out at the windows"
The passengers in the second car were obliged to
| jump from the rear end to the embankment, a dis
tance of Is feet. Among them were several ladies
and children, including Mrs. Geare and Mrs. Mark
ham, widow lady from Auburn. One gentleman,
from Massachusetts, remained in this car, aiding the
passengers many of whom were beneath the stove
and seat at the lower end, until all were taken out
and in safety.
The embankment was very soft, and everybody
sank in the mud and sand. One lady named Jones,
had with her four children, the Youngest being a
babe of only two weeks old This lady's husband
| was either killed or badly hurt. There were two
ladies in the sleeping car both of whom are safe
One is Mrs. Samuel Httle of Detroit. child
which she had with her. is also safe.
terrible storm of wind, accompanied with rain
and snow, was prevailing, and rendered the condi-
ton of the passengers more uncomfortable than it
would otherwise have been. All the ladies and
children that could be found were got up the en-
bankment and placed in the sleeping car for time,
but the bank exhibited signs of giving way be-
meath it, they were afterwards removed to the
track and made as comfortable as circumstances
would permit, with mattresses and cushions taken
from the ruins Several of the ladies were desti.
tute of Shoes stockings and bonnets. Among these
were Mrs. Geare. This lady also lost he; purse
| and money, being thus left destitute.
About Is minutes after the accident, an engine
| and tender from Copetown came along on the way
to Hamilton, and it was with great difficulty that
the men on them were made acquainted with the
state of things in time to prevent them from run
ming into the sleeping car, and throwing it over on
the rest ot the cars. As it was, they came within
a few rods. This engine went back and got a
freight car, into which the most seriously injured
were put and taken to Copetown. The rest re-
maned at the scene Of the accident waiting for
lief from Hamilton, whittier the surviving brake
man had been dispatched to notify the railroad au-
thorities. We stayed on the spot, exposed to the
storm, till O'Clock, when train arrived from
Hamilton and took to that place. Such
baggage as could be found was also carried
to Hamilton but the railroad authorities would not
allow any of the passengers to touch it, and every
body-lades and children well as the men-was
obliged to await the arrival of Government Off
Ger to inspect the various articles. Some of the
gentlemen procured articles indispensable to thu
comfort of the ladies, by purchasing them at thu
stores. i procured some shoes in this way for Mrs
Geare; others got some stockings. The Hamilton
people appeared very Indifferent about the matter
and we got no help from them or the railroad men
At last the Government officer arrived but only il
time to give us our baggage. The o'clock trail
for Suspension Bridge was about to leave, and W
had no time to change our clothes The conse
quence was that we had to ride to Suspension Bridg
in our wet garments.
The ladies especially were in wretched condi
ton, though the male passengers made them a
,JOnee-the AZ w
the four children-was the only one for whom an
provision was made at Hamilton. She consi6
erably hurt, were also two of her little ones, an
her case excited great commiseration. Her hu:
band, who, have already said, was either kille
or badly injured, was among those taken to Cops
| town.
A Suspension Bridge, the passengers got OF
portunty to change their clothes, and most oftheI