Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1859-07-09

youth.
The Great Railroad Accident in the
West
For the past few days, the public mind
has been excited by the teleg;aphic an
nouncement of most distressing and un-
Usually fatal railroad accident which oc-
Cured on the Michigan Southern Rail
road on Tuesday morning last. In this
community, this excitement was height
ened by the fact announced in Ahe first
des patch, that Wells ]. Hawks, Esq. Of
this town was among the wounded. We
are glad to state, however, that the inju-
ries received by Mr.. H. are comparatively
slight, and that he arrived home yester
day morning. We are pleased TO record
his arrival in our midst with life, and
without any serious injury, though his
escape is ltle less than miracle. Mr..
HIS statements in relation 10 the accident,
are sufficient TO convey some iGea of the
truly narrowing and hearl-rending affair,
and many of the incidents connected with
the accident, as related by him, are Of
such nature as TO chill The heart with
sadness.
At half past 7 o'clock, P. NJ, on Mon
day evening, The ill-fsled train left the
Chicago depot, with it's cargo Of human
souls, ard proceeded along without inter
rupion or material detention 10 the place
where the dreadful calamity occurred.
They had bu, few moments before the
accident, passed the village of South
BENZ, in Indiana, and were but two miles
from it, when the fatal leap was made.
The accident was produced by the wash
ing away Of culvert. which had been
built as drain to ravine, and was Of ma
sonry work. Heavy rains in the vicinity
had caused the water in the ravine to sc-
cumula,e TO an unwonted quantity, until
a complete dam was formed, perhaps 10
the depth Of twenty-five or thirty feet,
and under this immense pressure Of water
and drift, i. is supposed that the culveri
gave way or yielded 10 the concussion
produced by the train striking the track
at that point. The most natural conclu-
sion is that the foundation upon which
the track rested, or the masonry work Of
the culvert, had been undermined by the
constant washing of heavy rains, the soil
round and about being OF sandy, loamy
nature, and not OF sufficient compaclness
or solidily 10 resist the action Of water for
any great length of time. Be this as il
may, it is moi certainly known whether
the track was carried off by the food pre-
viousl y, or whether il yielded for the
want of sufficient foundation when the
train commenced running upon it. This,
Mr.. Hawks thinks. can never be positive
y decided.
From an interview with Mr.. H., we
have gathered some incidents and facts Of
The disaster, which we will give 10 our
readers. From the time the train left
Chicago, the journey was wi,hou, Incl
dent, until about ,24 o'clock at night, al
which time fellow passenger remarked
that the speed of The train was very great.
This fact had hardly been commented on,
when the jolting Of The car indicated that
It's wheels were off the rails, and an in.
stanl after there was plunge, and the car
was submerged beneath the wafer. Un-
der these circumstances Mr.. Hawks re-
tanned his presence Of mind. Feeling for
The window he prepared TO leave The Car
and TO submit his chances Of life 10 the
water. In jumping from the window,
one Of his feet was seized by some one
with that peculiar tightness Of grip, which
the drowning only fasten upon those
whom they seize. By an effort he re-
leases his foot from The shoe, which is
lef, the hands of the unknown person
who had seized il, and Mr.. Hawks plum
ged into the water around him. Ii must
be borne in mind that The night was rainy,
and the darkness so great as to prevent
the dimmesi conception OF the nature Of
the stream in which he was floundering,
or the localities surrounding ii. In few
minutes after rising 10 the surface OF the
water. he was violently struck by beam.
and pressed down in the water bv the driI,
wood passing over him. Alter being
nearly strangled, he managed TO escape