Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1861-09-07
RAILROAD CATAsTROPHF.

HUDSON, No, Sept. 9.
The following additional account of the
terrible disaster on the Hannibal and st. Jo-
seph railroad is furnished by the st. Louis
Republican:
The catastrophe occurred at Little Platte
River Bridge, nine miles east of st. Joseph.
The bridge was substantial work one hun
dred and fifty feet span, and about thirty-hve
above the riveI The timbers of the brid .,e
had been burned underneath the track until
they would sustain but little more than their
weight. The fire was then extinguished,
leaving the bridge a mere shell. The train,
bringing from eighty-fve to a hundred pas
sengers, including women and children,
reached the river at II o clock at night, and
the bridge looking secure, passed on, but no
sooner had the locomotive measured its
length upon the bridge than some forty or
fifty yards of the structure gave way, precip-
itating the entire train into the abyss below.
All the seats in the passenger coaches were
torn and showed in front, throwing men,
women and children 10 q promiscuous heap
down the decliyity and burying them among
the crushed timbers, or throwing them out of
the cars through the broken sides, and jagged
pieces Of flooring impaled some Some were
mangled by machinery tearing through the
timbers, and several were caught between
planks pressing together like wise. Others
were struck by parts of the roof as it came
down with mighty force. Still others were
cut with pieces of glass, while wounds and
blood and agony prevailed all over the fright
full scene, and shrieks Of pain were mingled
with cries of terror. In this way the two
last cars of the train went down, pitching the
passengers into the wreck, or throwing them
into the water, which at this point is about
a foot and half in depth.
Only three persons, Mr.. J. W. Parker,
Superintendent of the U. S. Express, Mr..
Mars, Mail Agent and Mr.. Hogen, were able
to afford assistance to the suffering, the re-
mainder of those who were not killed out
right, being so disabled as to be helpless.
After doing all that it was possible for those
requiring immediate atteldance, Mr.. Hoeen,
at midnight, left the wreck to go to St. Jo-
seph for medical and other assistance. He
walked five miles of the way when he found
a hand car, upon which he proceeded the
remainder of the journey.
Two hundred yards west of the bridge be
QlsCOFeEGu q ucdN1 uah EdLlIOhu Tic strongly
strapped across the track, and two miles fur
ther west he found the trestle work over a
small stream on fire, which, however, had
not as yet been so badly burned that trains
could not pass over il, or could not be easily
extinguished.
On arriving at St. Joseph, the alarm was
spread throughout the city, and although it
was one o'clock at night, seventy-6ve men,
including all the physicians in the neighbor-
hood, quickly volunteered their services, and
at half-past three o'clock a train, fully sup
piled with medical stores and other necessa-
ries, was at the scene of the disaster.
The wounded had all emerged from the
wreck and were lying upon the banks and
upon the sand bar in the river. Seventeen
dead bodies were recovered, aud it is believed
that this number embraced all who were
killed up to that time. Two persons we're
so badly mangled that it was not expected
they would survive till morning, while many
others were dangerously wounded and would
have 10 be well taken care Of to recover.
Many who will escape with their lives will
be severely manned and crippled.
Mr.. Hagen, our informant did not remain
to finish the embarkation of the wounded
for st. Joseph, but was despatched to Brook
field, which is east of the bridge for another
train to 20 to the wreck. When be left, the
names Of the wounded were being taken
down, and also such Of the dead as had pa