Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1861-09-26

Appalling Calamity--Frfghtful Accfs
dent on the Ohio and Mississippi
Railroad--A Train of Cars Precip.
ltated into Stream--One Hundred
Persons Killed and Wounded.
tFroin the Cincinnati Gazette, 18th instl
One Of themost shocking disasters we have
been called upon to record for years, occur
red on the Ohio d Mississippi Railroad, one
hundred and forty-three miles west of this
city, about half past eight clock last even
ing. The particulars of this disastrous af-
fair, so far as we have been able TO gather
them up to one O'Clock this morning, are as
follows. .aG -trl
On Saturday last Col. Turchin's Illinois
Regiment, the Bloody Nineteenth" as
they were generally known, at that time
stationed on the Kentucky shore Of the Mis-
sissippi river, about eight miles below Cairo,
received orders to proceed to Washington.
Some delay attended their transhipment,
and they did not leave Cairo till Monday
night.
Arriving at Sandoval or Odin, they we're
transferred to the Ohio & Mississippi Rail
Dad, and left on two trains for this city
The firsttrain, composed of ten cars, passed
Vincennes about two clock yesterday after
noon, followed by the second, composed Of
eight cars, some ten minutes later. 30
While crossing a bridge that spanned
Beaver Creek, three miles west of Huron,
and about fifty this side Of Vincennes, the
second train broke through, precipating six
of the eight cars to the bottom of the stream,
and killing and wounding large number of
the regiment; some reports placing the num-
Der as high as one hundred and fifty, though
it is impossible to ascertain, at the present
writing, the mortality, with any degree of
certainty. ~ g-..IlH
The engine, fortunately, became detached
from the train, and the engineer at once ran
it to the nearest station for assistance. The
first train, containing the remainder of the
regiment. which had safely passed over the
bridge few minutes previous, was stopped
at Mitchell, twelve miles east of Hudson,
and sent back to the scene of the disaster
The Express train for St Louis, which
left this city at five O'Clock, was also tele-
graphed, and hastened to the lpot, taking
along all the surgeons that could be found
on the route. Surgeons also left Vinennes
for the scene by special train. {a5
Intelligence of the calamity did not reach
the city till late hour last night. Super
intendent Lewis, of the Ohio & Mississippi
Road, at once prepared special train, and,
in company with Drs. Judkins, Mussey,
Wood Norton and others, left for Huron to
render all assistance possible. t.rir
LATER FROM THE DISASTER
Since writing the foregoing we have re-
ceived the following dispatch from the scene
of disaster. by an operator who went down
| from Mitchell ON the return train, and ad-.
| J.os,aI ta tba nfan1ant 10 fba pnaJ.
| in this city. 1t is dated Ten minutes past
one clock" .
Bridge No, As is broken in two-it let
! four of the passenger cars down into the bed
of the creek, aud one on top of them. En-
CINE and one car came to the east side; en-
gine all right, the car off clear of the track,
and it will be necessary to transfer it. There
are about 100 men. wounded, and as many
as ten or fifteen are known to be killed
| One of the brakesmen is under the ruins,
not to be found; another got his leg broken,
and otherwise injured one of them all
right. We sent him 10 Shoals as soon as
! got off ; had to walk all the way, as some of
the soldiers got the hand car. Two ears
with officers and baggage car were left on
the west side expect all right. Patterson,
brakesman, lived in Vincennes and was
buried in the ruins. Don't know but that
fifteen will include the number killed until
the roll is called The Colonel says that is
about the number killed, although nearly all
fone company are missing. h ~aaaL
1t is thought that the bridge was weaken.
ed by some malicious persons. 1t gayeway
in the center, from the best information we
can get. 20 --, i. -.rr r..-. ,...,.,-ryi. .-.
! Is CIscINNAT, Sept. lS,.II Il O'Clock. The
4 accident or the Ohio and Mississippi Rail
/