The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1861-09-12
A Victory for Missouri Senovs.

"A SeDOVSs
The Indian Sepoys Made Humane 6y
Compdrison.-1he Missouri; Seces-
sionists Burn Bridge 6y qohich
Taceaty Lives aoere Lost, Including
a. number. of Women and Children.
FULL PARTICULARS.
ST.. LOUIS, Sept. 6.-The following
additional account of the terrible dis
aster on the Hannibal & st. Joseph
Railroad is furnished to the st. Louis
Republican,:
The catastrophe occurred at Little
Platte river bridge, nine miles east of
St. Joseph. The bridge was a SUBJ
stantial work of one hundred and sixty
feet span and about thirty-five feet
above the river. The timbers of the
bridge had been burned underneath
the track until they would sustain but
little more than their own weight and
the fire was then extinguished, leaving
the bridge a mere shell.
The train, bringing from IS to 100
passengers, including women and chill
dren, reached the river at Il O'Clock at
night, the bridge looking secure. But
no sooner had the locomotive measured
its lenth upon the bridge than some 40
or so yards of the structure gave way,
precipitating the entire train into the
abyss below. All the seats in the
passenger coaches were torn off and
showed in front, carrying men, women
and children in promiscuous heap
down the declivity and burying them
among the crushed timbers, or throwing
them out of the cars, through the broken
sides. Jagged pieces of flooring i'm
paled some; some were mangled by
machinery tearing through the timbersI;
several were caught between planks
pressing together like vice; others
were struck by parts of the roof as ii
came down with mighty force; still
others were cut with pieces of glass,
while wounds, and blood and agony
prevailed all over the frightful 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 foot and hall
in depth. Only three persons, Mr.
Geo. Parker, Superintendent of the
United States Express; Mr.. Morse,
Mail Agent; and Mr.. Hager were able
to afford assistance to the suffering, the
remainder of those who were not killed
outright being so disabled as to be
helpless.
After doing all that it was possible
for those requiring immediate atten
dance, Mr.. Hager, at midnight, left the
wreck to 60 to st. Joseph for medical
and other assistance. He walked five
miles of the way when he found hand
car upon which he proceed the remain.
der of the journey.
Two hundred yards west of the
bridge he discovered heavy oak rail.
road tie strongly strapped across the
track, and two miles further on he found
the trestle work over small stream on
fire, which, however, had not as yet
been so badly burned that trains could
not pass over it or it could not be ex
tinguished.
Arriving at st. Joseph, the alarm
was soon spread throughout the city,
and although it was one o'clock atnight
seventy men, including all the
physicians in the neighborhood, quickly
volunteered their services, and at hall
past three o'clock a train fully supplied
with medical stores and other neces
saries, was at the scene of the disaster
The wounded had all emerged from
the wreck, and were lying on the banks
and upon a sand bar in the river
Seventeen dead bodies were recovered
and it is believed that this number
embraced all who were killed up
up that time. Two were so badly
mangled that it was not expected they
would survive till morning, while many
others were dangerously wounded, and
would have to be well taken care of to
recover. Many who will escape with
their lives will be severely MANNED and
crippled.
Mr.. Hager, our informant, did moi
remain to finish the embarkation of the
wounded for st. Joseph, but was dis
patched to Brookfield, which is east o.
the bridge, for another train to 90 tc
the wreck. When he left, the name.
of the wounded were being taken down
and also such of the dead as had papers
or other articles about them by which
they could be identified.
Fifteen miles east of the Platte river
Mr.. Hager found another bridge owe
Smiths Branch almost entirely burned
having been fired after the train passed
west, thus preventing assistance bein!
sent from the east.
Lieut.. Shaw of the First Kansa
Regiment, killed, and Mr.. Lownsbur,
and Sidney Clark, wounded, are tn
only additional names of those injured
we have at present.
Proclamation of Gen. Mcclellan on tn
Observance of the Sabbath...Gen.R RIOS
encranZ Heard From.
WASHINGTON, Sept. Z.
The following order has inst beer
promulgated:
HEADQUARTERS OF THE ARMY OF THE PoToMAc.
| WASHINGTON, Sept. 9th 1861.
General Order No. 6.
The Major General Commanding de
opI ,ronnocfc that -, f.,t,,.