Nebraska advertiser., 1861-09-12
The War for the Uniou.
Platte Bridge Burnt by.
Secession Soldiers.
SLHTFEN KILLED and SIXTY
WOUNDED.
s.. Jo.LlH, 70. So. q.

ST. JOSEPH, M0. sept. q,
The passenger train coming to this city
over the Hannibal and St. Joseph rail
road while running al the rate of thirty,
give miles per hour. was precipitated int
Platte river, about ID o'clock Tuesday
night, causing a terrible slaughter o.
men, women and children. The bridge
was burned by prowling assassIns about
1--WE o'clock, but no warning was given e
those having charge of the train. II il
as yet impossible to obtain a complete
list of the wounded. Out of 95 passen-
gers bat 4 or 8 escaped unframed.
The train sent out for the dead and
wounded, N. their return to this city.
found a bridge Just fired which they were
compelled to stop and extinguish.
There are not less than sixty wounded
men, with broken arms. broken limbs,
and bruised and crushed bodies are be-
ing assisted to houses where they are re-
ceiving the best medical attendance.
A special train was sent to the bridge
and brought in the killed and wounded.
When found, the engineer was discov-
cred at his post, with his hand upon the
steam guage, in the act of whistling down
the breaks. He saw the danger, but too
late to. save his precious freight. The
baggage master, who saw that the struc-
ture was down, leaped from the flying
train a height of thirty feet, and escaped
Though badly bruised, he walked to the
city, a distance o. ten miles, and give no.
tice of the accident.
A young couple, just married, en- route
for their home IN Kansas, were CONVEX
sing together at the moment of the fear
full plunge, in bright anticipation of a safe
Journey, and in a moment after, she was
a widow. wounded and helpless in the
general wreck.
U~ponreceipt Of the news, many of the
physicians in the city Immediately repair
ed to the scene of disaster, to render as
sistance to the wounded, all Of which
were brought to this city and kindly car
ed for.
From what we can learn the bridge vas
burned about five o'clock Tuesday even
ing, by a party Of men, who went DELHI
erately 10 work about it, and the rocks
on the side of piers show that they were
opposed to great heat.
Mr.. Hewson, one Of the passengers
who escaped, describes the appearance
of the wreck as terrible, and the casual
ty would no doubt have been greater had
it not been for the presence of mind of
one of the wounded passengers. Seeing
the woodwork of the cars taking fire from
the engine, he ran into the river, with
his hat and succeeded in extinguishing
the flames, which were making a rapid
Roadway, and would soon have enveloped
the whole mass of broken timbers in a
general conflagration, and most of the
wounded beneath it would have persisted.
Among those who died after reach
ing the city was an infant about one year
old, and its mother was badly cut up and
bruised.
Col. Coppock of Iowa, among the kill
led, was Colonel of the Kansas Second.
The news of the disaster and outrage,
together with the arrival of the killed
and wounded, cast a gloom over the city,
and we heard but one feeling expressed,
and that was entire condemnation of the
henious crime, and that summary justice
should be melted out to the authors.