St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1861-09-12
: ~TeLEcRAPHic.
TERRIBLE, DIsAsTIH,

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The following is an additional acoodnt
Of the terrible dis7eter on the Hannibal
and St Joseph railroad, which is furnished
to the S.. Louis vsRepubl liicort' p Tie catad-
trophe occurred at Little Platte river. OH
q bridge nine miles east Of 81. JeSeph[-x
The bridge was a substantial work, 81 f16is 66iils
hundred and sixty feet span, and sabto,uuf
thirty:6ye feet above the river. Tha, ;tia,t
bers of the bridge bad been burned under.
meath the track until they would sustain
but little more than their own WEIGHT,
and the fire was then ,e1tingaished, leaf;, l;
ing the bridge mere she'll. -, " :.,. :'' r.I'
The train bringing from 80 toal0o pasr
sengers, including women and ckildren1
reached the river. at IL at night and the
bridge looking secure it, passed on. But
no sooner had tho locomotive measured it4
length than the structure rave waay. nra-
eipttatlng the entire train into the; akgs,
below. All the seats in the passe69st
coaches were torn loose aud showed I'm
front, carrying men, women and children
ina promiscuous heap down the declivitf
ard burying them among the crushed' tiidfifi=
bers or throwing them 'out of the ;eat3:
throut h the broken sides; jagged pieaet
OF flooring impaled some, and some wers
nan %mangled BY machinery al through the tim:
bers; several were caught between blank.
pressing together ike vice; Others were
struck by parts of the root as it came dow,
with mighty force; still Others were cui
with pieces Of glass, while wounds ''ad and
blood and agony prevailed amidst ths
1r's ntfai scene-shrieks Of pain were min.
gled with cries of terror. :, 'i.- J.. .:.,-:~'o,
In this fearful mauner the two last car,
OF the train went down, pitching the has.
sensers into the wreck or throWinr themn
into the: :waterjWhieh at this. place Is, about
a foot foot i and halt in depth. Only .thre.
persons-Mr. Parker, Supdriptendent ~
tue y; s: E1piess Company, Mr.. Marc,
Mail Agent, and Mr.. Hager-wve,rle able to
atto;d assistance to the Suffering Tie 1rne, Re.
mainder-thoser who were not killed ont.
risht-beiags SO disabled as to be 7helple.a
after dong all it was possible forr. = jthoac
requiring attendance -Mr; Hage;eir;. at mid
night, lett the wreck to 90 to- ST. Jo;e,;k
for. medical and &other. assistanpe. i sHa
walked five miles Of the way when he
found hand car upon which he b proceed roc
ed the remainder occ' the journey. uo I've
hundred yards west of the bridge he, dis.
covered heavy oak rail road tie strongly
strapped across the track, aud two miles
farther on he found the trestie work over
small stream on FIRE, which however, had
not as yet been so badly burned that
trains could not pass over it or could NOT
be easily ,cxtinguished. Arriving at.St.
Joseph, the alarm was soon spread through
the city, and although it was one O'clock
at night, Is men, including all tie .phy-
sicians in the nei ghborhood, quickly 'v0f!!
anteered their services, and at half lbsst
ttharee O'clock = train fully supplied, With
medical r. d @ stores and other. ,necessaries wa
at the scene of the disaster. The wound.
ed had AL tcaraawled;l from The wreef. Ta1udd 1dd
werel lyingion the banks and up6n Ut fsaHd
bar in the river. Seventeen dead tjodieat
were, recovered, and it is tpelieved lthas
this number embraced all who were killed
up to- that time Two we're 50 50" ,ib3,ahlg
wounded that it was hot expected tie;
would survive ill morning. while many
others were ;:daogerously 1:wouaded,s aud
gould e have to be well taken care,oft to ree
cover.