The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-09-07
' YORK, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER Z, 1851.
TERRIBLE RAILROAD CATASTROPHE.
Diaboilsai Rebel Outrage ON the hannibal
amidst. Joseph Railroad seventeen Lives
Lost and Large Number Wounded,
&C., &C., &c.

HUDSON MO-, sept D, 1901.
Abe Hager, baggage master the Hannibal and st.
Joseph Railroad furnishes 70 tho st. Louis Deordt tho
following account Of dabocal outrage that road tho
day before yesterday
Thepasscngsrs express train bound west September
g. was thrown into Pa river the tmbers Of the east emo
Of the bridge that having been burned neey
through. The entire train went down. the engine rnng
over and the baggage, freight, mail and two Passenger
cars piled top. The passenger We're completely
smashed and was the only the tram that escaped
unhurt. After getting out Of the baggage car, COM
menced taking the passengers that killed from
the wreck.
Conductor S. c. Cutter died in very few minutes.
Frank Clark the engineer had leg completely crush
ed and ammed into strings. lie also died in few mi
nutes.
Martin Field mail agent Charles Moore, fireman. and J.
Fox, brakeman, were killed
Among the wounded were Mr.. Medill, Of DR. Medl,
of Ohio, and his wife--both badly injured
could not learn the of all the passengers Invent
TO St. Joseph got engine physicians and other
sares for the wounded and reached the wreck at three
A. NJ The greatest excitement prevails in st. Joseph in
regard 10 this inhuman outrage.
HUDSON, Mo-, Sept o, 1851.
The following additional account Of the terrible disaster
the Hannibal and St Joseph Railroad is furnished TO
the st. Louis Republicans
The catastrophe occurred at Little Platte river bridge,
nine miles Of St. Joseph. The bridge sabstan-
al work of hundred feet span and about thirty
feet above the river. The binders Of the bridge
had been burned underneath the track unit
they would sustain but little more than their
weight and the FIRE then extingushed, leaving
the bridge she'll The train, bringing from eighty
five TO one hundred passengers including women and chill
dren reached the river eleven O'Clock at night and
the bridge looking secure passed In but had
the locomotive measured its length upon the bridge than
forty fifty yards Of the structure gave way pre-
cptatng the entire into the abyss below All theseats
in the passenger coaches and showed in front
carrying men, women and children in promscuous
heap down the dcclivy and buryng them beneath the
crushed timber throwing them of the through
the broken sides Some manged by the machinery
tearing through the tmbers several were caught between
planks pressing together like vice. others struck
by parts of the roof as it down with mighty force;
still others were cut with pieces Of glass while wounds
and blood and agony prevailed all over the rrightrui
scene and sreks Of pain mingled with the cries of
terror
In this the two last cars Of the train went down.
pitching the passengers into the wreck throwing
into the water which at this point is about foot and
half in Depth
Only three persons, J. W. Parker, Superintendent Of
tho United States Express, Mr.. Mars, mail agent
and Mr.. Hager, able 10 afford assis-
lance to the suffering, the remainder Of those
who were not killed outright being so disabled
be helpless After doing all that was possible for
those requiring immediate attention. Mr. Hager at mid
night left the wreck to go to St. Joseph medical and
other assistance He walked lge miles of the way when
he found hand upon which he proceeded the remain
der Of the journey. Two hundred yards OF the
bridge be discovered heavy oak railroad tic strongly
ST tbo npdtv hn
found the ircse work over aann stream on fire, which,
however had not yet been badly burned that
could not pass could not be easily extnguished
Arriving at ST. Joseph the alarm spread
throughout the city, and although one O'Clock ut
night seventy FIVE men including all the physicians in the
neghborhood volunteered their service half past
three O'Clock train, fully equipped supplied with
dca stores and other necessares at the the
disaster.
The wounded had emerged from the wreck and were
lying the banks and upon send bar in the river
Seventeen dead bodies recovered and it is beved
that this number embraced all who killed up to that
time. Two badly manglcd that it was not ex
pected they would survive ill morning, while many
others wore dangerously wounded, and would have
well taken care of to recover Many who will escape with
their lives will be MANNED and crippled.
Mr. Hager informant, did not remain 10 finish the
embarkaton Of the for St. Joseph but was des
patched TO Brookeid which is east Of the bridge
another train to 60 to the wreck. When he left the
Of the wounded were being taken down, and
such Of the dead had papers other articles about
them by which they could be identified.
Fifteen miles east Of the Platte river Mr. Hager found
another bridge Smiths branch almost entirely
ed having been fred after the train passed west thus
preventing assistance being sent from the east.
Lieutenant Shaw, Of the Eighth Kansas regiment kill
ed and Mr. Lo,nsberry and Sidney Clark, wounded are
the only additional names we have at present.