Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1861-09-07
Particulars Of the Railroad Disaster.

HUDSON, Mo, sept. s.
The following additional account of the terrible
disaster on the Hannibal 4 st. 10. X. Il. has been
fnrnished the ST. Louis Republican
The catastrophe occurred at Little Platte River
bridge, nine miles east st. Joseph. The bridge
was OF substantial work. ono hundred and sixty
teet span and about th.rty.fve feet above tn
lines. The timbers of the bridge had been
burned underneath the track until they would
sustain little more then their wei and the
the fire was extingu she'd.
From 90 TO 100 passengers, including women and
children, reached tho Ilyer at IL oclock at night
l he bridge looking secure the loco motive passed
on, but no sooner had it measured its length upon
the bridge then some ioity or fifty yards Of the
structure gave way. prccipltatin, the entire train
into the abyss below. All the seats in the passcn
ger coaches were torn and showed in 'front.' carry
ing men, women and and children ia promis-
cuous heap down the dec.ivity, and bury ny them
among the crushed timbers throwing them out
OF the cars through tho broken Sides Jag
ged pieces OF flooring imr.led some-
Some were inangled by machinery tearing through
the umbers. Several were caughi between pank-
pressing together like vice; others sIuck
by parts OF the roof as it Game down with mi Oh
'orce; still others weTo cut with pieces Of elass
whiic wounds and blood and agony prevailed s. II
over the irghtiu scene, and shrlcks of pain were
mingled with cries ot terror. In this way the tu
last cars OF { train went down, pitching the Ias
s@ngers into the wreck and throwing them into
AA1 water, which, at this point, Is about foot
and half in depth Only three persons, Mr. j. .
W. Parker, Superintendent of the L. ). Express
Mr.. Morse. Mail agent, and Mr. lager were a bio
TO Afford assistance 10 the sutierin.. The remain
der oi those who were not killed outrigh being -
disabled a. TO be helpless. After dong ali tn 1t
possible for those requiring immediate a :
tendance, Mr.. lager at mi might lett the wreck
I, 20 to 81 Joe tor medical and ether attendance.
lie walked five miles when he found n hand car
which a rracceapa he nd .f
journey. Two hundrcd yards Of tho bridge
he discovered heavy oak railroad tie strongly
strapped across the track, and two miles further
on ne iouni the treste work over small stIcam
on fire, whIch however had no, yet been So badly
burned that trains could not pass over il. AS il
could not be easily extinguished on arriving al
st. Joseph the alarm was spread through the
cIty, and although 1t Was o'clock Al night,
seventy brave men including all the phys
cians III the neighboIAood responded and
volunteered their seIvices, and at half past three
o'clock = train fully Supplied with medical stores
and other necCssarles WAS sent To the of the
disaster.
The wounded had all emerged from the wreck,
and were lying on the banks and upon sand bars
In the river. Seventeen dead bodies recovered
and 1t II believed that This nuiI.peI embraced al
who were killed up TO that time. Two were 80
badly manged that ii was not expected they
would survive TIL morning, whle many others
were dangerously Wounded, and would have to be
well taken care Of to recover.
Many VINO will escape with their lives, will be Sc
verely maiined and crippled. Mr. ilager. our in
tOrmast, dld not remain finish the e.barkaton
OF the wounded for st. 10, but was dispatched to
bfookiield, winch l. Last Of the bridge, for an
other train to g. TO the wreck. When he left
there the name. Of the wounded were being taken
down, ami 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 iIa-
ger found one bridge over Smiths branch almost
entirely burned, having Teen fired after the train
bad passed. We-t-thus preventing assistance be-
ing sent from the East.
Lieut. Saw, Of the lst Kansas Regiment, killed
and a Mr.. iowensburg and sidney Clark, wourd-
ed, are the only additional names Of those Injured
We have At present.